00-0337 MOREPRESS RELEASE
PRESS/163/Rev.1*
27 January 2000
DG Moore Embarks on Consultations On Future WTO Work
WTO Director-General Mike Moore has held a series of consultations with Ministers and
Ambassadors from Member governments, in recent week s, in an effort designed to build confidence
and prepare the organization for future action.
"I've now spoken to several dozen Ministers since Seattle and can clearly see how we can get
momentum in Geneva."  Mr Mike Moore said "The WTO will in a business-like way, make
constructive efforts to produce realistic steps aimed at building confidence among Member
governments and the public at large.  We are comm itted to negotiations in agriculture and services,
sectors which cover over half the world's economy. We should address the market access problems ofthe poorest nations and seek to build their capacity to engage and contribute."
Mr Moore said it was imperative to address in an expeditious and realistic way, the very real
problems some countries have faced with implementing existing WTO agreements. The structure and
system of the WTO procedures must also be exam ined, Mr Moore said, to see what improvements can
be made.
"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.
Mr Moore began the New Year with a 9 January trip to India where he met Prime Minister
Vajpayee, Minister for Commerce and Industry. While in New Delhi Mr. Moore held meetings with
Ministers from South Africa, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
On 17-18 January, Mr Moore was in Brussels holding talks with Pascal Lamy, the European
Union Commissioner for Trade and the Secretariat of the ACP which represents African, Caribbean
and Pacific States.
Mr Moore held talks on 19-20 January with senior U.S. officials in Washington, including
US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Deputy
Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstat.
                                                     
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ENDThe Director-General also met with Kofi A nnan at the UN Headquarters in New York, and
shared ideas about development issues and common problems with the UN Secretary-General and the
heads of other agencies such as UNCTAD, the International Labour Organization and the UN
Development Programme.
While in Washington, Mr Moore met World Bank President Jim Wolfensohn, to discuss
issues of development and ways of making international organizations more responsive to the needs
of their shareholders, the people represented by the Member governments.
Mr Moore said each organization in the international community has a specific role to play in
lifting living standards for working families around the world and in assisting governments on matters
of development and economic growth.
"Our core business and principles remain as mandated by the Member Governments. 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,"Mr Moore said.
The Director-General said there will be intensive discussions in capitals and with Geneva-
based Ambassadors over the next few weeks directed at putting the WTO back on track with its
programme of work.
"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 seek to make the WTO more
responsive to the needs of Member governments.  We will focus on immediate needs of our Members
and build on that to prepare for the future.  Otherwise the world economy will suffer, the needs of thepoorer nations will continue to be ignored and growth, stagnate," he said.