WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/66
11December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5253)
Original: Spanish MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
SPAIN
Statement byH.E. Mr.Rodrigo deRatoyFigaredo
Second Vice-President, Minister oftheEconomy andFinance
Ishould liketobegin bythanking theGovernment andpeople ofSingapore forthewarm
welcome andexcellent organization wehavebeenenjoying overthelastfewdays.
Iconsider itanhonour totakepartinthefirstWTO Ministerial Conference, which confirms
theroleofthisOrganization asaforum fortradenegotiations andadministrator ofamultilateral trading
system based onagreed rules anddisciplines.
Inthisconnection, Iwishtocongratulate Renato Ruggiero andtheWTO Secretariat onthe
excellent work theyhaveperformed overthelasttwoyears.
Trade liberalization, thereduction orelimination oftariff andnon-tariff barriers, hasledto
theexpansion oftrade flows andspurred economic growth inthedeveloped anddeveloping countries
alike. Thisrule-based system alsoprovides areliable, stable andpredictable framework forinternational
trade, which iswhatourbusiness community needs.
EversincejoiningGATTin1963,Spainhasbeenfirmlycommittedtothisliberalizationprocess.
Inthisconnection, Ishould liketohighlight theeffort made bytheSpanish Government toliberalize
thetelecommunications sector, among other wide-ranging structural reforms.
Ourexperience hasshown usthatregional integration isagoodinstrument forachieving and
fostering higher degrees oftradeliberalization, asafactor supplementing thegeneral system embodied
intheWTO. Wetherefore takeaverypositive viewoftheinitiatives currently under wayinLatin
America toachieve greater integration.
Weattach great importance tothecollective implementation oftheWTO Agreements byall
Members andhope thattheConference willlendnewimpetus tokeeping thisprocess ontrack, by
remedying itsinadequacies andshortcomings. Thecredibility ofthesystem negotiated atMarrakesh
hinges onstrictcompliance withtheAgreements reached, especially asregards thetimetables andscope
ofthework tobecarried outinaframework ofmutual concessions. Everything thatisonthisagenda
appears toleadtoanewprocess intheyear2000.
Furthermore, wemustnotoverlook anumber ofissues which aredailygaining inprominence
andimportance inworld trade, andwhich theWTO neither cannorshould neglect. Iamreferring
towhathavebeencalled the"new subjects", whose inclusion intheWTO agenda isamatter ofdebate.
Ihaveinmind inparticular therelationship between trade andenvironment, trade andinvestment,
trade andcompetition, andtrade andsocial rights.
./.WT/MIN(96)/ST/66
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Reconciling theobjective ofsustainable development withtheattainment ofasteadily increasing
volume ofworld tradeisacomplex task,butalsoanecessary one,involving achallenge thattheWTO
hasalready taken upbyestablishing theCommittee onTrade andEnvironment.
Only seldom aretrade andforeign investment independent processes. ThewaythatStates
regulate theirtradeandinvestment policies alsoaffects tradeflows. Webelieve thatitisineverybody 's
interest, boththose whoinvest andthose whoreceive investment, thatthere should beastable,
multilateral framework toencourage investment flows inacontext oflegalsecurity. Wemust take
fullyintoaccount thework already carried outbyUNCTAD, aswellasthatofother international
organizations suchastheOECD intheframework oftheMultilateral Investment Agreement.
Thirdly, Ishould liketorefertotherelationship between tradeandcompetition. International
rulesforthedefence ofcompetition needtobedrawn upinorder toprevent restrictive practices from
nullifying orimpairing thebenefits accruing fromthetradeliberalization commitments made byStates
intheWTO. Weareallwellaware thattrade problems existasaresult ofthelackofcompetition
discipline inmany markets, andinpractice thisdiminishes thebenefits oftrade concessions which
aretheoutcome ofabalance struck inmultilateral negotiations.
Iwishtostatethatmycountry isinfavour oftheWTO carrying outananalysis ofthefunction
oftradeliberalization inimproving living conditions inallcountries oftheworld. Trade liberalization
andtheeconomic development which itgenerates havetoleadtoimprovements instandards ofliving.
Itisimportant tosupport righthereandnowthefundamental work carried outbytheInternational
Labour Organization withtheaimofdefining basic labour standards andpromoting theirapplication
worldwide. Asweseeit,inthese cases wearetalking about fundamental human rights, which are
non-negotiable.
Toconclude, theWTO mustfulfilitsroleasaleading player ininternational trade, inasystem
thatbrings benefits toall,within aframework ofconcessions andrules ofuniversal application. It
isimportant thatallmajor trading partners (such asChina andRussia) should jointhisframework and
helptodefine anddevelop it.
Onceagain,Spainsupportsworldtradeliberalizationonfirmfoundations,throughthefulfilment
oftheundertakings entered intoateachstage, reaffirming theimportance offorums suchastheWTO
andofactive participation byallitsMembers engaged inaprocess inwhich there isnoturning back.