WORLD TRADE WT/GC(97)/ST/6
16December 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-5509)
Original: English General Council
10December 1997
CANADA
Statement byH.E. Mr.JohnWeekes
Ambassador, Permanent Representative
Theannual reporting exercise together withtheDirector-General 'sAnnual Report allows us
totakeastepback--totakenoteofandreflect uponouractivities overthepastyear. Itisalsouseful
when thinking prospectively about theWTO andthemultilateral trading system. Itenables ustoplace
ourspecific work anddetailed efforts intothebroader context; whatwehavedone, theresults achieved,
thetrends which havetobetaken intoaccount, thetasks yettobecompleted andthedirections that
might betaken inthefuture.
Ayearhasalready passed since theSingapore Conference andupon reflection wehavemade
good progress. Aswaspointed outbytheDirector-General inhisAnnual Report, there havebeen
significant additional sector commitments oninformation technology products andpharmaceuticals.
WealsohaveanAgreement onTrade inBasic Telecommunications, andwearecontinuing ourefforts
tocomplete anagreement onfinancial services thisweek.
TheSingaporeConferencealsoresultedinthelaunchingofdiscussions,inabusiness-likemanner,
intheareasoftradeandinvestment, tradeandcompetition andtransparency ingovernment procurement.
Thediscussions intheworking groups areproving botheducative andthought provoking. They will
surely beinvaluable inhelping toanswer some questions Members mayhaveandinpaving theway
forfuture decisions inthese areas.
However, wemustnotbecomplacent about either thequantity orquality ofthework being
done. TheGATT/WTO success hasflowed from itsMembers being evervigilant andattuned tothe
changes occurring inthetrading system. Theworld economy andtheglobal trading system areevolving
continually, andataneverincreasing speed. Consequently, weasMembers havetheresponsibility
toensure thatthemultilateral rules-based system isequipped todealwiththatevolution, inorder to
preserve thestability ofthesystem.
Asweprepare forMay1998 andbeyond, wemustnotforget thatincreased transparency in
thework oftheWTO isanessential element intheachievement ofouroverall goals. Itisclearthat
thereisanaudience interested intheactivities oftheWTO. Aquick review oftheWTO Internet Site
statistics confirms this:animpressive record of30,000 hosts served from134countries forthemonth
ofOctober andavolume ofmaterial downloaded running atabout 10to11gigabytes (theequivalent
ofmillions ofpages) permonth. Without aninformed audience anddomestic support, ourobjectives
offurther liberalization andrule-making willbefarmore difficult, ifnotimpossible, toachieve.
Ourpresent approach withregard totransparency isuntenable; weneedonlylookatthenumber
ofnewspapersandotherpublicationsprintingWTOmaterialwhichisdesignatedasconfidential.Clearly,
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Page2
whatwearedoing hereinGeneva isofinterest toanever-wider range ofcivilsociety. Canada thinks
thatanimportant firststepinfacilitating inputintoeachMember 'sdomestic deliberations onimportant
issues would betoissue proposed agendas aspublic documents.
WithregardtoactivitiesinotherforawhichcreateasynergytothebenefitofallWTOMembers,
theprimacy oftheopen, rules-based multilateral trading system under theWTO wasreaffirmed during
theAPEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit which washeldinCanada inNovember of
thisyear. TheMinisters 'Joint Statement andtheEconomic Leaders 'Declaration, which havebeen
circulated toMembers1,highlighted theaction taken toaccelerate bytwoyears thetimetable forthe
identification ofsectors forearlyvoluntary liberalization. OurPrime Minister stated that"These bold
stepscreate apowerful example fortherestoftheworld asweprepare tocelebrate the50thAnniversary
oftheWTO".
Wearelooking forward totheup-coming Ministerial Conference andthe50thAnniversary.
Itwillbeanopportunity forustopaytribute tothegreat strides thatwehavetaken indeveloping an
integrated aswellasamore viable anddurable multilateral trading system. Weshould alsotakethis
opportunity tohaveafrank exchange ofviews onthedirections wewould liketotakeinthefuture.
Wewillallbenefit ifweexplore fully thevarious views regarding theimplementation ofWTO
commitments andthescope ofourfuture work.
TheMinisterial Conference andthe50thAnniversary willbeatimeforleaders toreflect on
howbesttoproceed inthefuture toensure thestrengthening ofthemultilateral trading system, so
that50years fromnowwewillbeabletolookbackwiththesame sense ofaccomplishment andpride
aswedonowatthelast50years.
Inmuch thesame wayastheUruguay Round wasbuiltontheachievements oftheGATT,
wemustcontinue tobuild onthework inprogress toprepare forfurther liberalization. AsourPrime
Minister saidattheconclusion oftheAPEC summit, "The goaloffreertrade ismore important now
thanever. Andwewillcontinue tomove ahead."
1WT/L/248 andWT/L/254, respectively.