JOB/GC/237  
 
24 July 2020  
(20-5127) Page: 1/3 
General Council  Original: English  
 
 
GENERAL COUNCIL - 15, 16 AND 17 JULY 202 0 
APPOINTMENT OF THE N EXT DIRECTOR -GENERAL  - MEETING WITH THE CANDIDATES  
_______________  
PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF T HE WORLD TRADE ORGAN IZATION BY 
H.E. YOO MYUNG -HEE 
16 JULY 2020  
I.  Introduction  
 
Thank you Mr Chairman, and all distinguished delegates for the invitation.  It is an honour to 
participate as a candidate in this select ion process, and to share with you my vision for the WTO.  
 
Call it a coincidence, but I was born in 1967, the year Korea acceded to the GATT, and I started my 
career in trade when the WTO was born in 1995. Over my lifetime, I personally witnessed Korea 
achieve remarkable growth, from a relatively impoverished country recovering from the ruins of war 
to one of the largest trading nations.  
 
But I do not say this as a boast. Quite the contrary. My career in trade has convinced me it was the 
open trading system  as represented by the WTO that gave Korea the opportunity to follow this 
development path.  
 
Korea as a country, and I as an individual owe a debt of gratitude to the GATT and the WTO for 
providing the tools and economic environment necessary for our devel opment. It is my firm 
commitment that all Members should have such opportunities regardless of their levels of 
development.  
 
My 25 year career in international trade has taught me that solid groundwork is the basis of an 
agreement, and political will is wh at closes the deal. I have dealt with both the technical details of 
agreements, as well as engaged in finalizing major trade agreements as Trade Minister. I believe 
my extensive experience and expertise will enable me to offer insights and creative solutio ns to 
restore and revitalize the WTO.  
 
When I came to Geneva in the early days of the WTO, there was optimism and excitement around 
the building. Despite many challenges, I am confident that the WTO will regain the hope and 
optimism. It would be a privileg e and great task of my life to have the opportunity to serve as 
Director -General, and to work with Members to ensure the continued viability, and vitality, of the 
multilateral trading system.  
 
II. Challenges Facing the WTO  
 
In voicing my confidence and optimism, I do not mean to downplay the challenges the WTO faces. 
Indeed, the WTO is at a crossroads, with the broader trade environment undergoing fundamental 
shifts and many questioning the relevance of the multilateral trading system.  
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  We are now witnessing the threat of growing protectionism, and heightened trade tensions. 
Technological advances are transforming the way we produce, deliver, and consume goods and 
services in ways never imagined when the WTO was created. The global crisis i nduced by the 
pandemic is challenging the WTO’s purpose of ensuring the smooth flow of goods and services.  
 
The WTO, which was intended to provide predictability and stability in these times of turbulence, is 
now facing a trust deficit with all three pilla rs under stress.  
 
Despite much good will and hard work, the record of negotiations in the WTO leaves much room to 
be desired. There has been progress, such as the adoption of the Bali and the Nairobi packages 
including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, but  we need to do much more to meet the challenges 
and realities of the 21st century. The stagnant negotiations have had negative consequences for all 
of the WTO’s functions, and, to some extent, contributed to the current problems facing the dispute 
settleme nt system.  
 
III. My Vision for the WTO  
 
Nonetheless, I am optimistic that the WTO can rise to meet these challenges. The pandemic has 
brought renewed commitment by Members to build a more robust international order. I believe the 
new Director -General shoul d be pro -active, bringing energy and creativity to this effort.  
 
My goal is to make the WTO more relevant , resilient, and responsive .  
 
The WTO needs to keep evolving to become more relevant to changing economic circumstance and 
realities. The WTO needs to  enhance sustainability and inclusiveness to remain resilient  as a 
champion of open trade for the next 25 years and beyond. And the WTO needs to be more 
responsive  to global challenges and contingencies for the benefit of all of its Members.  
 
IV. Tasks Ahe ad 
 
These general ambitions will have to be translated into concrete actions to have real impact. Let me 
address just a few that I see as top priorities: MC12, WTO reform, and sustainable development.  
 
First, the 12th Ministerial Conference.  
 
MC12 will be a critical milestone  of Members’ ability to deliver results and set the agenda for the 
future. The new Director -General must help make it a success in order to build trust in the WTO.  
 
