WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/122 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6871) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   English 
 
 
FINLAND 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr. Alexander Stubb 
Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade 
 
 
I have three brief points to make; one on WTO and multilateral trading system, one on 
changes and challenges affecting world trade and one the DDA negotiations.   
First of all, Finland is a strong supporter of both the WTO and the multilateral trading system. 
We stand for openness and fight against protectionism, as should all. The benefits of this system are 
visible, concrete and beyond dispute. Common rule s enhance predictability and transparency of the 
global markets,  fostering trade, economic grow th and well-being among all WTO Members. As a 
token of our commitment to the multilateral tradi ng system, Finland is donating 1,4 million Euros to 
the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund and Standards and Trade Development Facility. 
 
Second, at the same time, however, the WTO ca nnot turn a blind eye to the changes in the 
global economy, affecting the way business and trad e is conducted. One good example is the global 
supply chains. It is becoming increasingly illogical to think of trade just in terms of imports or exports. We are talking about complex chains of  value added, from innovation/industrial design 
somewhere to production/assembly somewhere else. One should break free from traditional way of 
looking at trade, and rather take a global persp ective of the business operating environment. Today´s 
WTO rulebook does not yet resonate with the global r ealities. That is why it is important to develop 
further our common set of rules, levelling the playi ng field for all – and especially small and medium-
sized companies. I commend Pascal Lamy and the WT O secretariat for having contributed actively in 
promotion of this discussion.  
 
Third, we support the Doha mandate and conti nuing work on the basis of  progress achieved 
so far. It is important for the credibility of the WTO that the Doha Round negotiations can be 
advanced and concluded in due course. We should aim to make full use of the ways and means 
articulated in the communique of the G20 Leader s in Nice as well as outlined in the MC Chair 
consensus text ”Elements for Politi cal Guidance”. We need to find fr esh and credible approaches to 
take the work forward, working on issues that ar e more mature, enabling early harvest solutions in 
due course. In addition to the DDA negotiations, we find it paramount that the WTO start a debate on 
the new challenges facing the multilateral trading system , and how to deal with those. We need not re-
invent the wheel, as we have several promising ave nues to move forward, as manifest in the work on 
the field of information technology.  
 
Finally, I would like to take  this opportunity to welcome the newly acceding Members, the 
Russian Federation, Montenegro and Samoa to the WTO. It goes without saying that Finland 
considers these accessions highly significant.  They  provide for further opening of global trade, 
extend the application of the WTO rulebook, and show  that the WTO is on its way to becoming truly 
universal. 
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