VOIR
AUSSI:
Communiqués
de presse
Nouvelles
Allocutions: Renato Ruggiero
1995-1999
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"For the first few months of this year the WTO will adopt the posture of the swan
– serene on top of the water and paddling furiously under the water," Mr. Moore
said. "I've now spoken to several dozen Ministers since Seattle and can clearly see
how we get momentum in Geneva. The WTO will in a business-like way, take constructive
steps to produce a realistic package to build confidence among Member Governments and the
public at large. We have an in-built agenda that covers agriculture and services, which
represent over half the world's economy. We must also address the market access problems
of the poorest nations and see what we can do to build their capacity to engage and
contribute. A number of countries have real problems with implementing their agreements.
These problems must be addressed promptly and realistically." "Iin Washington I
also spent time with Jim Wolfensohn, the Managing Director of the World Bank, who
reorganized the World Bank to make it more development friendly. There is much we can
learn, if we listen. Our core business and principles remain as mandated by the Member
Governments that own us. We exist to lift living standards, and create more jobs and
income by negotiating market openings. We know this in itself is never enough. Issues of
debt, infrastructural investment, education, health and capacity-building are all
important to assist nations to prosper in a changing world. We need therefore to work
alongside the other international institutions in a coherent and practical way."
"Our
own public image is a problem, for some reason all the problems of the modern world are
blamed on us. We got blamed for the excesses and problems of globalization. But
globalization is not a theory or an ideology, it’s a process which is not even new.
However, unless citizens and governments feel they own it, that they control it through
their governments then there will be continued anxiety even anger. Yet the historic
message is clear. More open societies do better. The OECD reports that a new round of
tariff liberalization would boost world economic output by 3 per cent – or over 1.2
trillion dollars – and that developing countries would benefit most. India's GDP
would grow by 9.6 per cent, China's by 5.5 per cent, sub-saharan Africa's by 3.7 per
cent."
"There
is a big job to be done. It has been estimated that within 25 years over 3 billion people
will be added to the global population. Urban populations will treble over the next 30
years. By the year 2020, two-thirds of Africa's population will live in cities. Over the
next 30 years food production will have to double. The World Bank reports that 2 billion
people will suffer from chronic water shortages within 30 years. Half the world's
population lives on under US$2 per day."
"At
the WTO we will play our role with relish and enthusiasm. We now have all our deputies in
place. The next few weeks will see intensive discussions in capitals and with Geneva-based
Ambassadors. In the calm of the aftermath of Seattle where we failed to reach a consensus
among our 135 Members, there has been a sober and realistic assessment. We will focus on
immediate needs of our Members and build on that to prepare for our future agenda.
Otherwise the world economy will suffer, the needs of the poorer nations will continue to
be ignored and growth, stagnate." |
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