MOREPRESS RELEASE
PRESS/266
2 January 2002
(02-0015)
 MOORE PLEDGES TO BUIL D ON DOHA SUCCESS IN 2002
The following text is Director-General Mike Moore's Informal New Year’s Message to
Member Governments and staff and his proposals for action in 2002.
“Last year was truly an outstanding year for the World Trade Organization, perhaps the most
significant in our brief history. But we haven’t the time to reflect on last year’s achievements, becauseMinisters at our highly successful Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, have given us much to do
and not much time in which to do it. Doha was where we as an organization  “removed the stain of
Seattle,” as U.S. Trade Representative Bob Zoellick put it, but now we must maintain the Ministerial
momentum launched at that conference and build on its success.
I think we’ve made a very good start. There were those who speculated that it may take six
months to choose the venue for our next Ministerial Conference in 2003. It took one meeting of our
General Council. Much behind the scenes work took place and it’s never easy to gain a consensus
among 144 governments, but last month, our Member Governments agreed that Mexico would host us
next year. I’m delighted. This means our hosts can begin their preparations immediately.
We have also seen our members approve a significant increase in our budget to CHF 143
million (an increase of 6.75%) and we will be able to increase our spending on technical assistance in
2002 by around 80%. We have shifted and re-deployed some of our Secretariat staff to better serve
the intentions spelled out by Ministers in Doha.
All of these steps are necessary because the far-reaching set of negotiations launched in Doha,
must be completed within a three-year timeframe. With the launch of the Doha Development Agenda
we have placed development issues and the interests of our poorer Members at the heart of our work.
Last year was also one in which we have welcomed more than a quarter of the world's
population into our membership from Lithuania, Mo ldova, China and Chinese Taipei. I am confident
that we can make solid progress with our 28 other accession candidates in 2002. I am asked often
about the timetable for Russia. I’ve been saying that I expect Russia to take her seat as a member by
the time of our conference in Mexico, but I think we can do better than that. We have a core group of
Ministers, including Bob Zoellick and EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy who have the willpower,
the horsepower and the firepower to move this accession along quickly and smoothly. President Putinand Minister Medvedkov have extended great commitment and effort to bring Russia into the WTOPRESS/266
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MOREand we could see Russia becoming a member well before people expect. I’m hopeful that other
important nations including Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Ukraine can progress this year aswell.
2001 was a year of important lessons and new insights.  The Doha success was built on a
preparatory process that was transparent and inclusive.  We must carry these principles into our future
work.  In 2002 we will ensure all our Members, large and small, rich and poor, are given everyassistance and opportunity to participate in our negotiations.  Ministers have told me they want to be
engaged so they can continue to guide our agenda forward.
At the conclusion of the 4
th Ministerial Conference, I said that while the Doha Development
Agenda was launched out of mutual self-interest, for many resource-constrained Member countries it
was also a brave act of faith, trust and hope.  I believe Members have already begun to deliver on this
faith.
One example of this is the Secretariat budget for 2002. It’s a budget which closely reflects the
priorities identified by Ministers in Doha, including in such key areas as technical cooperation and
capacity-building, coherence, advancing accessions and doing a better job of explaining ourselves to
those who pay our bills, the outside world.  In addition to the 6.75% increase in the budget, highlightsinclude:
• establishment of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund with a proposed core budget
of CHF 15 million to provide secure and predictable resources to build capacity,
• additional funding to allow us to double the number of trainees from developing countries who
can attend the recently established WTO Training Institute,
• additional funds of CHF850,000 for translation se rvices which is in addition to the CHF1.5
million given last year; this addresses a long-standing grievance from some non-English speaking
Member delegations,
• approval to take on 8 new staff in key areas identified by Ministers; more short-term staff will be
contracted once the DDA Global Trust Fund brings more resources on line, and
• funding to enable us to continue to run the Geneva Week programme in 2002, assisting non-
resident Member officials to participate more fully in the work of the WTO.
