Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon,

I hope this Dialogue has given all of us a sense of how much is at stake for the 12th Ministerial Conference. So, the MC12 is the focus of this Dialogue. We need to work together to make sure that the WTO plays its part in responding to the ongoing pandemic. We need to build on the momentum achieved this year to conclude the fisheries subsidies negotiations as well as to break the deadlock in agriculture negotiations and we must make meaningful progress on the issue of LDC graduation and so on.

I was very impressed that over one day and a half we have also had a broader discussion beyond MC12 on strategies, policies and development objectives of the LDCs. Those issues are very relevant to the subject of our Dialogue and I also would like to take this opportunity to share with you some thoughts.

On strategies, I think it is important for LDCs and other developing countries to be integrated into the multilateral trading system. The post-integration strategy is different. In order to pursue a full integration into the multilateral trading system, we should be brave, we should be persistent, we should be open-minded. After the integration we need patience and we need to be professional. So, connecting different strategies is a challenge for all LDCs and other developing countries.

For LDCs in particular, I think we need to be better prepared for the challenges and opportunities emerging from the changing global trading landscape.

On policies, the domestic economic agenda is the basis for sustainable development for each LDC. No country is exceptional. We have to redouble our efforts to achieve the goals we set for development. But I do not think it is sufficient.

We have to rely on the international community, the WTO and other countries. In this regard the capacity-building is essential. I encourage the LDCs to make your voice heard in the WTO, to raise your requests, to ask the WTO and WTO members to get more resources on capacity building and to design tailor-made technical assistance programmes for LDCs.

In my capacity as DDG responsible for the development file in the WTO Secretariat, I would like to reiterate that LDCs remain my outmost priority. We will also work to fully address trade capacity building needs of LDCs.

On the development objectives, we have the Sustainable Development Goals. We also have specific policy objectives, including our ambition for MC12. We need to be realistic and pragmatic. 

I believe LDCs and other developing countries have both offensive and defensive interests. This is my personal observation: it is easier to see the defensive interests in this organization. At the same time, we need to recognize that we have a lot of offensive interests. It is not easy for us to recognize these and it is not easy to identify our offensive interests, but it is very important for us.

While it is not easy to define, it is easier for us to achieve our offensive interests. For example, as the Ambassador of Thailand mentioned, members are working on Investment Facilitation for Development. At the beginning, it was a challenge for developing countries and LDCs to participate, but now there are over 100 participants, because the majority of developing countries and LDCs recognize the potential benefit from this initiative.

However, we have discussed a lot over the past one day and a half how to achieve the defensive interests. It is easy for us to recognize that we have defensive interests, but it is not easy to achieve that. So, the challenge for us is to design a strategy and tactic. We need to keep a balance of offensive and defensive interests. This my observation from the discussion.

I would like to conclude by saying that trade should remain an important instrument for growth and development in LDCs. Trade and development partners should work hand in hand with LDCs to continue to build synergies. The future hinges on how we can make the trade and development relationship symbiotic, thereby reinforcing each other.

On behalf of the WTO Secretariat, I would like to thank the Government of China and my former colleague Yihong for the continued support in organizing this Dialogue.

I would also like to thank all the speakers who shared their perspectives with the participants.

And a big thank you from my side to all distinguished ambassadors and experts for joining this event.

I want to also thank my colleagues in the Development Division for their efforts in organizing this event.

Thank you.