WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/110
12December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5291)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE Original: English
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
BAHRAIN
Statement byMr.AliSaleh Al-Saleh
Minister ofCommerce
Itisanhonour formetobehereinSingapore toaddress thisimportant Meeting, andtoextend
thegoodwishes andappreciation ofmyGovernment, totheGovernment andpeople ofSingapore for
hosting thisimportant Conference.
Marrakesh marked animportant juncture increating atrade structure geared forglobal
development andpeace.
Butwemusthavethespirit toseethisthrough, togothatextra miletoensure thatthenext
century isasuccess forhumanity andtheenvironment, providing apeaceful andprosperous future
forsuccessive generations, andinparticular thefullintegration ofleastdeveloped anddeveloping
countries intotheglobal economy.
Wewillnotbesuccessful ifwehidebehind theletter oftheWTO law,ifwecontinuously
erectbarriers inthebelief thattheyareintheinterests ofourparticular economies andifwecontinue
inattempts toprevent competition. Itisatimetobeopen, frank andhonest withourselves, andour
trading partners.
Bahrain isasmall developing island State, striving toachieve developed status through the
energy anddetermination ofitspeople, andbypractising whatIhavejustbeenpreaching, byopenness
andbyworking evenharder thanwehaveinthepasttocreate theenabling environment forinward
investment andorganic business development.
Weareamending ourlawstoensure transparency, andsothattheymeetmarket requirements
andareinlinewithourWTO obligations.
However, wearealsorealistic; wedoneedhelp. Help from those countries thatownthe
technology weneedtoexpand ourmanufacturing capability soastobecome competitive ininternational
markets.
Thedeveloped countries should accept theirresponsibility toassist developing countries, like
Bahrain, through theprocess ofdirect investment andthetransfer oftechnology toenable ourenterprises
tobeinternationally competitive.
Speaking forBahrain, wedonotwantsomething fornothing, andweacknowledge thatitis
uptoustocreate anenabling environment conducive totheattraction ofsuchinvestment.
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Weallhavethecapability, andweallhavethedesire tobeeconomically self-sustaining. It
issimply thatthemeans toachieve ourgoals, thetechnology, isnotavailable tous.
Prosperity forall,inthenewcentury, depends oncollective responsibility. Thismeans that
theleastdeveloped anddeveloping countries mustdoeverything within theirmeans tointegrate into
theworld economy.
Ibelieve thatregionalization willhelpandnothinder theglobalization oftheworld economy.
Thebasis forcooperation through regionalization istrade. TheWTO must ensure thatthe
work doneduring theUruguay Round andreflected intheMarrakesh Agreement isputtogood use
tostrengthen themultilateral trading environment andtheroleoftradeasthemaininstrument ofworld
development.
Wehaveagreat dealofwork before us.However, Idothink thatallofusheretoday should
work together toseekcommon ground. Weshould takeintoaccount theinterests ofallMember
countries inorder toreach acompromise inthenewareas especially inlabour measures, government
procurement andtheMultilateral Investment Agreement (MIA).
Ifurther believe thattechnical assistance, through thecooperation ofother international and
regional organizations, should bemade available todeveloping countries toassist theminmeeting the
extensive WTO notification requirements.
Wewelcome therequests foraccession from countries thathaveapplied formembership to
theWTO, especially theKingdom ofSaudi Arabia, theSultanate ofOman, theHeshimite Kingdom
ofJordan andothercountries. Welookforward totheirfullmembership. Wealsohopethattherequest
oftheGCC Secretariat tobegiven thestatus ofobserver intheWTO willbegranted.
ThisConference isanarticulation ofthecommonality ofourindividual aspirations toensure
thatthemaximum development potential isextracted fromthepost-Uruguay trading environment, for
thebenefit ofallcountries.
However, itisdifficult toconceive howprogress towards sustainable global prosperity can
beachieved, when there isstillsomuch unfinished business onthepeace front, suchastheMiddle
Eastpeace process, thatwillcontinue toaffect ourability toachieve global prosperity unless solved.
There isasignificant peace dividend tobegained ifwecansettle these remaining issues and
which, ifproperly directed, canhelptowards global prosperity.
Itisuptoallofusheretomake ourbestefforts sothatthisConference willenable trade to
make adifference.
Inconcluding, Iwould liketoextend myappreciation andgratitude totheDirector-General
oftheWTO, aswellastoallthose whoinvested theirtimeandefforts towards thesuccess ofthis
important Conference.