WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/7
18May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2026)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18-19 May1998
ADDRESS BYTHE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
MR.RENATO RUGGIERO
Since ourlastMinisterial Meeting inSingapore, themultilateral trading system hasachieved
many successes. Wehaveconcluded agreements onbasictelecommunications andonfinancial services,
andimplemented theagreement oninformation technology. Their combined value equates toanew
Round -thefinance andtechnology Round forthe21stcentury. Wehaveadispute settlement system
which isfunctioning well, andincreasingly usedbyawide range oftheMembership. Developing
countries, inparticular, areusing itmore thaneverbefore. Wehaveacted toimprove theparticipation
oftheleast-developed countries inthetrading system, andtoincrease ourcooperation inanintegrated
planofaction withother international agencies. Wehaveheldsuccessful seminars ontrade andthe
environment andtrade facilitation, aspartofourcontinuing dialogue withthewider community we
serve. And now wehave thisSecond Ministerial Meeting andthecommemoration ofthe
50thAnniversary ofthesystem, which willbring averyimportant group ofleaders totheWTO for
thefirsttimetodiscuss thefuture ofthesystem anditscontribution totheworld economy.
Thisisarecord ofsuccess inanyterms, butweshould notletitblind ustothefactthatwe
liveinchallenging times where thereisstillanunacceptable levelofpoverty andinequality. Theturmoil
inAsian economies hasreminded ushowinterdependent ourworld is.Thismeans thatthesingle most
important message wecansendoutfrom thisMeeting isamessage ofunity. More thanever, the
multilateral trading system offers aforceforstability andcooperation. Thissystem hasbrought together
132countries under shared international rules, agreed byconsensus, andratified bynational parliaments.
Itsstrength restsfundamentally onoursolidarity andourunity ofpurpose.
Unity means shared responsibility. Andourfirstshared responsibility istheimplementation
ofexisting commitments. Weallrecognize thatoursystem oftrade rules isonlyasgood asits
implementation. Fullimplementation isessential tothecredibility ofoursystem -anditspotential
tocarry theweight offuture responsibilities.
Weneedtoconsider howwecanenhance theability ofeachoneofourMembers tofullymeet
theircommitments. Andweneedtorecognize thatagreat partoftheanswer tothisproblem hasto
befound inimproving thefunctioning oftheexisting bodies oftheWTO, notably theGeneral Council.
There isnorealissue thatdivides usonthebasic question ofimplementation. Butthere is
equally norealissue thatdivides usontheother main responsibility ofthisMinisterial Conference,
which istosetintomotion abroad-based process which responds tothebasic statutes oftheWTO
andtothecommitments youhavealready taken. Thisprocess hastoprepare thedecisions thatyou
havetotakeattheThird Ministerial Conference inorder toarrive atabalanced agenda forourfuture
work.
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Lastly, letmesayafewwords about issues ofabroader relevance. Firstofall,itwould be
wrongtounderestimatetheeffectsofthefinancialturmoilinAsia.Therepercussionsoncurrentaccounts
arejustbeginning tobefelt,which means thatprotectionist pressures could become much stronger.
Weneedastrong signal fromthisConference thatyouintend toresist thesepressures, because keeping
trade openisthemain roadtorenewed growth.
Secondly, wemustbeunwavering inourefforts tohelptheleast-developed countries increase
theirparticipation, bothinthisorganization, andinthetrading system asawhole. Iwould liketo
repeat mycallforacommitment tofreetradefortheexport products oftheleast-developed countries.
Wehaveestablished amore integrated approach tocapacity building inthese countries. Andweare
rapidly linking theleast-developed countries viatheInternet toalltheresources andexpertise ofthe
WTO -apowerful symbol ofthenewkindofdialogue thatismade possible bynewtechnologies.
Weshould beveryproud ofthisinitiative -butwecandomuch more.
Thirdly, youshould notunderestimate thegrowing pressure onthemultilateral trading system
togiveanswers toissues which areveryrealpublic concerns, butoneswhose solution cannot rely
onthetrading system alone. Whenever people talkabout tradenow,otherissues come upimmediately:
financial instability, development, marginalization, protection oftheenvironment, social conditions,
employment, public health, orcultural diversity. Itwould bewrong fortheinternational trading system
toignore suchissues, ornotmake thecontribution thatitispossible forittomake. Wehavetoimprove
ourability torespond within ourownrulesandinstitutions totheinterrelationships which undoubtedly
exist, showing thatthedifferent policies required canbemutually supportive rather thancontradictory.
Oneexample isourCommittee onTrade andEnvironment, which clearly needs arenewed political
impetus. Butthisisnotenough. Thefundamental needisforanimproved global architecture torespond
totheglobal questions weface.
Progress inthisdirection clearly requires more information onourroleandmore dialogue.
Iwilldevote aconsiderable partofmytimeafterthisConference totrytoimprove information and
dialogue withthecivilsociety, taking intoaccount thepoint ofviewofalltheWTO Members, and
therules which youhavegiven tome.
Theessential point isthatmore andmore themultilateral trading system isanessential part
ofabetter management oftheworld economy, because ofitsrule-based, consensual, non-discriminatory
nature. IhopethisConference willbeabove allanoccasion which shows theunity ofalltheMembers
inside thesystem thatbelongs toallofyouandanopportunity tosendaclearmessage ofconfidence
totheworld.
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