20 Dec 2015

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Vincent Seretse, says it is regrettable that the Post-Bali Mandate has proved difficult to achieve.

Speaking at the 20th Session of the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Kenya on December 16, he said countries should reflect on how best to re-organise themselves so as to achieve their collective objectives and realise the ambitions they had set for themselves.

Concluded at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the Trade Facilitation Agreement contained provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. 

It also set out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. 

It further contained provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.

He said after a decade and a half of collective effort towards the conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda, and at great cost to small economies like Botswana’s, countries had limited results to show especially in the gateway issues of agriculture, Non Agne Market Agency and services.  

Minister Seretse said countries should take into account the changes that had occurred since 2001 when they agreed on the Doha Mandate. 

He said this way they could explore together what was profitable and reaffirm that it was only fair that commitments be commensurate with the level of development so as to strengthen the basis for a meaningful contribution to global sustainable development.

He said in shaping outcomes, it would be important to reaffirm the principles that have brought countries thus far such as the centrality of development, special and differential treatment, Less-Than-Full-Reciprocity for developing the least developed countries, consensus-based decision making, inclusiveness, transparency and member-driven process. He said the principles should remain an integral part of the WTO’s future work.    

“We should recognise that our common interests are greater than the sum of our differences.  So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will leave Nairobi without a clear understanding and commitment on how we progress or shape the future of the WTO’s work,” he said.  Ends