I am going to open these proceedings with apologies up front to John Lennon and Paul McCartney: It's been a hard day's night. And I've been working like a dog.

And so has everybody else around here, especially ministers who have gone through more than 100 gruelling hours to arrive at our destination today. I would like to thank them for their co-operation and commitment.

I have to say that I think all the hard work has been worth it. As Chairman and host of this conference, I am very satisfied with the outcome.

I believe the Ministerial Declaration which you have all seen represents a significant advance from where we started five days ago. To be honest, the outcome has exceeded my expectations.

We have pulled a rabbit out of the hat. The trick now is to make sure it grows and multiplies. By that I mean all members of the World Trade Organization continue the hard work of Hong Kong over the next few months and close the gaps that still exist before we can ink the deal once and for all by the end of 2006.

Clear win for development

We have built a platform from which we can go forward to complete the Doha Development Agenda by the end of next year. And most pleasing of all is that this week's WTO Sixth Ministerial Conference has been a clear win for development.

What have we achieved?

* We have secured an end date for all export subsidies in agriculture, even if it is not in a form that is to everybody's liking.

*  We have an agreement on cotton.  

*  We have a very solid result on duty-free, quota-free access for the Least Developed Countries.

*  In agriculture and NAMA (non-agriculture market access), we have cut through some of the undergrowth and paved the way for full modalities in the spring.   

* And in services, we now have an agreed text which should help accelerate the liberalisation of trade in services which, as you know, is crucial to global economic growth.

Well on way to achieving Doha goals 

These are no mean achievements. And so long as we continue to embrace the spirit of Hong Kong, we are well on the way to achieving what we set out to do in Doha four years ago.

And I think it also shows that the World Trade Organization is alive and kicking, and can produce results that matter to the rest of the world. I also believe that this conference has shown that the bottom-up approach is a wise way of achieving consensus in this member-driven organization.

It's always worth reminding ourselves what's at stake here. The World Bank estimates that a successful conclusion to the Doha Round could add US$300 billion annually to the world economy over the next decade, and lift some 140 million of the world's poorest people out of poverty.

Three key goals met 

In gearing up for this Ministerial I set myself three goals as chairman:

* to go beyond the draft sent to us from Geneva;

* to produce a roadmap for 2006; and

* to achieve results on a number of development issues worthy of the aims of the Doha Development Agenda.

I can hand over the chairmanship in the knowledge that I have achieved these goals.

I want to make two further points.

First, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the people of Hong Kong for their patience and support during the past week in coping so admirably with some of the difficulties and inconveniences that inevitably flow from an event of this size and complexity. They have done themselves and Hong Kong proud.

I commend my colleagues in the government and all of the other non-governmental agencies and volunteers who have worked so hard and unselfishly to make this conference the smooth-running success that it was. This is 'can-do' Hong Kong in action.

Violent protests condemned

Second, I want to condemn in the most uncompromising terms the violent behaviour last night of the group of protesters who tried to take over the streets of our city. They did not.

Our Police men and women are to be commended for their tolerance and restraint and professionalism. Their tolerance and restraint were pushed beyond all reasonable bounds, and it is a credit to them that they responded so reasonably and effectively.

We are a peaceful and law-abiding community. We treat our guests with courtesy and respect. It is not too much to ask the same in return.

Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Tecnnology John Tsang gave this address at the close of the WTO's Sixth Mininsterial Conference at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, which he chaired from Decemer 12 to 18.