The Uruguay Round
Reflections by key players

The successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round in 1994 brought about the biggest reform of the world’s trading system since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was created at the end of the Second World War.

The Round was launched in September 1986 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, bringing together 123 countries to extend the trading system into several new areas, including trade in services and intellectual property, and to reform trade in sensitive sectors, such as agriculture. The signing of the Final Act in Marrakesh, Morocco, in April 1994 led to the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 1 January 1995.

Foreword by the WTO Director-General

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• Foreword by the WTO Director-General
• Memories of a Beautiful Multilateral Epic
  Hassan Abouyoub, former Minister of Trade of Morocco
• 30 years since the creation of the WTO
  Sergio Abreu, Former Foreign Minister of Uruguay, and former chair of the GATT Trade Negotiations Committee
• Achievements and challenges of the Uruguay Round
  Nobutoshi Akao, Former Ambassador of Japan
• My memories of the Uruguay Round
  María Cassarino, Former Second Secretary of Uruguay
• From Uruguay Round novice to experienced trade negotiator
  K.M. Chandrasekhar Former Permanent Representative of India to the WTO
• The making of the WTO: A unique success?
  Karl Falkenberg, Former Deputy Director General of Trade of the European Commission - Germany
• What if the Uruguay Round had never happened?
  Isidoro Hodara, Former Director of Foreign Trade of Uruguay
• The launch of the Uruguay Round: A boost to the open development of international trade
  Enrique Iglesias, Former Minister of Foreign Trade of Uruguay
• A few reflections on the Uruguay Round
  Alejandro Jara, Former Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Former Ambassador of Chile to the WTO, and Former Deputy Director-General of the WTO (Chile)
• Some reflections on the Uruguay Round
  Carlos Pérez del Castillo, Former Ambassador and Former Director General of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay
• Personal perspectives on the Uruguay Round and related events
  John M. Weekes, Former Ambassador of Canada to the WTO (1995-1999); also served as Canada’s Ambassador to GATT during the Uruguay Round
• The WTO at 30: Past triumphs and future dangers
  Rufus Yerxa, Former Deputy US Trade Representative and Former Deputy Director-General of the WTO (United States of America)