WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/34
18May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1995)
Original: Spanish MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
SPAIN
Statement Distributed byH.E. Mr.Raimundo Pérez-Hernández yTorra,
Ambassador, Permanent Representative
AtthefirstWTO Ministerial Conference inSingapore wehadoccasion tocelebrate the
establishment ofthisOrganization bothasaforum fortrade negotiations andastheadministrator of
amultilateral trading system based onagreed rulesanddisciplines andwithadispute settlement system
toensure theirobservance.
TheSingapore Conference served tofurther advance thesetofresults oftheUruguay Round
asembodied intheMarrakesh Agreement, byconfirming andcontinuing thework under thebuilt-in
agenda, anditalsoincluded, inarealistic manner, theso-called newsubjects -tradeandcompetition,
trade andinvestment, transparency ingovernment procurement andtrade facilitation.
Following theSingapore Conference, thedrivetowards greater liberalization wasalsotranslated
intonewandhighly significant advances, which Spain spared noeffort tofurther, inanumber ofsectors:
basictelecommunication services, financial services andinformation technology products. These efforts
tofoster multilateral liberalization alsogohandinhandwiththose carried outwithin theEU,which
haveculminated inthecreation oftheEuro.
Weshould alsomention theholding oftheHigh-Level Meeting onLeast-Developed Countries,
which weareinfavour offollowing up.
ThisSecond Ministerial Conference oftheWTO istaking place ataspecial moment forthe
multilateral trading system, namely thecelebration ofits50thAnniversary. Since joining theGATT
in1963 andasamember oftheEUsince 1986, Spain hasplayed anactive partinstrengthening and
developingthissystemwhichhascontributedsomuchtothegrowthoftheworldeconomyandworldwide
prosperity through theliberalization andexpansion oftrade.
Wehopethat,inkeeping withtheOrganization 'suniversal vocation, theobligations andbenefits
oftheWTO willbeextended tothecountries currently negotiating theiraccession, orthatwilldoso
infuture, afterthecompletion ofthecorresponding negotiations fortheirjoining onterms enabling
them fullytofulfil theWTO rules anddisciplines andaftersubmitting asuitable offerongoods and
services.
Inthese circumstances, theConference should provide uswithanopportunity tocontinue
strengthening themultilateral trading system embodied intheWTO aswellastoconsider itsfuture
activities.
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Inthisconnection,weshouldstressfirstofalltheimportanceofaltogethercompleteandeffective
implementation oftheWTO Agreements byMembers, fulfilling everything agreed sofar,including
time-frames, sothatthecontributions made byallMembers enable allWTO participants alsotobenefit
fullyfrom theopportunities offered bythemultilateral system.
Onthisbasisofourreviews oftheimplementation ofwhathasalready beenagreed, including
asregard future action, wehopethattheworkofthisConference, inkeeping withthespirit ofconsensus
governing it,willenable ustosetinmotion asuitable process forfurthering theliberalization oftrade
ingoods andservices together withsuitable treatment ofthenewsubjects.
Thus, thework carried outbytheCommittee onTrade andEnvironment should continue on
thebasis oftheMarrakesh mandate inorder tomapouttheconditions forincluding environmental
concernsinthemultilateralframeworkofWTOrulesanddisciplines.Theworkinggroupsoninvestment
andcompetition havecarried outpreliminary work andshould therefore nowpursue theiractivities
ingreater depth. Wewishtostress thatweareconvinced thattheWTO isthenatural forum for
establishing some rules fortheliberalization andprotection ofinvestment. Thework carried outby
UNCTAD andtheOECD cannot butserve asareference andbackground forextending theWTO
rules tothefieldofinvestment sooner orlater.
Lastly, weshould liketorefertosomething thatisattracting increasing attention onallsides,
namely electronic trade. Wehavenodoubt astoitspotential toboost economic activity andhence
contribute tojobcreation. Wearetherefore infavour ofestablishing aclear, stable andpredictable
framework, avoiding unnecessary barriers thatwould onlyhinder itsdesired development. Thisdoes
notmean thatweshould notcarry outapreliminary study ofthenature andimplications ofthistrade,
aboutwhichwestillknowrelativelylittle,safeguardingtherule-makingpowersofStatesastheregulators
ofeconomic andsocial activity, anddefining some operating conditions thatareneutral andindependent
ofthetechnological orphysical underpinning ofeconomic activity inwhatever form.
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