Remarks by DG Azevêdo

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.

I am very pleased to join you today at this Sixth China Round Table.

At the outset, let me thank the Government of Argentina for hosting this special event here in Buenos Aires – muchas gracias!

It's great that this is one of the first events here in Buenos Aires. It focuses our minds on one of the most important tasks that we face – specifically, how we can ensure that everyone can participate and benefit from the multilateral trading system.

Ultimately, this is what accessions are all about – spreading the benefits of trade and increasing the inclusivity of the trading system.

This is a priority for the organization and for me personally as Director-General.

So I am pleased to see so many supporters and champions of WTO accessions here today.

On that note, I would like to pay particular tribute to the Government of China, and to Minister Zhong Shan.

China has displayed real leadership in WTO accessions, especially through the China LDCs and Accessions Programme. The Programme is aimed at assisting LDCs in their accession processes, as well as strengthening their participation in the WTO. Since it was established in 2011, I think it has made a big contribution to our accessions work.

So let me take this opportunity to thank the Government of China once again for their support and generosity.

And I am pleased that we will be able to continue building on this partnership.

Indeed, right after this opening session, we will sign the renewal of the MoU on the China Programme, along with an MoU on China's contribution to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility Trust Fund.

This underlines very strongly China's continued commitment to our work at the WTO, and to ensuring that more countries can join and benefit from the trading system.

There's no question in my mind that accessions are an essential part of our activities. Since the creation of the WTO, we have welcomed 36 new members, massively extending the reach of the shared rules and principles in global trade. Today, WTO members account for over 98% of global trade.

This is fundamental to the organization's role as a guarantor of stability and predictability in international economic relations. It was precisely the shared knowledge that all members were bound by the same framework of rules and practices that prevented an outbreak of protectionism after the crisis in 2008.

More than that, by spreading the reach of these rules, we are also spreading the opportunities to benefit.

There is much to gain from joining the multilateral trading system.

Each accession negotiation is distinctive but they all represent an opportunity to undertake reforms to accelerate economic growth. By acceding to the WTO, governments are sending a message to the world that they are committed to core values of openness, transparency, good governance and the rule of law. 

And this delivers real economic results. Research shows that countries undertaking the reforms required to join the WTO tend to grow at around 2.5 percentage points faster than others once the process is completed.

Twenty-one accessions are currently in the pipeline, with a number of them advancing into the final stages. 

Last year, we received applications for WTO membership from two LDCs – Somalia and Timor-Leste. And another LDC, South Sudan, has just submitted a new application for consideration by the Ministerial Conference.

All this activity is very positive. It underlines again the importance of the multilateral trading system for the development strategies of these countries.

But of course – to quote Theodore Roosevelt – 'nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort'.

Accessions negotiations are very demanding – but this is why they are so worthwhile. The process is complex and it usually requires structural reforms across many areas. And the hard work of reform continues after the process of accession is complete.

This is why it is very important to help acceding and recently-acceded countries build their capacity to successfully navigate this process. This is an ongoing focus of the Secretariat's work.

Over the years, the accessions community has built up a wealth of knowledge through technical assistance, outreach and research.  

Sharing this expertise with acceding governments can play an important role in helping them achieve their accessions' objectives.

So I am pleased that during this Sixth China Round Table we will be launching an Accession Negotiators' Network, exactly for this purpose.

It aims to create a platform for ongoing interaction among accession negotiators.

Over 80 former negotiators and accession experts have agreed to join the Network. Our hope is that this will encourage the exchange of information and enrich debates, thereby helping countries on their journey to membership and beyond.

In conclusion, I would emphasize that these efforts are essential in building a more open and inclusive trading system.

So keep up the good work everybody!

I wish you a very productive session today, which sets our work here in Buenos Aires on a positive and constructive path.

Finally, let me extend my appreciation once again to the organizers of this Round Table, to our hosts, and to China for making this event possible.

Thank you all.