. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/148
12 November 2001
(01-5754)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth Session
Doha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  English
NEPAL
Statement by the Honourable Purna Bahadur Khadka
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies
(Speaking as an Observer)
I am honoured to represent His Majesty's Government of Nepal at this Fourth Ministerial
Meeting of the World Trade Organization.
I would like to begin by expressing my sin cere appreciation to His Highness Emir Sheikh
Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, the Government and the people of Qatar for hosting this Fourth WTO
Ministerial Conference and for the traditional and generous hospitality extended to us.  I also wish tothank the Chairman of the General Council, Ambassador Stuart Harbinson, Director-General
Mike Moore and the WTO Secretariat for their efforts in preparing for this Conference.
With warmest greetings from His Majesty's Government and the people of Nepal, let me
extend to you, Mr Chairman, our congratulations on your unanimous election and best wishes for the
success of this Conference.  My delegation is confident that under your able leadership, this
Conference will succeed in determining the course of the multilateral trading system on a more fair,just and equitable basis for the welfare of all, particularly the poor among the poorest.
The establishment of the World Trade Organization as a single undertaking governing the
multilateral trading system is an important development in international economic relationship.  The
growing interest in the WTO, re flected in the large number of countries which have already acceded
to it or are in the process of accession, is a demonstration of the faith on this Organization and its
ability to secure a share of the benefits from the incr easingly liberal international trading system in the
rapidly globalizing world economy for all, including the small and the weak.  But experience has
shown that developing countries and in particular the least-developed countries have been unable to
benefit fully from the emerging process of globalization.  Increasing marginalization of the least-developed countries from the mainstream of world economy with a declining share in world trade,
investment and output is a matter of concern for all.  Hence meaningful integration of LDCs into the
world economy has emerged as a major challenge as we meet at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the
WTO at Doha.  In this context we fully echo the views expressed by the honourable Minister of
Tanzania, Coordinator of LDCs in the WTO, and the honourable Minister of Bangladesh, GlobalCoordinator of LDCs, on behalf of the least-developed countries.
Fully committed to a liberal economic policy and open trading regime, Nepal is one among
the nine least-developed countries in the process of accession to the WTO.  It has completed all the
initial mandatory requirements including transpar ency in trade policies and commitments in goods
and services sectors.  Expectations of higher levels of commitment than those undertaken by the
current LDC WTO Members, non-operationalization of special and differential treatment provisionsin favour of least-developed countries enshrined in WTO agreements during the accessionWT/MIN(01)/ST/148
Page 2
negotiation, could render the accession process difficult for the LDCs.  Here, it may be important to
recall that not a single LDC has succeeded in acceding to the WTO since its establishment.  It is our
view that facilitating accession of least-developed countries that have completed the minimum
requirements with commitments towards WTO provis ions should be seen as a logical first step in
integrating these countries into rule based multilateral trading
We appreciate the commitment made by our development partners in assisting the LDCs
during the Third UN Conference on LDCs.  With a view to contributing to the success of the WTO
Ministerial Meeting here in Doha, LDCs Ministers met in Zanzibar and agreed on the Zanzibar
Declaration with an LDC Development Agenda ba sed on the Declaration and Programme of Action
for the Decade 2001-2010 agreed in Brussels.  My delegation hopes that this WTO Conference will
endorse fully the Zanzibar Declaration and the Development Agenda.
I would like to underline that the principle of accession for the LDCs on terms and conditions
consistent with their stage of development, commitments not higher than original LDC Members, a
transition period commencing from the date of accession and an expeditious process of accession with
necessary technical assistance is one of the issues agreed is Zanzibar.  It is our view that unilateraltrade liberalization measures undertaken by accedin g LDCs should be recognized.  Due consideration
should also be given to existing preferences and concessions enjoyed through bilateral and regional
trading arrangements.
Nepal has joined Trade Ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) on WTO issues to complement participation in the multilateral trade system and
strengthening regional cooperation.  The Joint Statement of SAARC Commerce Ministers of August
this year reaffirms the need of integration of developing countries and least-developed countries into
the global economy.
Already this Conference has acquired a hist orical dimension as we welcome two new
Members into the family of the World Trade Organization.  We congratulate them.  Nepal has
historical, cultural and social relations with China.  We have been a close witness to the
unprecedented growth and prosperity enjoyed by its people during the last decades.  China's entry is
an important positive step towards making WTO a universal organization in the true sense.
We believe trade needs to be considered within a broader development context.  Nepal hopes
to achieve the development goals by integrating it s economy into the multilateral trading system with
commitment to the principles and provisions of WTO.  We hope this Conference will succeed in
mainstreaming the development agenda in international trade negotiations.
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