. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/10 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6059) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009  
 
  
ADDRESS BY MR. PASCAL LAMY 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL 
 
"Unity is Strength
" 
   The year 2009 will go down in history as a mo ment of great global insecurity. Millions of 
citizens lost their jobs.  Many more lost their sav ings.  Many of the development gains of the last 
decades vanished.  
  But at the same time we saw nations coming t ogether as never before.  The world united to 
find a response to the global economic crisis.    The multilateral trading system has also been t ested as never before.  It has stood firm and 
showed its value. 
  Though trade has contracted, the WTO's rules and commitments have ensured that there was 
no general rush to protectionist measures.  As  long as Members continue to follow responsible 
policies at home, the WTO system should continue  to provide a global insurance policy against 
protectionism.  
  The WTO system can also be an important plank in the platform for recovery.  Getting trade moving again and keeping trading opportunities open is vital to the progress of all our Members, 
especially the poorest.  This is why we have worked hard with other stakeholders on trade finance to 
counter shortfalls in liquidity which im peril the trade of developing countries. 
 
 The value of the WTO dispute settlement system has also been highlighted by the crisis.  The 
ability to resolve trade disputes peacefully, withou t resorting to uncontrolled retaliation, is a huge 
asset that our forbears lacked in previous economic crises.  
 The WTO is you, the 153 Members.  You have subscribed to the principles of advancing and 
defending open trade within a non-discriminatory and transparent framework.  At Doha, you also agreed to put development at the heart of the multilateral trading system.     You are united in the belief that trade can cont ribute to sustainable development in the widest 
sense.  That it can generate growth.  That it can help provide decent jobs.  That trade can be a 
powerful tool for developing countries to fight poverty.     But trade in itself is not a magic potion.  For tr ade to work, it has to be rooted in a bedrock of 
domestic policies that enable its potential gains to be realised.  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. 
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   And the WTO is more than a forum for agreeing on market opening and rules.  It is also about 
ensuring that our existing rules and agreements wo rk properly.  It is about settling our disputes 
peacefully.  It is about furthering coherence with ot her policy priorities, starting with climate change.  
It is about making the case for a more open trade.  It is about capacity building.  
 These are all part of the insurance policy to which you have collectively subscribed in the 
WTO.  And while the crisis has proved the value of th is policy, it has also shown that it needs to be 
adjusted to changing risks.  You will be sharing views on this issue over the next days and providing 
guidance for our work.  
 The single largest adjustment we need to ma ke is to conclude the Doha Round successfully 
and soon.  This is not just about its economic be nefits, it is also about our collective ability and 
determination to preserve and strengthen the glob al public good, which is the multilateral trading 
system.    
 There is more than eight years' work on th e negotiating table.  This is already a major 
storehouse of assets.  It contains trade-offs that you have all fought hard for, compromises you have 
crafted, interests you have protected.  Of course th e final balance needs to be  found, and there is still 
hard negotiating ahead.  Time is running out, and it is not credible at this stage to see issues in 
isolation from the work and the achievements of the past eight years.  
 The moment of truth is fast approaching wh en you will have to decide whether the 2010 
target can be met.  Political leaders are practica lly unanimous that they want to meet it, but 
reaffirmation is not enough.  Now we need acti on, concrete and practical action, to close the 
remaining gaps.  
 The Round occupies centre stage in our minds, as it should; but other necessary updates to our 
collective WTO insurance policy must not be overlooke d.  We need to improve the ways in which we 
maintain our existing agreements.  We also need to do more to help improve the trade capacity of 
developing and least-developed countries.    Updating our collective WTO insurance policy includes extending its coverage.  This means 
giving more attention to enlarging the WTO fam ily through accessions, attention both from Members 
and from those working to become Members.  There may be no short cuts, but we should all work to 
see accessions move steadily and positively.   A Chinese proverb says " Zhong Zhi Cheng Cheng": Unity is Strength.  My sincere hope is 
that we follow these words of wisdom.  That we come  out of the next few days stronger, more united 
and with a clear determination to conclude the Round in 2010.   Good luck and thank you for your attention.  
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