A successful outcome on fisheries subsidies will demonstrate the cre dibility of the WTO and its ability 
to contribute to global objectives on sustainable development. It will also provide the world with the 
benefits for trade and environmental sustainability. I will do everything I can to support these 
negotiations and bri ng them swiftly to a successful conclusion, for endorsement by Ministers at 
MC12.  
 
Electronic commerce is also an area in which we should work towards tangible outcomes. The COVID -
19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of  this issue. A comprehensive agreement by next 
summer may be ambitious, but I think we can take some concrete steps and lay out the path forward 
for post -MC12 work.  
 
We also need to see real progress on development issues. This should always be an importa nt part 
of every Ministerial Conference, but I think it is even more important in MC12 due to the impact of 
the pandemic on world trade, growth, and global value chains. The Organization should seek to take 
real steps that can help Members, especially the most vulnerable, deal with this on -going health and 
economic emergency.  
 
Second priority task, WTO Reform.  
 
I am well aware of the proposals that Members have put forward on WTO reform. I also know how 
sensitive these issues can be to individual Members. A  high degree of trust among Members must 
be the starting point in exploring cooperative solutions.  
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  All three pillars of the WTO need to work hand in hand to maintain a healthy and well -functioning 
multilateral trading system.  
 
First, we need to update th e rule -books and deliver agreements with real economic impact. Progress 
at MC12 will show that the WTO can address the real world problems societies and businesses face. 
I believe any agenda items that reflect the founding principles of trade liberalizatio n and 
development in a balanced manner can be put on the table for discussion.  
 
Another urgent, pressing issue is restoring the dispute settlement system. We need a stable and 
fully-functioning dispute settlement system which would effectively contribute to the prompt and 
satisfactory resolution of the disputes. I will act as an honest broker to facilitate constructive 
discussions to find an effective and permanent solution.  
 
Implementation of agreements and increased transparency are also important elemen ts of reform. 
The TBT and the SPS committees show how much we can achieve by meeting high standards of 
transparency to avoid unnecessary trade disputes from arising. Of course, specific means to achieve 
such objectives should take into consideration the ca pacity and needs of Members, commensurate 
with their level of development.  
 
Third, inclusive Trade and Sustainable Development.  
 
WTO reform should not be a goal in and of itself, but an instrument to promote economic prosperity 
and better living standards for all of its Members. To this end, the WTO should pursue inclusive trade 
initiatives encompassing overall development issues, as well as specific, cross -cutting issues such 
as MSMEs, women’s economic empowerment, and environment.  
 
Among others, we should  deepen our efforts to help developing countries, especially LDCs, secure 
a larger share in the growth in international trade. We should fully implement what has been agreed 
for LDCs and strengthen our technical assistance and capacity building programs. F urther, while 
maintaining a central role for the WTO in seeking these important values, I will support cooperation 
with other international organizations in a proactive and forthcoming manner. This will help broaden 
the available resources and multilateral commitment to achieving Members’ goals.  
 
V. How I See the Role of the Director -General  
 
The Director -General should bring optimism and also vision based on realism to the job. More 
importantly, the Director -General must enjoy the confidence of Members to rebuild trust in the 
Organization. To do so, the Director -General has to be an effective, trusted, and informed facilitator 
and a person who knows how and when to act to help achieve consensus and agreement.  
 
Of course, all this will require a close and harmonious working relationship with you, Ambassadors, 
as well as your Trade Ministers back home. The WTO is, and will remain, a Member -driven 
Organization. We can only achieve our goals if we work together. M y door will always be open. My 
phone will always be answered. I will be available whenever I am needed.  
 
The WTO has an excellent Secretariat, and I will lead in a supportive and positive manner to keep 
attracting talented and ambitious professionals from around the world. I will actively support cross -
cutting projects and transparency to support new initiatives, but at the same time to help breathe 
life into longstanding work programs. I will come to work every day enthused and energized  and I 
will seek a Secretariat that does so as well.  
 
I would like to close by recalling where I began this talk. I owe a great deal to the multilateral trading 
system represented by the WTO. To be given the opportunity to serve as Director -General of the 
WTO would be a tremendous honor and privilege. Should I be chosen to become the next Director -
General I will give the job everything I have, all my time, my energy, and my hopes to make the 
WTO more relevant, resilient, and responsive. Thank you very much.  
 
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