RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ST/2
7February 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0228)
Original: Spanish GENERAL COUNCIL
31January 1995
STATEMENT BYDR.JOSÉ BERNARD PALLAIS,
VICE-MINISTER OFEXTERNAL RELATIONS OFNICARAGUA,
ONTHE OCCASION OFTHE FIRST MEETING OFTHE
GENERAL COUNCIL ON31JANUARY 1995
Wewishtocongratulate theelected officers andwishthemsuccess intheirwork. Nicaragua
contemplates thebirthoftheWorld Trade Organization withoptimism andhope.
Thereisnodoubtthatopeningupaccesstomarketsandstrengtheningtheinstitutionalframework
oftheinternational trading system creates aclimate ofconfidence which makes itpossible toproduce
more andincreased opportunities fortrade andinvestment which willleadontogreater prosperity.
Inresponse totheopportunities offered bythenewinternational tradescene, Nicaragua istoday
making agreat effort todiversify itsproductive baseandincrease exports.
Weattachgreatimportancetomodernizinginstitutional,legislativeandadministrativeinstruments
toimprove opportunities forparticipation. However, theopportunities totakeadvantage ofopening
markets arenotequally distributed, andtherefore inaddition tonational efforts there isaneedfor
amultinational andmulti-institutional endeavour.
Theinterdependence andglobalization oftoday'sworld mean thatwemustmake itourprime
objective toincrease participation bydeveloping countries intheinternational trading system. We
mustensure thattheleast-developed countries canobtain theshare inthegrowth ininternational trade
which isnecessary fortheireconomic development. Letusremember thatalarge partofthegrowth
inmarkets forindustrialized countries willoccur indeveloping countries.
Many arethecountries that,likeus,haveplaced theirtrustinopening uptheireconomies.
History hasjustshown usthatthemost beneficial economic system isthemarket economy. There
is,however, adanger, atendency toexclude, marginalize, diminish theparticipation ofthecountries
thatencounter thegreatest difficulties intheworld market. Wemust ensure thattheWorld Trade
Organization isaninstrument toreverse thistendency towards theirexclusion.
After halfacentury, thethree pillars ofBretton Woods arenowcomplete. Thecoordination
ofpolicies anddialogue between theWTO, theInternational Monetary Fund andtheWorld Bank will
playamajor role. Itiswellknown thatfinancial resources arestilloutstripped byneeds andthatwe,
thedeveloping countries, arecontinuing tosuffer from adeterioration intheterms oftrade. The
coordination towhich Ihavejustreferred mustserve toensure thatthedifficult economic adjustments
wearemaking yield theirfruit.
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Wecertainly applaud thestrengthening ofasystem which allows ustodevelop ourtrading
operations inaccordance withmultilaterally-agreed concepts, principles andrules. Wetakeapositive
view oftheinclusion oftrade inservices, andwebelieve thatprogress inintellectual property will
permit greater transfer oftechnology. Weareconfident thattheintegration ofthetextile trade into
therules anddisciplines willtakeplace irreversibly.
Intrade inagricultural products, weshallwork forthedismantling ofsubsidies andgreater
openness.
Nicaragua isadefender ofthedevelopment oftradewhich respects theenvironment anddisplays
solidarity withthepoorest countries, butwedonotwishthebanners oftheecologists andsocial clauses
togiverisetoprotectionist measures which, inthesense thattheyimpoverish ourcountries, areharmful
totheenvironment andworkers 'standards ofliving.
Wehavetoday theconditions toensure thatthedispute settlement system isaguarantee of
impartiality, justice andfairness. Itisclearthatthetradesanctions thatwesmall countries could apply
would besymbolic, particularly when applied tolarge trading powers, butitwould nevertheless be
amistake toaccept theaxiom thatifthesanctions areinsignificant onecanactwithimpunity.
Inshort, wewishtheWorld Trade Organization tosetitself anambitious challenge: thatof
promoting trade asameans ofabolishing poverty.
Thesuccess ofthemultilateral trading system liesinbeing aneffective instrument of
development.