WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/58
10December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5218)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Statement byH.E. Mr.Robert Sisilo
Ambassador totheEuropean Union
Letmefirstthank mostwarmly theGovernments ofAustralia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
Iceland, Ireland, theNetherlands, Norway, Singapore andtheEuropean Union, whose generosity has
made ourparticipation atthisConference possible.
Andletmealsoexpress ourprofound appreciation totheGovernment andpeople ofSingapore
fortheirwarm hospitality andfortheexcellent facilities theyhaveprovided forthisConference.
When Solomon Islands ratified theWTO Agreement inApril ofthisyearwehadoneandone
fondhopeonly-thattrade would takeusrightintotheinternational trading framework andthereby
exploit theopportunities offered bytheUruguay Round.
Atnotimedidweenvisage thattrade would beameans forfurther marginalization and
impoverishment. Wealready were andstillare.
Soifthere isgoing tobeabottom linetothefinaloutcome ofourdeliberations, itisthis-
todeclare thatourquest fortradeliberalization mustnotfurther marginalize thedeveloping countries
andinparticular theLDCs. Onthecontrary, these countries mustbeoffered ahelping handintheir
painful journey towhere theharvest isandwillbe.Herein liesoneofthegreatest challenges and
opportunities ofourtime. Andherein liesonofthevitalroles oftheWTO.
Sowhere dowestart?
Iamsureweallagree thataneconomy onlyexporting agricultural products willfarevery
differently toonecapable oftrading inhightechnology. Furthermore, thedifferent capacities these
economies haveinresponding towhatfreetrade hastooffer donothelpnarrow thatgap.
Accordingly there arenolevel playing fields intheworld trading system. Itisasystem
comprising ofverydifferent players which inpractice hasbeendominated bythefitandstrong.
Wemusttherefore accept thefactthattheplaying fields arenotlevel. Otherwise globalization
initspresent formwillpushalldeveloping countries andmostcertainly LDCs overthemargins and
intooblivion.
Market access forproducts fromLDCs isanobvious condition fortheireconomic development.
Wearetherefore grateful toDirector-General Ruggiero forpressing home thispoint attheG7Summit
inLyon earlier thisyear.
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Butmarket access isjustonesideofthesame coincalled economic development. Andhow
helpful isitfortheLDCs ifourproducts cannot findtheirwayintothese markets because welack
thecompetitive edge.
Weallknow thatthenarrow export baseofmost LDCs limits theirfreedom ofchoice in
multilateral trade andhence theircapacity toexploit thebenefits offered intheUruguay Round.
Butthere arealsoother limitations -thelackofinstitutional andhuman resources capacity,
poorinfrastructure,limitednaturalresources,andinsomecasesandparticularlyinsmallislandcountries,
vulnerability tonatural disasters andthetyranny ofdistance tomajor markets.
Allthesemakesitextremelydifficultfortheseeconomiestoplayasignificantroleinaglobalized
andliberalized multilateral tradeenvironment. Anduntilweprescribe aneffective medicine toatleast
easethese pressing problems Idonotseeanyrealprospect foralevelplaying fieldininternational
trade.
Forwhile thegeneral lowering oftariffs andother barriers provide newtrading opportunities,
themostgains willgotocountries which haveacquired thetechnological capacity, industrial baseand
economic infrastructure anddeveloped theirhuman resources.
Butforcountries likeSolomon Islands which stillrelyonimport duties forthebulkoftheir
budgetary resources, lowering oftariffs before becoming competitive isalostopportunity. Hence,
ourlong-term policy toreduce dependence onrevenues fromimport duties, asthiscannot beachieved
intheshort termandwillrequire alongenough period tomake thenecessary adjustment.
Thesame mustbesaidontrade preferences. While most ACP countries hadnotmade full
useofthepreferences granted under theLomé Convention, itisstillessential nevertheless topreserve
them while attempts todiversify andimprove thesupply sidearepursued.
Inthiscontext,weconsidertheplanofactionoftheWTOCommitteeonTradeandDevelopment
andwhich issubmitted forourapproval tobeaveryuseful instrument forinitiating further efforts
inthese areas.
Thedevelopment ofleastdeveloped countries isinmany ways theultimate testoftheworld 's
social andeconomic health. Wetherefore haveshared interests, shared responsibilities, andashared
purpose toensure thisobjective isrealized.