WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(99)/ST/102
2 December 1999
(99-5330)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Third Session
Seattle, 30 November - 3 December 1999Original:  English
MAURITIUS
Statement by the Honourable Rajkeswur Purryag
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade
1. I wish to join the  previous speakers in thanking the US authorities for  hosting this conference,
and to commend the WTO Secretariat for its preparation and support to Member States.  Allow mealso to congratulate you on your assumption of office and to assure you of my delegation's
collaboration in ensuring the successful outcome of the Conference.
2. At the outset, let me express the full support of Mauritius for the statements  made by Minister
Simba of Tanzania, on behalf of the SADC countrie s and by Minister Hylton of Jamaica on behalf of
the 71 states of the African, Caribb ean and Pacific Group of countries.
3. Mauritius is a small, remote and vulnerable island developing country which is highly
dependent on trade for its sustained growth and sustainable socio-economic development.  This high
dependence on trade makes us quite vulnerable, and our smallness does not provide us with the
necessary economic resilience to withstand external shocks.
4. As such, a strengthened rule-based and transparent multilateral trading system, underpinned
by the WTO, is crucial.  It allows for stability , predictability and adequate legal security to small
economies.  But the WTO rules have to evolve with times and be made more responsive to the
development, trade and finance needs of developing countries, particularly LDCs and small
economies including vulnerable island Members.
5. Whilst we recognize that special and differential treatment provides relief in terms of
transitional periods, it does not address the permanent and inherent constraints of small countries.
Future negotiations should ensure that the rules themselves should have in-built provisions for such
countries.
6. In this respect, we are of the view that the  development dimension should be high on the
agenda of negotiations if the risk of marginalization is to be avoided.
7. The expectation that the commitments and obligations of the Uruguay Round Agreements
would lead to the welfare of peoples around the world through higher standards of living, full
employment and sustained growth and development whilst preserving the environment, has not been
realized.  These objectives are the very core of our development strategies.  We, as Ministers, upheld
these both in Singapore and in Geneva.
8. Five years after Marrakesh, we are here in Seattle.  There is an expression of general
disappointment by developing countries that the painful liberalization undertaken by them at greatcosts has yet to yield commensurate benefits.  Inside the meeting rooms and outside on the streets, weWT/MIN(99)/ST/102
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have been confronted with concern that liberalization without an "IF" could lead to the creation of a
world to which none of us aspires - a world devoid of fairness and equity.
9. The implementation of the results of the Uruguay Round have been disappointing for
developing countries.  Indeed, domestic industries now have to face competition from large foreigncorporations;  on the other hand, export earnings have decreased and Government revenue has
dropped significantly.  Moreover, the  implementation of WTO decisions and participation in the work
of the WTO entail an additional financial burden.
10. In addition, the provisions of certain Agreements, instead of fostering development have
become constraints to growth.  The benefits arising out of compliance with the TRIPS Agreement, for
example, must be measured against the substantial cost of such compliance and the increased price ofproducts with significant intellectual property components.  This could equally retard technological
development, essential for the future economic deve lopment of the developing countries.  In this
context, we particularly welcome the proposal to set up at the WTO a Working Party on the Transfer
of Technology.
11. In Geneva last year, Ministers expressed concern over the marginalization of the
least-developed countries and of small, vulnerable developing economies.  We instructed that the
concerns of these countries be addressed.
12. In the case of small developing economies, work has been progressing since the Geneva
Ministerial Meeting, mainly in the Committee on Trad e and Development.  In this regard, the joint
efforts of the World Bank, the Commonwealth and the WTO have served to highlight the fact that this
issue must be addressed from a broader perspective.  The Seattle mandate must therefore include the
establishment of a Work Programme in the various WTO bodies, focusing on the trade concerns of
small and vulnerable developing economies with a view to making appropriate recommendations tothe Fourth Ministerial Conference.
13. Allow me to stress that the concerns of small  economies are not a new issue.  From a trade
perspective, production patterns, competitiveness and resilience to external shocks, amongst others,
are intricately linked to the size of an economy.  We are all aware of the constraints which generally
beset small economies.  Their inherent vulnerability is often exacerbated by geographical isolation,
proneness to natural disasters , and lack of human and institutional capacity.
14. During the past few years, small economies and, in particular small island developing states,
have been affected by a convergence of negative factors in the wake of liberalization, mainly the
erosion of preferences and increasing competition from larger and more sizeable economies.  If
appropriate steps are not taken, there is a real risk that many of these countries, which are workingextremely hard to win the battle against under-development, will slip back to that unenviable
condition.  It is therefore important that the pursuit of work at the WTO to address the concerns of
small economies should enable these countries to take advantage of trade opportunities in the global
economy in order  to compensate for inherent structural constraints.
15. Preferential arrangements which have played such a determinant role in the development of
these economies should be maintained, so as to pr event them from being further marginalized.  Such
preferences contribute to the competitiveness of small and remote islands and help mitigate the
adverse effects of high freight costs.  They must remain predictable and commercially meaningful
both in terms of access and earnings.  Arrangements such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative and theLomé Convention are essential for the smooth and gradual  integration of beneficiary countries in the
multilateral  trading system.  WTO waivers for such  arrangements provide security and predictability,
important conditions for trade performance and economic development.  We therefore look forward to
the renewal of such waivers and more particularly, the Lomé Waiver which is coming up for
consideration.WT/MIN(99)/ST/102
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16. Many small island states depend on one or two agricultural commodities.  In my country, as
in many comparable ones,  sugar is not merely a tradeable commodity, it is a way of life.  It has
initiated human settlement, and indeed, it has shaped our history.  Over time, the cane plant has
proved to be the crop best suited to our agro-ecological and climatic condition, and is  in fact the only
one that can be commercially grown on a large scale.  In an island devoid of natural resources and
regularly victim to hurricanes, sugar plays the mult ifunctional role assigned to agriculture by the
Rome Summit.
17. From this perspective, we believe that any future agreement on agriculture should
acknowledge the multifunctional  and distinct role of agriculture and the diversity of agricultural
systems worldwide.  Whilst we recognize the need for progressive liberalization in agriculture, wemust bear in mind its adverse impact on net-food importing developing countries and the particular
situation of small island developing states.  Here, the Marrakesh decision in favour of NFIDCs should
be effectively implemented in order to preserve food security for these countries.
18. I wish to state clearly that our commitment to  integrate the international trading system has
not changed.  This said, let me add, in no unequivocal terms,  that the future negotiations should not
lead us to a situation where marginalization accelerates.  Our economies and our societies require a
pace of liberalization which will  not result in economic and social disruptions.  It is therefore
imperative that the developmental dimension should become an integral part of all agreements.
19. The credibility and success of the WTO will depend on its capacity to bring about a fair and
equitable trading environment which recognizes specificities and meets the needs, aspirations and
development potential of the global community from which no country is left  out.
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