WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/104
20May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2129)
Original: Spanish
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
HONDURAS
Statement Circulated byH.E. Carlos H.Matute-Irías
Ambassador, Permanent Representative
Firstofall,onbehalfofmyGovernmentIwishtothanktheSwissGovernmentforthehospitality
theyhave extended totherepresentatives ofMember countries oftheWTO participating inthis
Conference. Ialsowishtocongratulate theDirector-General Mr.Renato Ruggiero andtheSecretariat
stafffortheexcellent organization ofthisMinisterial Meeting.
Itisimportant tonotethatthisSecond Ministerial Meeting coincides withthe50thAnniversary
ofthemultilateral trading system, alegalframework which hasallowed ustostrengthen thesystem
within aframework ofevermore competitive andopenuniversal standards andpractices.
Honduras ispleased tobeparticipating inthisSecond Ministerial Conference, whose main
objectives istoreview theapplication oftheWTO Agreements andtosettheguidelines fororganizing
work forthefuture planned negotiations, which wewould liketoseestarted assoonaspossible.
MyGovernmentattachesspecialimportancetothestrengtheningandfulldevelopmentofregional
tradegroupings,notassubstitutes,butratherascomplementstoamorecompetitiveandopenmultilateral
trading system. Itherefore wishtopoint outthatHonduras hasbeenparticipating intheprocess of
Central American integration since 1960 andwelcomes withconfidence andenthusiasm theefforts
undertaken atregional level since 1990 towards thecreation ofaFreeTrade Area oftheAmericas
(FTAA). Weremain committed totheefforts which recently culminated inSantiago andChile toinitiate
promptly themultilateral negotiations which would establish afreetrade areastretching fromAlaska
toCape Horn.
Inadvancing these plans andwhile improving alltrade relations withthethirdcountries, we
areopting foramodel which, farfrom promoting protectionism, isopening uptheeconomy and
respecting theWTO standards anddisciplines, thereby strengthening themultilateral trading system.
With respect totheapplication oftheagreements negotiated within theWTO, Iwishtosay
thatwearebasically satisfied withtheirobservants although theobjectives forwhich theyweredrawn
uparefarfrombeing obtained. Inthatregard, Iwishtohighlight especially theexistence ofaclearer
andstronger legalframework, namely theDispute Settlement Body. More than100disputes have
beenairedinthisforum buteventhenconcrete achievements arealongwayofffromfinalobjectives.
Honduras therefore believes thatthefulfilment andapplication oftherecommendations ofpanels is
acommitment which weshould allfulfil.
./.WT/MIN(98)/ST/104
Page2
However, Iwishtoreiterate theconcerns weexpressed inSingapore about thewayinwhich
certain importing developed countries havebeenapplying theAgreement onTextiles andClothing.
Thefirsttwostages ofintegrating textile products havenotleadustotrueliberalization andweare
evenmore concerned attheincreasing number oftariffs andnon-tariff barriers which havebeenerected
against developing countries.
TheGovernment ofHonduras attaches great importance tothework programme aswellas
thebuilt-in agenda andwilldoitsbesttoensure thatthese fulfilthecommitments made atMarrakesh.
WethereforewouldliketoseeacontinuationoftheworkstartedintheCommitteeonAgriculture
inrelation totheprocess ofinformation exchange approved inSingapore inpreparation forthenext
negotiations scheduled for1999. Thisapplies especially tothediscussions initiated infavour of
developing countries withaviewtoachieving greater market access, removal ofsubsidies onthepart
ofdeveloped countries andthefullapplication oftheDecision onnet-food importing countries.
Wesupport thereview process ontheimplementation oftheWTO Agreements, andalsothe
factthatthisisbeing donewithanawareness oftheneeds andproblems ofdeveloping countries with
small economies.
Inviewoftheincreasing importance ofworld trade inservices, weareconcerned about the
limited participation ofdeveloping countries withsmall economies. Consequently, theGovernment
ofHonduras wishes tohighlight howimportant itisforthese economies tohavegreater participation
inthissector, asprovided forinPartIVoftheAgreement.
Wealsothink thatitisveryimportant forthespecial andpreferential treatment provided for
incertain WTO Agreements tobefullyapplied. Thisisamatter thatshould betaken upatthenext
Ministerial Conference.
Lastly, wereject theinitiatives ofsome countries toapply unilateral trade measures which
areinconsistent withtheWTO multilateral trading system andwhich jeopardize theprocess ofworld
trade liberalization.
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