WTO NEWS: SPEECHES — DG ROBERTO AZEVÊDO


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> Roberto Azevêdo’s speeches

  

Distinguished ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to this Pledging Conference for the second phase of the Enhanced Integrated Framework.

I want to thank the Kenyan Government and Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed for hosting this event.

We are marking a new and exciting chapter for the EIF partnership today — and I am delighted that we are doing so here in Nairobi, on the eve of the WTO’s Ministerial Conference.

The WTO is absolutely committed to the EIF and so I’m sure that this is a source of pride for us all.

It is the first time that the WTO has held its Ministerial Conference in Africa, and so holding the pledging conference here and now seems particularly appropriate.

Firstly because the EIF’s work already supports 34 African LDCs.

And secondly because there is a real desire here amongst WTO members to deliver outcomes for the LDCs. I think a successful pledging conference would be an important part of that effort.

As you all know, the mission of the EIF is to help LDCs use trade as a tool for growth and poverty reduction. And since its creation, it has delivered concrete results on the ground.

In five years, the first phase of the EIF has:

  • reached out to over 50 beneficiary countries around the world
  • supported over 40 analytical studies to help LDCs identify and address their main constraints to trade
  • and it has supported 100 projects to build trade policy capacity.

So there is no doubt — the EIF has delivered for the LDCs.

And, as part of a wide range of initiatives, we are seeing some positive impacts.

Over the past twenty years, LDCs have experienced higher trade growth than the rest of the world.

Between 1995 and 2013, exports of goods and services from LDCs grew by an annual average of 12.6 per cent. This is higher than the average growth for developing economies over the same period, which was 11.3 per cent. And it is significantly higher than the global average of 7.5 per cent.

So the LDCs’ share of world trade has also been increasing. In 1995, LDCs accounted for 0.5 per cent of world exports of goods and services. Now the share has more than doubled, reaching 1.17 per cent in 2013.

This is progress. But clearly there is a long, long road ahead. There is a huge amount of work still to do.

One third of the world’s poor live in LDCs. They account for more than 12 per cent of the world’s population, but only for 1.8 per cent of global GDP.

So we need to keep ensuring that LDCs can leverage trade as a means to grow and develop.

That’s why integrating the LDCs into the multilateral trading system is such a priority for me, and for the WTO.

Capacity building initiatives like the EIF have an important role to play.

Research shows that every dollar invested in Aid for Trade — of which the EIF is part — results in about 20 dollars of exports for LDCs.

This is very significant. It shows the value of these initiatives, especially for the poorest countries.

Therefore, the second phase of the EIF will be as important as ever.

The theme of Phase Two is ’Securing Sustained Impact’.

It was launched in July at the 5th Global Review of Aid for Trade, and is the result of a joint process involving donors, the EIF Partner Agencies and LDCs themselves.

It incorporates some key reform measures to ensure that the new phase is even more results-driven, and that it represents real value for money.

The importance of the EIF in promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth has been recognized by the global development community.

It was part of the commitments made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, agreed in July.

And its role is enshrined in Goal 8 of the UN’s new Sustainable Development Agenda.

So we must deliver on this promise.

The pledges made here today will go a long way in securing the EIF’s ability to keep delivering results.

I hope that all the goodwill and commitment which we have seen on the part of donors to date can be translated into real support. 

So I would like to thank all the countries making a pledge today.

In particular let me thank our co-Chair, State Secretary Morten Hoglund, for Norway’s important pledge in July, which helped create a good basis for our work towards Phase Two.

I also want to thank our other Co-Chair, Minister Andrew Robb, for Australia’s instrumental role as Donor Coordinator.

And, of course, this Pledging Conference is not the end of the work. Rather, it is the start.

The role of donor countries goes far beyond providing the funding.

The success of the initiative also depends on your active participation.

Donors act as facilitators in EIF countries, and they help guide the direction of the programme by serving on the EIF Board.  

So I urge you to stay engaged!

To the countries who are not pledging today, I encourage you to follow the progress of Phase Two — and to look at whether you may be able to make pledges in the New Year.

Your help will also be key to deliver this important initiative.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to underscore, once again, the WTO’s support for the EIF and our commitment to working collectively in the interests of the LDCs.

A successful pledging conference is a significant outcome for us to take home from Nairobi.

I hope the results we see today send a positive message that we are working to create a better — and more inclusive — multilateral trading system.

Let’s ensure that the second phase of the EIF is even more successful than the first.

Asante sana — thank you very much!

 

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