Statement by H.E. Mr. Deepak Dhital, Ambassador/PR of Nepal to the UN, Other International
Organizations and the WTO at the Meeting of Trade Negotiating Committee, WTO
(27 April 2015)
Mr. Director General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Thank you Director General for convening this meeting, and for your statement on the
current state of play in different areas of DDA negotiations in the light of post-Bali
Work Programme. I appreciate the Chairs of various negotiating committees for their
reports. I also thank you as well as fellow member countries of WTO for the words of
condolences expressed to the Government of Nepal and its people in the wake of the
unprecedented natural disaster that caused severe damages in Nepal recently.
At the outset, I am thankful to all for the kind words of sympathy and the solidarity
expressed in relation to Nepal and its people at this harrowing moment of national
shock and humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportion for us. A massive earthquake
that shook Nepal on Saturday, 25th April 2015, and scores of aftershocks after that
have devastated life and property throughout Nepal beyond imagination. So far over
3200 deaths have been reported, but the actual number might be much larger than this.
The number of wounded and those trapped under the rubble is yet to be ascertained. It
might be very big as well. The historical and monumental heritages of the Kathmandu
valley, which are on the world heritage list, have suffered a terrible devastation. A
massive avalanche triggered by the earthquake has had a toll on the life of a number of
mountaineers attempting to scale Mount Everest this season. The full scale and
magnitude of property and infrastructure damaged and destroyed by the disaster is yet
to be assessed. This is definitely going to come to billions of dollars in utter loss,
putting the poor country, which is emerging out of conflict, to severe stress and strain.
Probably the largest disaster after the holding of Sendai Conference on Disaster Risk
Reduction, I think this catastrophic event has reawakened the world on the multiple
hazards a highly mountainous country like Nepal is vulnerable too. At this moment,
we want to predominantly express our sympathies and condolences for the loss and
damage caused by the earthquake in the life and property in the neighbourhood,
particularly in India.
We express our gratitude to all friendly countries, including our neighbours, UN and
international organizations, for the immediate humanitarian responses and support
provided for relief and rescue operations. At the same time, we appreciate very much
that the international news media including social media have played a big role in
raising global awareness about the adverse impacts of this disaster. We need more
support in terms of equipped rescue and relief teams, medicine, food, shelter, tents and
drinking water in a coordinated manner, keeping in mind the needs of both
Kathmandu, as well as the villages in outlying areas also. Rescue of wounded people
from remote villages is possible only by helicopters. In the short and medium terms,
massive campaigns would be required for rehabilitation of people and reconstruction
of damaged property and infrastructure.
Turning to our regular business, we are of the firm belief that WTO should continue
to work for achieving its objectives as set out in the preamble of the Marrakesh
Agreement and dedicate itself not only in liberalizing trade but also addressing
concerns and issues of the LDCs for their meaningful participation in the world trading
system.
In the run up to the MC 10, as highlighted by previous speakers, efforts in meeting the
July deadline to develop a precise work program is our top most agenda at this
moment. The future and fate of Nairobi Ministerial very much depends on how
quickly we formulate and what wisdom we apply while setting the work programme.
Not only that, the outcome of DDA is also contingent on the content of this work
programme. So this is going to be a very crucial task for all members of the WTO, in
particular the LDCs.
LDCs which are the most vulnerable and weakest group in this august house, would
like to see this work programme crafted in such a way that it reflects their aspirations
in a proper way that ensures their meaningful and dignified integration into the world
trading system. LDCs would like see it as a balanced document putting development
dimension at the heart. As postulated in the Bali Ministerial declaration and further
reinforced by the General Council meeting on 26 November 2014, this work
programme should be built on the issues of the Bali Package where legally binding
outcomes could not be achieved. While putting LDCs prime concern at the Centre, the
work programme should be a milestone towards resolving remaining DDA issues.
Mr. Chairman,
As has been highlighted by others, Agriculture, NAMA, Services and LDCs related
developmental issues should be the four pillars of the work programme. S & DTbeing an intrinsic part of the WTO Agreement, it should be embodied in the Workprogramme with a view to offering tangible output to LDCs. Due balance needs to be
maintained across these four components keeping development dimension at the
centre. However, agriculture, being the livelihood issues as well as main 9export items
to many developing countries and LDCs, determines the level of ambition in NAMA
and services. We urge members to remove, if not possible, significantly reduce, all
sorts of trade distortive supports and measures that are crippling agriculture export of
many poor and small economies. We also call upon members to consider incorporating
in the work programme a 100% DFQF offer to all LDCs products, irrespective of their
nature.
Finally, Chair, we should pay our utmost efforts to make Nairobi conference a success
through preparing post-Bali work programme before July by narrowing down our
divergences on major issues of the DDA.
I thank you chair !