WORLD TRADE WT/GC(97)/ST/1
25February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0778)
Original: French GENERAL COUNCIL
7February 1997
STATEMENT BYH.E. MR.W.ROSSIER
CHAIRMAN OFTHE GENERAL COUNCIL
Today 'smeeting oftheGeneral Council isthelastthatIwillhavethehonour tochair, and
Iwould therefore liketosayafewwords onthisoccasion.
1996 wasaneventful yearfortheWTO. While 1995 wastheyearoftheestablishment of
theOrganization 'sstructures andmechanisms, 1996wastheyearofthefirstMinisterial Conference.
Itwasalsoayearinwhich wetookother important steps, suchastheconclusion oftheAgreement
between theWTO, theInternational Monetary Fund andtheWorld Bank. Together, wehavebeen
successful; andabove allwemade theSingapore Ministerial Conference asuccess, asuccess forthe
Organization andalsofortheRepublic ofSingapore. Once again, theworld trading system embodied
bytheGATT andnowbytheWTO hasshown thatitisamechanism ofinternational cooperation that
enables itsMembers toriseabove theirdifferences ofinterest forthebenefit ofthecommon interest
ofsteadily improved international cooperation -evenifthisresult isusually obtained atthecostof
anextraordinarily difficult negotiating process.
Ladies andgentlemen, weareallaware thatsome ofusmade aspecial contribution tothe
WTO during thisimportant year1996. Ishould likebriefly topaytribute tothem, atribute asbrief
asitissincere. Firstofalltothose among uswhoagreed tochair theOrganization 'sworking bodies,
which washardly abedofroses foranyofthem.
Butthere aretwoother persons towhom Ishould alsoliketoconvey myverywarm thanks.
ThefirstisourDirector-General, Renato Ruggiero.
During 1996, theDirector-General andtheChairman oftheGeneral Council worked together
inclose andintense collaboration. Thefactthatwepulled inthesame direction enabled us,together
withthedelegations, tocopewiththecountless difficulties thatarose inthecourse oftheyear.
Iwasimpressed bythespirit offrank andopencooperation thatreigned atalltimes between
theDirector-General andmyself, even, andperhaps especially, during themostdifficult moments of
thenegotiating process.
Ithank you,Mr.Director-General, forthisextraordinary spirit ofcooperation. Youarenot
onlyanefficient Director-General fortheOrganization. Youarealsoafriend andagentleman, with
whom itisapleasure towork. Thank you,Renato.
Ijoininthistribute theDeputy Director-Generals, ofcourse, aswellastheother Members
oftheSecretariat, boththose whoareclose -suchasMr.Barthel-Rosa andMr.Modoran -andthose
whoarelessso.
There isoneperson towhom theWTO andtheSingapore Ministerial Conference owealarge
measure oftheirsuccess. Iamspeaking ofAmbassador Kesavapany, theAmbassador ofSingapore.WT/GC(97)/ST/1
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After having chaired thePreparatory Committee andtheGeneral Council, hecontinued toexert his
talents ofremarkable persuasiveness throughout theyearoftheSingapore Ministerial Meeting, tothe
verygreat benefit ofusall.Ihaveoften wondered howhedidit.There mustbeasecret toitthat
Istillhopetopenetrate.
Thank you,Ambassador Kesavapany, foryourfriendship, foryourcontribution tothework
oftheOrganization, andinparticular foryourcontribution tothesuccess oftheSingapore Ministerial
Conference. Youhaveourverybestwishes forthefuture ofyourcareer, asIunderstand thatyou
willshortly beleaving us.
*****
Ladies andgentlemen, 1996wasnotonlyayearofsuccesses. Italsobrought tolightanumber
ofrisksthatwehavetocontrol, andweaknesses thatwehavetoremedy. Ithinkthattherearefourareas
towhich weought topayspecial attention:
1. Firstofallthereistheexercise ofconsensus. Theprinciple ofconsensus isourOrganization 's
bedrockprinciple.Thisdemocraticprincipleisthefoundationofthesuccessoftheworldtrading
system embodied bytheWTO, foritiswhatguarantees thattheoutcome ofnegotiations will
bepolitically acceptable forallMembers. Thus, itiswhatessentially guarantees thecredibility
ofthesystem.
Sofar,theresults wehaveachieved show thattheadvantages ofthisprinciple faroutweigh
theproblems raised byitsapplication. Thishasbeenthecasebecause untilnowallMembers
haverefrained fromresorting tothisprinciple tohinder theadvances ofthemultilateral trading
system. AstheWTO isamore complex instrument ofcooperation thantheGATT, withthe
areas ofcooperation intheWTO themselves becoming increasingly complex, thepractice of
consensus isalsobecoming more difficult. ItwillbevitalforWTO Members toensure that
consensus remains aninstrument ofprogress ofthesystem anddoesnotbecome atoolfor
blocking it.Asaresult theOrganization willremain whatitmustbe:anOrganization whose
action issupported byallitsMembers.
2. Secondly, theWTO prides itselfonbeing anefficient Organization. Itmostcertainly isefficient,
andoneofthemain reasons forthisliesinakeyfactor itinherited from theGATT:
pragmatism. LiketheGATT, theWTO hassofargiven littleroom toconsiderations ofa
purely political nature initsactions. Even ifitisanintergovernmental Organization -and
thuscannot hopetobeentirely aloof from political contingencies -theWTO isacontractual
Organization based onlawaswellasonrights andobligations freely negotiated among its
Members. Such anOrganization cannot allow politics tobecome adominant element ofits
action.
Regional orsubregional distribution, tomention butoneaspect, cannot takeuptoomuch room
inthework ofourOrganization, which restsonother foundations. Butthedanger canalso
takeother forms, asweknow, suchasanundermining ofmultilateralism.
3. Thirdly, wealsohavetobring about abetter integration ofalldeveloping countries inthework
oftheOrganization andintheimplementation oftheagreements, andthisapplies inparticular
totheleastdeveloped countries. Forthispurpose wewillhavetoprovide them withgreater
technical support which isbetter targeted. Butwewillalsohavetoexercise greater discipline
intheOrganization andconduct ofourformal andinformal meetings. Inmyopinion, weshould
nowgobeyondthestageofstatementsofintentandadoptspecificandmorebindingcoordination
measures forourworking bodies, modelled onwhatwedidforbudget contributions. IthinkWT/GC(97)/ST/1
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thisproblem isevengreater thantheimportant problem ofintegrating thedeveloping countries.
Itisanessential requirement forthesound management oftheresources oftheOrganization
anditsMember States.
4. Lastly, Member States should alsobearinmind thatthesound management oftheresources
made available totheOrganization alsoinvolves theestablishment ofanindependent secretariat
functioning inaccordance withmodern management methods andnotonthebasisofprinciples
thatdatebackhalfacentury andweredesigned forother organizations. Ihavenodoubt that
theOrganization thatmanages theworld trading system intheflood-tide ofeconomic
globalization iscapable ofcreating, managing andkeeping thorough control overthecosts
ofaSecretariat thatisindependent, modern andefficient because itismotivated.
*****
Ladies andgentlemen, Ihavetaken greatpersonal satisfaction fromhaving beenabletoserve
Member States asChairman oftheGeneral Council in1996. Iamhappy tohavebeenabletocount
atalltimes onyourconfidence andontheefficient support oftheSecretariat indischarging myduties.
Iwarmly congratulate mysuccessor onhiselection, andwishhimthesame confidence and
support.