Conference of WTO Ministers Begins in Geneva
USTR Kirk is representing United States.
Compiled by staff
Published: Dec 1, 2009
During the opening session of the Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva, World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy challenged those attending to follow the proverb "unity is strength", and expressed the hope of coming out of the next few days stronger, more united and with clear determination to conclude the Round in 2010. He added that as long as members continue to follow responsible policies at home, the WTO system should continue to provide a global insurance policy against protectionism.
"Trade in itself is not a magic potion. For trade to work, it has to be rooted in a bedrock of domestic policies that enable its potential gains to be realized," Lamy said. "The commitments we negotiate here need to complement and support these domestic policies. Now, more than ever, it is time to reinforce the message that open trade is not a zero-sum game."
Lamy also pointed out that the single largest adjustment needed is to conclude the Doha Round successfully and soon. This is not just about its economic benefits, it is also about the collective ability and determination to preserve and strengthen the global public good, which is the multilateral trading system. According to Lamy, the moment of truth is fast approaching and members will have to decide whether the 2010 target can be met.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told the opening session that as economic recovery begins and deepens worldwide, trade can and should play an important role in the restoration of global prosperity. He challenged WTO Members to deliver a strong outcome in the Doha Round of negotiations - one that opens markets and creates significant new trading opportunities in agriculture, industrial goods and in services.
"The United States is committed to achieving such an outcome, and I believe that success is possible in 2010," Kirk said. "Substance will drive our progress, and success is not something that any one Member, or any small group of Members, can deliver or dictate. The circle of leadership within the WTO has grown broader and more inclusive and each and every Member of this leadership group has a responsibility."
Kirk pledged that the United States' negotiating team is ready to move into the endgame. He says they have made their specific interests well known and that meaningful market opening is required to complete the Round.
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