  
  
WT/MIN(22)/ST/1  
12 June 2022  
(22-4427) Page: 1/1 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12-15 June  2022 Original: Spanish  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MS MARÍA XIMENA LOMBANA VILLALBA  
MINISTER OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND TOURISM  
COLOMBIA  
 
After five years of there being no World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, and in 
the wake of a pandemic such as the one we experienced in 2020, which severely 
affected  international trade, the Twelfth Ministerial Conference is finally being held between 
the 12 and 15 June.  
 
On this occasion, Colombia will play a key role, as , among the issues we will bring to the table, is  
fisheries subsidies, a subject on which we have taken the lead at the WTO. We are confident that 
we will secure a comprehensive agreement that will  discipline fisheries subsidies.  
 
This agreement is vital, as it specifically responds to the three dimensio ns of sustainability: 
economic, social and environmental. Furthermore, it will significantly contribute to improving the 
quality of life of fishing communities and to protecting marine ecosystems, and will give this 
Organization a new air of legitimacy and  fresh energy.  
 
At this Ministerial Conference, from the government of President Iván Duque, we will emphasize  the 
importance of making progress on the work that remains to be done in the area of agricultural reform 
and, in particular, on domestic support.  
 
The WTO is the natural forum in which to reach agreement on ways to reduce the distorting impact 
of domestic support programmes on international markets, and to address their environmental 
impact.  
 
Regarding intellectual property, we take this opportunit y to express our interest in moving forward 
on the vaccine waiver, which will enable us to strengthen our collective response to pandemics.  
 
We will also discuss electronic commerce, and basically the support for not imposing tariffs on 
electronic transmissions, among other issues.  
 
We are participating in this Ministerial in the firm belief that we will achieve concrete and ambitious 
outcomes.  
 
Now more than ever, given the extremely difficult international situation, we need a strong WT O 
that supports  the importance of, respect for and adherence to  the rules -based multilateral system, 
and that enables us to consolidate the recovery and progress of our economies.  
 
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