WTO NEWS: SPEECHES — DG PASCAL LAMY
High level plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly
Mr President,
Excellencies heads of State and government,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A very well known saying goes: “Where there is
a will, there is a way”.
This is what united world leaders ten years ago in their commitment to
relegate abject poverty to history.
The purpose of your work, which begins this morning, is to take stock of
what we have achieved, to make an uncompromising assessment of our
progress as well as of the shortcomings that are still holding us back.
As we emerge from a global economic crisis that is without precedent in
its depth and its globality, we should be asking ourselves: How has the
World Trade Organization contributed to achieving the Millennium Goals?
In particular, how has it contributed to Goal 8 that is, developing a
global partnership for development?
Goal 8 tells us that an “open, rules based,
predictable and non discriminatory trading system” can be a powerful
engine for economic growth and development. The World Trade
Organisation's core business is to regulate international trade, reduce
trade barriers and ensure a level playing field for all its Members, big
or small, rich or poor. It falls exactly within the scope of this
target. It is about ensuring an enabling international trading
environment, a “pro-development” trading environment.
The benefits of opening up trade are well known and can be seen in the
growth patterns of countries that have opened their borders to trade the
more so where they have backed up their action with appropriate domestic
measures in the fields of investment, education and social welfare.
To cite but two examples:
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Firstly, there is the fact that the regions where most progress has been made in eradicating poverty are those that trade most. There is a direct correlation between integration into the multilateral trading system and economic growth, between growth and poverty reduction
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Secondly, there is the fact that during the crisis, the multilateral trading system acted as a bulwark against the worst protectionist instincts. The monitoring system we put in place has so far helped to avert recourse to widespread trade restrictive measures which would first and foremost have penalized the poorest countries.
And it is because international trade remained
open that it is now a leading force in the recovery. According to our
most recent estimates, the volume of trade should grow by 13.5 per cent
this year, 11 per cent for the developed countries and 17 per cent for
the developing countries. The WTO disciplines have given the poorest
countries the means to climb more quickly out of the recession.
But positive as the multilateral trading system's contribution to
poverty reduction may have been, we can and must do better.
In the regulation area, first of all, by working towards a rapid
conclusion of the Doha Development Round.
Concluding the Doha Round is about generating new growth opportunities.
But it is also about reinforcing a global partnership to put trade
opening at the service of development. It is about building on 60 years
of multilateralism to foster peace.
And as we prepare for the 4th United Nations Conference on Least
Developed countries which Turkey will host next year, we should remember
that concluding the Doha Round is also about delivering for the world's
poorest. We must fulfil our promises, for example by providing them with
duty free and quota free market access, or by addressing agriculture
subsidies to cotton.
Better regulation, yes, but we must also give the developing countries
that are most in need the means of building up their capacity to
participate in international trade; that is, we must sustain our
momentum on Aid for Trade. Helping poor countries to develop their
productive capacities and to participate in international trade today is
about enabling them to move forward more quickly on the path of growth
tomorrow.
Since 2005 Aid for Trade has seen a steady increase without impacting on
the global commitments in other sectors such as health, education or
water. The crisis must not detract us from our goal. Next July, when the
WTO hosts the Third Global Review of Aid for Trade, we shall focus on
evaluating more closely the impact of Aid for Trade on development so as
to better highlight its importance and relevance.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Millennium Goals can deliver real development if they are achieved
simultaneously. The WTO can and must make its contribution by concluding
the Doha Round and by ensuring that Aid for Trade is maintained at
current levels.
When you come to examine the WTO's contribution to the achievement of
the Millennium Goals, we would settle for “good pupil, could do better”.
Thank you for your attention.
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