ۥ- $:KKKKKKKYYYYY c m=4E$$ Statement by the Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Suriname H.E. Clifford P. Marica Presented during the 7th Session of the ϲʹ Ministerial Conference Geneva, November 29 to December 3, 2009 Mr(s.) Chairperson, Honorable Colleagues Director General of the ϲʹ Distinguished Heads of Delegations Trade officials It is a great honor for me to address you on the occasion of this 7th session of the ϲʹ Ministerial Conference. The current global recession which was preceded by an immense financial crisis, puts an even greater responsibility on us, Ministers of Trade, to deliver tangible results to our constituents. These are not easy times, which will require even more cooperation and commitment of Ministers responsible for Trade. We have promised development through the DOHA Round, but have yet failed to deliver while the world is waiting impatiently. If we still want to finalize the trade negotiations successfully on the basis of a consensus model, we will have to create a credible environment, which will only be possible if we focus on the following issues: the needs of the LDCs and small and vulnerable economies the need to transfer technology the financing problems faced by some members the importance of historical preferences the development of industrial capacity the adverse effects the recession has on services sectors of many ϲʹ members Trade facilitation Subsidies and; the Aid for Trade initiative I take this opportunity to call upon all parties to reenergize the DOHA negotiations as soon as possible and to make sure that as agreed development is at the core of the negotiations. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize the importance of the imminent conclusion of the ϲʹ dispute on the EU MFN Tariff for Bananas. Although we welcome these developments, we as the Caribbean want to make clear that far to less consideration has been given to the immediate threats to our economies. Many ϲʹ members, especially the ACP countries, have an economic structure with dependency on commodities like cotton, rice, sugar and bananas. I request special attention within this setting to ensure the sustainability of the trade of the vulnerable developing countries in these commodities and that of the related industries. But the core principle here is that free trade should not disrupt the lives of millions around the world who have no viable alternatives. After a regrettable sequence of lost opportunities, we should now use the DOHA Round to send a message that the ϲʹ has an inclusive approach in order to eliminate the perception that the ϲʹ is an organization which is not beneficial to all parties. Inclusiveness will also generate trust which is a basic ingredient if we are to achieve consensus on the difficult issues which we are facing. Just as we can no longer ignore the underdeveloped regions and their potential lost markets, the responsibility lies also upon us to agree on a common approach to fight global warming. The economic effects of global warming are clear and call for immediate and long term action. The natural resources of green countries should be seen as a valuable asset in our fight to combat the devastating effects of global warming. So trade talks can no longer take place outside the context of the environment. Let us use wisdom in Copenhagen by establishing a workable plan of action and adjust our behavior accordingly. Global economic recovery will be accompanied by a fundamental shift towards a green economy. This implies major investments into newer and cleaner technologies. The ϲʹ should also become an instrument to encourage balance in this transformation so that all regions of the global economy become an integral part of the new green global economy. Let us make sure that right from the beginning, these technologies and the related investments reach all corners of the globe. Mr. Chairman, let me conclude by saying that I believe that by seriously addressing these issues, we can make a start in restoring the credibility of our organization. I thank you all for your attention UW79gi$&68xph`XPH@F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F V F F F V F 8  F F ,UWYoKM7g$6V@ B   ) No Spacing FF :  = Tms Rmn `Symbol HelvTimes New Roman0Courier New Wingdings Calibri Albertus Extra BoldTimes New Roman CETimes New Roman CyrTimes New Roman GreekTimes New Roman TurTimes New Roman (Hebrew)Times New Roman (Arabic)Times New Roman BalticTimes New Roman (Vietnamese)0Courier New CE0Courier New Cyr0Courier New Greek0Courier New Tur0Courier New (Hebrew)0Courier New (Arabic)0Courier New Baltic0Courier New (Vietnamese) Calibri CE Calibri Cyr Calibri Greek Calibri Tur Calibri Baltic"i i i c E0Statement by the Minister of Trade and Industry tuurmorgans