What world leaders say
“We are firmly of the
belief that the existence of the GATT, and now the World Trade Organization, as a
rules-based system, provides the foundation on which our deliberations can build in order
to improve … As we enter the new millennium, let us forge a partnership for
development through trade and investment”.
Nelson Mandela
speech on the 50th anniversary
of the multilateral trading system,
19 May 1998
“Globalization is not a
policy choice — it is a fact.”
Bill Clinton
speech on the 50th anniversary
of the multilateral trading system,
18 May 1998
“The evidence is
overwhelmingly persuasive that the massive increase in world competition — a
consequence of broadening trade flows — has fostered markedly higher standards of
living for almost all countries that have participated in cross-border trade.”
Alan Greenspan
“Trade and Technology”
speech before the Minnesota Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota
30 September 1999
“No nation, big or small,
can be left out of this important institution, nor should it … We should turn this
organization into an instrument of the struggle for a more just and better world.”
Fidel Castro
speech on the 50th anniversary
of the multilateral trading system
20 May 1998
“The GATT’s system of
trade rules and agreements has contributed massively to global prosperity. It is not
something we should take for granted.”
Tony Blair
speech on the 50th anniversary
of the multilateral trading system
20 May 1998
“Too much of this century
was marked by force and coercion. Our dream must be a world managed by persuasion, the
rule of law, the settlement of differences peacefully within the law and cooperation.
It’s a good thing that all our living standards are now based on the ability of our
neighbours to purchase our products. That’s where the WTO can do splendid work and
advance the progress of the human species.”
Mike Moore
speech to the Transatlantic Business Dialogue
29 October 1999 |
