Informal Group of Developing Countries COMMUNIQUE November 30, 2009

DECLARATION OF THE INFORMAL GROUP OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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We, Ministers of the informal Group of Developing Countries met in Geneva on 30
November 2009 on the occasion of the 7th WTO Ministerial Conference, to coordinate
positions and assess the ramifications of the rapidly changing international trading
environment on our countries’ interests;

We remain deeply concerned about the far reaching impact of the global economic and
financial crisis, which originated in developed countries, on our economies,. We emphasize
the utmost importance to resist temptations of protectionism in different forms at this difficult
juncture;

We underline the need for a strong, open and fair, rules-based multilateral trading system to
combat protectionism and help promote recovery, growth and development, and reiterate
the importance we attach to the WTO as the main tool of this system. Principles of
multilateralism, inclusiveness, transparency, predictability, non discrimination and equity
must remain the way to ensure safeguarding trade openness, integration and economic
growth, and allow the effective participation of developing countries in the WTO and in
world trade;

We reaffirm our support and solidarity to accessions of all developing countries, and stress
that acceding countries should not be asked to undertake commitments that go beyond their
level of development and current WTO rules. We consider that in a rules-based trading
system, only commercial, technical and legal considerations should be the only deciding
factors in every accession process.

We underscore the need for the successful conclusion of the Doha Development Round, as
early as possible, in accordance with its development mandate to ensure confidence in the
WTO and address the trade and trade-related needs of developing countries. We are
disappointed that political commitments to seek an ambitious and balanced conclusion to the
Round in 2010 are not yet translated into concrete flexible negotiating positions, and call on
developed countries to show the required leadership to advance the negotiations;

We reiterate within this context our objection to any reinterpretation or changes to, or
deviations from, the existing agreed mandates and principles in the negotiations. We
furthermore oppose any form of selective re-sequencing of issues, or reopening of stabilized
parts of the draft modalities, and stress that the negotiations must preserve and build on
progress achieved in the last 8 years, and that the negotiating process must remain
multilateral and fully transparent, with a bottom-up approach;

We are united in our commitment to advance the DDA negotiations, and pledge to closely
coordinate and cooperate to ensure that Development remains the core of any outcome. We
are furthermore determined to maintain our solidarity in promoting and supporting South-
South trade, economic cooperation, and investment flows.

Geneva, 30 November 2009