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Mike Moore's speeches
Renato Ruggiero's speeches,
1995-99
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You, Ambassador Mchumo, are one of the first persons I will seek advice from. You have
had a difficult year in the chair. At times we have not made it easy for you either. It is
no doubt, however, that you have passed the test with honours. You have managed to keep
your calm when we have not. You have demonstrated leadership when we lost sight of our
common long-term interests. Thank you for what you have done for us during the past year
and for the standard you have set in the chair. I am glad to have observed that
this meeting as well as the preparations for it have demonstrated the willingness of all
members to overcome the setback from Seattle. The mandated negotiations have started and
we are deciding on the necessary modalities. We have agre e d to embark on consultation
processes in a number of important areas of great importance to developing countries,
including implementation issues, technical co-operation and market access for LDCs, as
well as looking at our working methods and transparenc y issues.
Thus, it
seems to me that we are now entering a phase where preservation and consolidation
of the WTO system should have priority. The tasks are both of a housekeeping
nature and the need to ensure that all members can benefit from the multilate ral trading
system. Such prioritisation is a prerequisite not only for preventing backsliding and
erosion of the system, but also for making it possible to renew our efforts to launch a
new round of trade negotiations. The systemic consolidation and a new round are not
necessarily sequential in character, but I believe our first priority have to be putting
our house in order.
Needless to
say it is only the members who can carry out our task through development of common
understandings on where to go and ho w to get there. My job will be to do my utmost to
facilitate the process through extensive and representative consultations with members in
order to prepare for further discussions and decisions in the Council. For practical
purposes I will ask the Director General to provide me with an office in the WTO building
so that we easily can meet when any of you or I feel the need for it. It goes without
saying that I will work closely with the Director General, trusting that he can assist us
with analyses and concrete proposals.
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