WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/46
10December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5165)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE Original: English
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
GHANA
Statement bytheHonourable Mr.DanAbodakpi
Deputy Minister ofTrade andIndustry
Letmebegin byextending totheRight Honourable Prime Minister, theGovernment andpeople
ofthisbeautiful country, Singapore, thedeepgratitude oftheGhana delegation forthekindandgenerous
hospitality accorded toussince ourarrival. MayIalsoexpress ourappreciation fortheexcellent
arrangements which havebeenputinplace forthesmooth conduct oftheFirstMinisterial Review
Conference oftheWorld Trade Organization (WTO).
SmalltradingcountriessuchasGhanawelcomedthesigningoftheWTOAgreement,particularly
because italsosignalled anendtoexclusivity oftherichandushered inanewsense ofbelonging and
partnership amongst trading countries, bigandsmall. There was,nonetheless, some apprehension
anduneasiness within theranks ofsmall trading countries overthelikely imbalances which theycould
suffer under thisnewsystem ofcooperation amongst unequal trading partners. Twoyears on,the
fullweight oftheWTO agenda hasnotonlysubstantiated many ofourfears, buthasalsoexposed
oursmall countries tothedeficiencies deriving from severely limited resources andinadequate
representation andparticipation. Theimplementation process hasproved tobemore complex than
wasenvisaged, while thelevelofunderstanding expected from thebigtrading partners hasnotbeen
forthcoming. Small trading countries areyettoseeanyclearsigns ofrealcommitment totheideals
oftruepartnership,mutualconcernandcooperationasexpressedinMarrakeshandindicationsofpositive
change inourshare ofworld production andtrade. Nonetheless, wewillnotallow theseharsh realities
todampen ourcommitment, andwereaffirm ourresolve touphold theideals oftheWTO andcommit
ourselves tothebuilt-in agenda.
TheWTO needs toestablish itself asacredible institution capable ofmeeting theaspirations
ofallitsMembers.Consequently,itmustfullyrecognizetherealdifferencesamongstMembercountries
intermofresources, tradevolumes andlevels ofdevelopment, while endeavouring tokeepitsagenda
intunewiththedynamics ofinternational trade andglobalization.
Mydelegation isoftheviewthatthestrength oftheWTO willderive more andmore from
itsglobal nature aswellasitsability toholdallcountries, bigandsmall, together inthepursuit of
thecommon goalofthegreater well-being ofthepeoples ofallnations. Wetherefore welcome the
efforts ofvarious countries tojointheWTO. Wehopethatallinterested countries willbeencouraged
andassisted without recourse toanyextraneous conditions orrequirements. TheWTO should continue
tomove towards thecreation ofatrulyglobal institution bywayofcountry coverage andparticipation
initsactivities.
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Mydelegation,likethedelegationsofotherdevelopingcountries,isalreadysufficientlyoccupied
withtheimplementation oftheUruguay Round Agreements including thebuilt-in agenda. Weneed
tobeallowed timetoabsorb andadjust totheWTO system without being rushed headlong intonew
negotiations. Wewishtobeallowed timetoprepare sufficiently before active WTO engagement in
additional issues.
Mydelegation considers thatthisMinisterial Meeting should focus onthereview ofthenew
international trading system andthesearch forconcrete andeffective measures tofurther thefull
implementation oftheWTO Agreements towhich wehaveallcommitted ourselves. Ourconcern to
limittheWTO agenda atthisstage should beseeninthislightandshould notbemisconstrued tomean
lackofwillorofinterest.
Mydelegation welcomes various technical assistance programmes which arebeing implemented
forthebenefit oftheleastdeveloped countries intransition. Wealsowelcome workthatisbeing pursued
todefine more focused andresult-achieving programmes toaddress theinstitutional andmanpower
needs ofdeveloping countries. TheWTO Secretariat, UNCTAD, ITCandWIPO aremaking reasonable
progress inthisdirection andweurgeincreased support. We,however, remain convinced thatamore
comprehensive approach withthecollaboration ofthemultilateral financial institutions willprovide
further impetus inmeeting thelarger concerns ofhowtobring debt-strapped andlow-income countries
toaposition where theycanshare inthebenefits oftheopen-trading system. Thecurrent cooperative
work oftheWTO, theIMFandtheWorld Bank within thecontext ofcoherence should, therefore
befurther encouraged.
Inconclusion, theWTO canonlysurvive ifitgives equal attention totheconcerns ofallwithout
discrimination. Together, therefore, wemustendeavour tofindconcrete waystointegrate alldeveloping
countries intotheWTO decision-making process and,consequently, intothenewworld trading system.