   
  
WT/MIN(24)/ST/80  
26 February  2024 
(24-1583) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR YOUSEF MAHMOUD AL SHAMALI  
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, TRADE AND SUPPLY  
JORDAN  
I would like to start by expressing my pleasure for being in this important conference, and we are 
sincerely grateful to His Excellency Dr  Thani bin Ahmad Al Zeyoudi for his leadership chairing this 
conference.  
Our heartfelt gratitude is also due to the government and people  of the United Arab Emirates for 
hosting the conference with excellent arrangements and hospitality.  
Allow me also to c onvey the Jordanian government 's appreciation of the efforts made by Her 
Excellency Dr  Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala, the WTO Director -General, and to the Secretariat for the 
excellent work in organizing this conference.  
As we delved into the 30th year since the WTO  was established, we cannot but acknowledge that this 
journey has witnessed a plethora of milestones achieved against a backdrop of a wide array of 
challenges. It is a progress that does not overshadow our realization of the need to further 
strengthen the multilateral trading system through reforms we believe the WTO has the power and 
wisdom to introduce open, inclusive and transparent process addressing the interests of all its 
Members.  
There is a need for a well -functioning dispute settlement system acces sible to all Members, 
maintaining consensus as the basis of reaching agreements within the WTO, strengthening free and 
fair global trade  and enhancing special treatment of the developing and least developed Member 
countries as to facilitate their contribut ion in global trade.  
A glance at the interventions Jordan has recently introduced to its economic and trade scene will 
show an affinity with the titles adopted by this conference . We launched the National Strategy of 
E-Commerce not only to facilitate inflo w and outflow of goods and services but also to create an 
investment conducive environment, thus complementing the new Investment Law that presents 
abundant incentives to Jordanian and non -Jordanian businesses alike.  
It is also commensurate with the Natio nal Export Strategy that is directed at expanding the list of 
Jordanian exports and targeted markets, optimizing e -commerce as an effective tool.  These and 
other economic growth tools came in the context of a larger framework: the Economic Modernization 
Vision. The vision that enjoys a Royal patronage was developed to unleash economic and social 
capacities. We also moved regionally and internationally through activation and/or optimization of 
bilateral free trade agreements, joint ventures and multilateral partnerships.   
Having said that , I need to add that while the Jordanian economy introduced such measures of 
resilience in the face of numerous challenges in the past few years such as the COVID -19 pandemic, 
the Russian -Ukrainian war and most recently the I sraeli aggressive war on Gaza we continue to 
accommodate the burdens of sustaining such a resilience. We realize that we are not alone in this 
dilemma.  
Jordan therefore advocates an essential role of the international trade system in mitigating negative 
impacts on the economies of Member countries especially the most susceptible through consolidating WT/MIN(24)/ST/80  
 
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  the principles of equitable trade system. We make this call while we continue to support the WTO 
measures and initiatives and its Members ' adherence to further develop its role.  
We support the calls for additional flexibilities and removing all barriers to trade in basic goods, 
especially those facing net food -importing developing countries.  
We also welcome the recommendations regarding th e TRIPS non -violation and situation complaints 
and the extension of the e -commerce moratorium and the work programme contained therein.   
Jordan also supports fisheries subsidies negotiations and we are looking forward to ratifying the 
Agreement on Fisherie s Subsidies agreed at MC12.  
Jordan would like to extend deep welcome to the Union of the Comoros and Timor -Leste as new 
Members of this Organization. Let us as Members and the Organization work on facilitating and 
expediting the accession process. In this regard, Jordan calls on Members to strongly support the 
request of Palestine to upgrade its status from a separate customs territory to an observer status in 
the WTO General Council and its subsidiary bodies.  
We also strongly urge Member States to expedit e the accession of seven Arab countries seeking 
accession. Further, Jordan calls on Member States to facilitate granting an observer status for all 
IGOs in the WTO, including the League of Arab States.  
Finally, the Government of Jordan wishes success for this conference as to become a milestone in 
our joint work for the prosperity of our economies, welfare of our peoples and progress of our 
Organization.  
__________  