While the Philippines believes that the WTO is the best institution to provide growth, development and stability to the global economy, the country has expressed concern about the marked increase in the use of trade remedies that are deemed inconsistent with fair trade rules of this multilateral trade body.

This is among the speaking points for the Philippine Head of Delegation Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee at the working session 1 “Review of WTO Activities, Including the Doha Work Program” at the ongoing 7th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva.

“I am concerned about the marked increase in the use of trade remedies throughout 2009, and more recently, I was informed that WTO disputes have already breached the 400 mark,” Teehankee said.

“This is an organization that must continue to adapt with the ever-increasing complexities of international trade; and any undertaking that would further enhance the implementation of its rules, the availability of information, and increased participation of Members in the multilateral trading system would ensure the WTO’s relevance in the global governance infrastructure,” he added.

He noted that the Philippines recognizes at the same time, that the the multilateral trading system is far from perfect, and that liberalization alone will not lead to sustainable development if not calibrated and supported by productivity measures, financial coherence, technology development, and safety nets.

Earlier, Teehankee said that the Philippines should exercise increased vigilance over illegal trade measures imposed by other countries to ensure that the country’s exports are amply protected.

Teehankee said this in light of the various protective measures that have been resorted to or maybe resorted to by trading countries as an offshoot of the global financial crisis.

“We should remove illegal measures that are violative of WTO rules, so we need to increase vigilance to ensure exports and domestic industries are properly protected,” Teehankee said.