. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/ST/120
13 September 2003
(03-4908)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth Session
Cancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  English
DOMINICA
Statement by the Honourable Francis Osborne Riviere
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Marketing
We started something very important two years ago when we last gathered like this.  We
began to give hope, reassurance and confidence to the smaller, weaker, and the poorer, as well as the
most vulnerable and the marginalized among us in th e possibility of attaining the long anticipated and
promised benefits from the WTO and its multilateral trading system.  It was called the
Doha Development Agenda.  We have gathered again here at what should be a midway point.
However, the road has proven to be difficult, slow and frustrating.  We have arrived at a crossroad.
This will be a defining moment for the WTO.  Much is at stake for all of us.  But so much more is on
the line for the smaller, the weaker and the most vulnerable among us.
Dominica along with its fellow CARICOM partners continues to firmly believe that the
interests of developing countries must remain at  the centre, indeed at the very core of these
multilateral trade negotiations.  We must not lose the opportunity to correct the many imbalances that
exist in the global trading system.  The development promise of the Doha Agenda must be realized.
In this regard Dominica is particularly concerned that the negotiations have been stalled on several
key policy issues of vital interests to developing countries.
It must be emphasized that it is the small and vulnerable economies which stand to lose the
most if progress is not made in these essential areas.  The particular structural disadvantages and
vulnerabilities of small developing economies, in particular Small Island Developing States (SIDS),
must be recognized and taken into account in these negotiations and in the formulation and
application of multilateral trade rules.  The point needs to be made that small economies generally
have very little individual or even collective influence on international trade flows.  One can hardlytalk of trade distortions being caused by any action that these countries might take.  Furthermore, the
contribution to international trade of small economies has not been increasing.  The liberalization
undertakings required of these countries must therefore avoid any further loss of their market share
and possible de-industrialization.
Dominica joins its fellow ACP Member States in emphasizing that Special and Differential
Treatment (S&DT) is a core principle in the WT O and an important instrument for mainstreaming
development in the multilateral trading system as well as balancing the scales between developed and
developing countries.  Immediate action must be taken to adopt effective measures with substantive
economic content and meaning for those who need it mo st.  The political will needs to be mustered to
address all the proposals that have been made so that agreement can be reached.
Trade preferences have played and continue to play a significant role in the economic
development of small economies.  Dominica like its CARICOM counterparts continues to suffer from
diseconomies of scale and other deficiencies that make it difficult if not impossible to compete on
equal footing in the global market.  This means that for now and the foreseeable future, we will
continue to rely on preferences to a very large extent for our survival.  Long-standing trade
preferences must therefore be maintained and secured in the multilateral trading system.  The rulesWT/MIN(03)/ST/120
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must be flexible to accommodate the granting of these preferences and exemptions must be allowed
based on special development needs.  Dominica is particularly concerned about the erosion of
preferential margins that further tariff reduction commitments by developed countries will cause.
Appropriate compensatory and other mechanisms would therefore be critical to address this situation.
The tariff levied at the border is the single largest source of revenue for the Government of
Dominica.  Border duties contribute more than 50 per cent of Dominica's recurrent revenue.  With the
further reduction of tariffs towards their eventual elimination Dominica faces a serious and possibly
insurmountable fiscal challenge.  The concept of asymmetry or less than full reciprocity in reduction
commitments is of critical importance to Domini ca.  We are committed to the principle of trade
liberalization, but we need to be able to decide our own rate, pace and scope of liberalization.
Commitments should only be expected to the extent consistent with our development, financial and
trade needs.  Small economics with a high tariff revenue dependency ratio should be exempt fromfurther tariff reduction during this Round of negotiations.
Dominica wishes to reiterate the Caribbean a nd ACP position that the Singapore Issues have
far-reaching implications for national economies, including the constriction of policy space, the
irreversibility of negotiation outcomes and implementation costs.  The benefits of negotiating a
multilateral framework for the Singapore Issues are not yet evident to us.  It is imperative that the
process of clarification of these issues should continue before contemplating negotiations on these
subjects.
In addition, Dominica's scarce resources and limited capacity make it difficult to take on
negotiations in any additional areas.  Dominica, like most CARICOM member States and other
smaller economies, does not have a physical presence in Geneva and therefore does not take an activeenough part in the negotiations.  This must be recognized.  It is imperative that developing countries
receive technical assistance and support in their efforts to become more active Members of the WTO.
Our capacities need to be developed to more effectively negotiate, monitor and implement
WTO Agreements, especially in view of the heavy workload arising from the Doha Work
Programme. Technical cooperation and capacity-building must also include building supply capacityso that advantage can be taken of increased export opportunities.
Dominica continues to believe in a multilateral trading system that is all-inclusive and that
addresses the needs and concerns of all its Members equally but that pays special attention to the
needs of those which are more disadvantaged,
Before concluding, I join other speakers in warmly welcoming Cambodia and Nepal as the
newest Members of the WTO.
May I also take the opportunity to thank the Government and people of Mexico and the city
of Cancún for their hospitality on the occasion of this Fifth Ministerial Conference of the WTO.
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