. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/ST/98
12 September 2003
(03-4878)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth SessionCancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  English
HUNGARY
Statement by H.E. Dr Peter Gottfried
State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Let me express first of all our deepest sympathy with our Swedish colleagues for the death of
Minister Anna Lindt.  She was an outstanding politician, a great personality and a friend of my
country as it was demonstrated many times including our accession negotiations to the European
Union.  We shall miss her.
On behalf of the government of Hungary let me express my sincere appreciation to the
Mexican Government for the hospitality and excellent working conditions provided for the Ministerial
Conference.
Hungary is committed to a liberal trade policy. Our accession to the European Union will
result in further market opening and we will continue to be fully engaged to take our part in the
multilateral efforts for reducing trade barriers and shaping a multilateral trading system responsive to
new challenges and beneficial to all participants.
Let me note with appreciation the recent decision on the implementation of paragraph 6 of the
Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.  It was encouraging that on the eve of
our meeting, WTO Members demonstrated their collective responsibility by finding solution to aparticularly important issue. Indeed, one may learn from this exercise, by identifying some key
ingredients of success.  May I mention four such as:
- balance of rights and obligations;
- contribution by all, but respect for the differences in economic development;- focus on the development dimension by assisting those in need;
- and keeping the integrity of the multilateral system.
We hope that these elements will be duly borne in mind throughout the Doha Development Agenda
negotiating process.
I would like to commend the efforts of the Chairman of the General Council, for he produced,
in close cooperation with the Director-General, a Draft Ministerial Text that seems to provide us a
suitable basis for discussion.  Set against the above referred parameters, the text would, however, still
need to be refined in some areas.
Concerning agriculture the proposed framework in the field of domestic support seems to
some degree overlook the often considerable differences between various forms of subsidies in terms
of their actual trade-distorting effects.  In light of their envisaged significant limitation we do not see
the need to reduce blue box types of support further than it is contained in the EC-US joint proposal.Neither do we see a justification for narrowing the scope of the Green Box.  Regarding market access
the suggested significant extension of special and differential treatment beyond lower reduction ratesWT/MIN(03)/ST/98
Page 2
and longer implementation periods to all developing countries irrespective of international
competitiveness and level of development in the agri cultural sector raises the question of equity and
fairness. This is by the way a problematic aspect of the entire agricultural text. In respect of export
competition we welcome the general approach of parallel treatment of various forms of export
subsidization but we expect more clarity, in particular with regard to State trading enterprises wherethe export subsidy elements of their operation can be effectively addressed only through new and
strong disciplines like the elimination of monopoly trading rights.
The suggested framework for establishing modalities in market access for non-agricultural
products seems to be rather vague on the type of reduction formula to be used.  We believe that the
mandate of reducing or eliminating tariff peaks, high tariffs and tariff escalation cannot be achieved
without a strong harmonization element and without disregarding the average national tariff rates inthe formula.  The need for a sectorial component ap plying to all Members also flows directly from the
Doha mandate. This Round should bring the tariff levels of Members with a similar level of
development closer irrespective of their status within the Organization.  Concerning the Singapore
Issues a careful reading of the Doha mandate leaves not much doubt about the fact that negotiations in
all four areas are part of the single undertaking and our options can only relate to the elements ofmodalities to be agreed upon and not whether to start negotiations or not.  We continue to believe that
new or strengthened multilateral rules in the areas of investment, competition policy, transparency in
government procurement and trade facilitation would significantly improve the ability of every
Member of this Organization to successfully tackle the challenges of an increasingly globalized world
economy as well as to improve, the economic environment their business community has to operatein.
There are areas where the lack of ambition causes us concerns.  At this advanced stage of
negotiations we can hardly afford to either enlarge the list of missed deadlines or to leave it as it is.  If
this however proves to be unavoidable at this stage we have to ensure that delays are kept to aminimum and that negotiators will have adequate guidance from this Conference to eliminate them.
This applies both to the establishment of a multilateral system of notification and registration of
geographical indications for wines and spirits and to the extension of the protection of geographical
indications as part of the implementation-related age nda.  If we want to send the signal to the world,
that the WTO is ready to pay its contribution to sustainable development, an objective all WTO
Members have committed themselves to repeatedly in various international fora, I believe that the text
should foresee progress in the area of environment.
My delegation has every hope that with the necessary political will and collective effort we
will be able to agree on a Ministerial Declaration that envisages equivalent levels of ambition in all
areas of the work programme, reflects the interests of the entire Membership and ensures an even
progress throughout the remaining part of the Doha Round.
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