Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. I am pleased to join you today.

I am sure that the discussion has already got off to a good start this morning. And I know that you have a busy schedule ahead of you.

So I will just say a few words to help mark this occasion — and to underline the importance of our work in addressing technical barriers to trade.

2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the WTO — but it also marks the 20th anniversary of the TBT Agreement.

And for me the importance of this agreement is quite clear.

In the past 20 years, average tariffs have fallen dramatically. In fact, they have been cut in half. Average applied tariffs were 15 per cent in 1995. Today they stand at less than 8 per cent. Against this backdrop, non-tariff measures have become increasingly important determinants of market access.

And these behind-the-border issues are now at the heart of any trade debate. Indeed, we know that many regional trade initiatives are now trying to grapple with these issues.

Moreover, I think we are all increasingly conscious of the need to respond to growing global challenges in a more joined-up way. Trade policies must work hand-in-hand with policies in other areas — such as health, the environment and consumer protection.

The TBT Agreement helps us to respond to all of this. It provides a multilateral anchor for governments as they seek ways to align their regulations. It recognises the right of WTO members to implement measures that achieve legitimate policy objectives. And it provides a forum, through the TBT Committee, to test whether those measures are necessary, or not.

I think that the TBT Committee is a success story.

Over the last 20 years it has become a well-functioning, dynamic mechanism for addressing matters of everyday commercial and social significance — from chemicals in toys, to carbon footprint labelling, to test procedures for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. It is a huge range of issues you deal with, and which are very important for citizens and consumers.

The figures tell the story.

Since 1995, the TBT Committee has received 25,000 notifications of new or changed measures. This is the highest number for any committee at the WTO. And members have developed guidance on the application of the Agreement — which has helped with its practical and business-like application.

Over the years, the Committee has taken on an important pre-emptive function.

Throughout its existence, the TBT Committee has dealt with 471 Specific Trade Concerns.

Essentially, members raise Specific Trade Concerns to find out more about the scope and implementation of each other's regulations in light of the core TBT obligations.

This is a systematic part of the Committee's work. I understand that the TBT Committee has 19 new concerns along with 40 existing concerns on the agenda for this week.

Clearly this is an area where there may be potential disagreements. However, in these 20 years, we have only had five TBT-related disputes, and only one is ongoing today. And I think that this should tell us something.

By providing a forum for exchanges at the technical level, it seems quite clear that the Committee's regular work helps to pre-empt frictions and avoid unnecessary disputes. In this way the Committee makes a significant contribution to the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system. 

And this is not the preserve of just a few members.

The WTO is a very inclusive organization. Today we have 161 members, of which four out of five are developing countries.

They play a key role in managing the system and shaping its agenda.

And the TBT Committee is no exception. The engagement of developing countries has been growing here — both in numbers of notifications as well as in their involvement in Specific Trade Concerns.

Significantly, the private sector is also engaged in the Committee's processes. Through members' representations, the Committee enables views of small and large firms to be heard about the effects that new standards might have on their businesses.

This is a really important aspect of this work — after all it is these businesses which drive the growth, development and job creation that we all want to see.

This meeting is taking place at an interesting moment.

In just a few weeks, we will hold our 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi. This is the first time that this conference is being held in Africa — and we are making every effort to make it a successful one and ensure that we can deliver new negotiated outcomes.

It is this negotiating work which grabs the headlines — and it is an essential part of what we do. But there’s more to the WTO. There is great value in the day-to-day work of the organisation. This work often goes unseen and unremarked upon — but it is one of the key strengths of the multilateral trading system. 

The TBT Committee illustrates this point very clearly.

The Committee’s record shows that the multilateral system can work in a constructive and pragmatic manner to find common ground, resolve issues and find solutions.

I encourage you to continue this important role. I understand that you are currently working to develop guidance on good regulatory practices — so I urge you to continue with this important task.

As we grapple with more and more non-tariff measures, the TBT Committee's role — and that of the TBT Agreement more broadly — will be more important than ever.

So, in closing, let me extend my sincere thanks to all those who have contributed to making this work a success over the last 20 years — many of whom are here today.

As we look to the future, I have no doubt that we will build on this excellent foundation — and take this work from strength to strength.  

Thank you.