. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(99)/ST/35
1 December 1999
(99-5231)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Third Session
Seattle, 30 November - 3 December 1999Original:  Spanish
ECUADOR
Statement by H.E. Mr. José Luis Ycaza Pazmiño
Minister of Foreign Trade, Industry, Fisheries and Tourism
In my capacity as Minister of Foreign Trade, Industry, Fisheries and Tourism, and as official
spokesman of the Government of the Republic of Ecuador at the WTO Third Ministerial Conference,
I should like to convey to the Director-General of the WTO and to all those present at this Conference
the cordial greetings of the Government and people of Ecuador, confirming our position as a
developing country, so that the resolutions adopted at this Third Ministerial Conference will set the
agenda for the forthcoming Millennium Round that is to be convened if the Members of the WTO sodecide.
In this connection, Ecuador proposes the following basic objectives for the next round of
negotiations:
To strengthen access conditions for products from developing countries, with complete
elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers .  The negotiations should cover special and
differential treatment provisions for agricultural products- and textiles-exporting countries,
with the removal of quotas and subsidies maintained by the developed countries, since
countries cannot all be treated in the same way, something that would widen the extreme
differences that exist between rich and poor States.
To relate special and differential treatment, one of the major subjects in the negotiating
processes, to the subjects of opening up trade that pertain to development financing
particularly to favour increased exportable supply by the developing countries so that they can
avail themselves of the benefits of trade liberalization, the purpose of which goes beyond
merely granting time extensions.
To discuss, calmly and objectively, the topic of agriculture, which is highly sensitive because
of its potential economic and social impact in the light of the results achieved through the
Agreement on Agriculture and Committee on Agriculture, particularly in regard to State aid
not regulated by the Agreement on Agriculture, thereby circumventing the Uruguay Rounddisciplines, which causes serious injury to agricultural-export countries, whose products are
prevented from obtaining access to protected markets.  It is therefore essential to impose the
strictest of disciplines on the administration of the green, amber and blue boxes, on aggregate
measures of support (AMS) and on quotas.  The European Union's banana import regime is a
clear example of quotas, which, under the protection of the WTO rules, is used discretionallyto discriminate against Latin American bananas.
To review the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to secure better
implementation, above all in harmonization, equivalence, risk assessment and adaptation toWT/MIN(99)/ST/35
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pest- and disease-free regions.  Accordingly it is vitally important to obtain technical
assistance from specialized international bodies to apply the Agreement's disciplines.
To strengthen the bases of the multilateral trad ing system to achieve the goals of growth and
development for the peoples of the poorest countries and avoiding the resurgence ofprotectionism.
To improve the rules of the game and promote better integration at the subregional, regional
and world level, particularly for disadvantaged countries.
To strengthen the dispute settlement system by streamlining procedures and thereby
preventing the decisions by panels dealing with complaints for incompliance from becomingmere pious wishes.
To increase non-refundable loans by international financing bodies to implement technical
assistance programmes in developing countries, so that these countries regarded as least
developed can train people in the private and public sectors, modify their trade policylegislation and institutional organization so as to better cope with the challenges of
globalization of the economy and international competition.
To undertake that the trade policy mechanisms known as the Generalized System of
Preferences and Andean Preferences Act, which the developed and transition economycountries grant to developing countries, will cover the whole of exportable supply,
particularly from the agricultural sector, which is the major component of exportable supply.
To contribute urgently to solving the serious problems facing developing countries as a result
of excessive external debt, which has led many countries like Ecuador to recognize theirlimitations in paying the interest on debt towards particular governments.
To reaffirm that, in regard to intellectual property rights, the proposals made by developing
countries are consistent and backed by substantive arguments.  For this reason, we call for
international recognition of the traditional knowledge of our communities and expressions of
their folklore.
It is essential for the international community to acknowledge that, in the past decade, a large
number of developing countries like Ecuador have become part of the multilateral trading system,
making enormous efforts to cut tariffs, dismantle trade barriers and open their markets up to
international competition, on the understanding that trade liberalization would promote efficiency,
competitiveness and a greater flow of investment to the countries that stand in greatest need ofresources.
It should also be emphasized that, despite the substantial contribution to trade liberalization,
the developing countries are still facing increasing  marginalization and unequal redistribution of the
benefits of increased world trade, since protectionist barriers and high tariffs persist, particularly indeveloped countries.
Lastly, Ecuador is convinced of the need to establish international rules to regulate exchanges
in so-called new subjects such as investment, competition, trade facilitation, tariff negotiations on
non-agricultural products, trade and the environment, technical barriers to trade, anti-dumping,countervailing duties and safeguards, among others, bearing in mind that the subjects in question
should be negotiated in the light of the interests and asymmetries of the developing countries.
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