This is a good budget and an important first step. It is focused and balanced and helps us to
deliver on the promise of Doha.  But much remains to be done to ensure the next MinisterialConference is a success and the new negotiations are concluded within the three-year timeframe. My
duty is clear: to ensure the Secretariat's activities are aimed at assisting Members to undertake and
conclude their negotiations.  I must also ensure our resources match our collective ambitions.  I have
taken important steps already in this regard:
• Secretariat resources have been re-deployed to reflect the priorities of the Doha Development
Agenda, particularly in areas of development, capacity-building, accessions, coherence andoutreach. Efficiency gains and cost savings are being introduced. We will also review matters
further in light of decisions taken by Members on the trade negotiating machinery.
• I am establishing a Resource and Performance Analysis function in the Secretariat so we can
regularly and routinely monitor our performance against agreed objectives.  A report will be
prepared on how this new function will operate.PRESS/266
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MORE• I will be commissioning work on how to make the Secretariat a better working environment for
staff.  I want to look at issues of working conditions, career development, tenure, recruitment and
promotion processes, and ways to reward innovation and efficiency gains.
• The Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration has suggested a report on staffing issues
and I look forward also to commissioning this important work.
In terms of the roadmap ahead, I am taking other steps as well to ensure the Secretariat's work
builds on the momentum from Doha and towards the next Ministerial Conference:
• I have been communicating with key groups in Geneva. Immediately following Doha I met with
Ambassadors from Arab countries to discuss our Arab Strategy.  I have met recently with
Geneva-based representatives of acceding countries and have communicated with their Ministers.
We are increasing our resources in this area, in line with the Doha outcomes, and I have invited
delegations to give me ideas for accelerating their accession processes.  We are also increasingour efforts in favour of Least Developed Countries and economies in transition.  Once again, I
have written to their Missions seeking advice and guidance.
• We are preparing a programme of activities for 2002 that will give heightened attention to
particular regions. For example, we are planning major initiatives in coordination with other
institutions in the Balkans and Central Asia. These areas have regrettably not been given adequate
attention in the past.
• Direct contact is always important.  My staff tell me I have travelled over 625,000 km and visited
more than 180 cities in the past 2 years.  This is necessary work. I will continue to visit capitalsand seek guidance from Ministers. Early in the new year I am planning a series of missions
including to the United States, Africa and Oman.
• We are investigating other innovative ways to keep Ministers fully engaged and involved.  In
addition to personal contacts, telephone calls and regular mailings, we may shortly run a series of
videoconferences.
• We will be focusing more closely on issues of coherence so we can produce models of
cooperation  and synergies with other institutions better suited to deliver fair results since Doha.  Ihave already met with representatives of international agencies based in Geneva and I will
continue to pursue coherence issues when I meet with heads of agencies in the United States earlynext year.  I am also looking to reinforce our staff resources in this area.  Of course, coherence is
an issue that needs to be pursued by all stakeholders.  Those seeking assistance need to be more
specific about their needs.  Donors need to better  coordinate their own efforts both in capitals and
amongst each other.  The same is true of international agencies.  Duplication and wastage is
costly, not only in financial terms but in precious time and credibility.
• We have been asked to do better, and be more creative, in our dealings with wider society
including groups such as parliamentarians.  I will be looking at this early in 2002.  We are already
planning a major Symposium in May which will address the concerns expressed by some
Ministers at Doha on our relations with the public.  Already, useful suggestions for the agenda of
this Symposium are emerging.  They include development issues such as Trade and Debt, Tradeand Finance and the impact of technology and the digital divide;  issues of participation and the
problems of capacity constrained missions;  the functioning and financing of the WTO;  external
relations;  issues of social justice and the social, economic, environmental and political impacts of
globalisation.  Much more consideration needs to be done before our agenda is finalized.
However, the serious studies being undertaken by my group of Eminent Advisors could be veryuseful input.PRESS/266
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Members too must create momentum.  I believe early agreement is needed on the details of the
structure for dealing with the work programme from Doha.  Also, despite urgings by many Ministers
and considerable effort over the past few years, little movement has been achieved on issues such as
derestriction of documents and observership.  More focus on these types of issues might assist in
building momentum.
All of the new initiatives and actions I have discussed, and which are based on the Doha
Development Agenda, do not detract from the core business of this Organization.  It reinforces this
critical work.  However, because of the commitment of Ministers and Ambassadors, I think we can
now claim with confidence that we have truly give n birth to the WTO.  It is now not the old GATT
with a few, symbolic gestures to the new global realities, but better reflects the new needs of our
wider membership and instructions from Ministers.
END