WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/GC(99)/ST/3
29 April 1999
(99-1739)
General Council
14 April 1999
PARTING STATEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE WTO
H. E. MR. RENATO RUGGIERO
AND STATEMENTS BY DELEGATIONS
AT THE GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING ON 14 APRIL 1999WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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PARTING STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. R. RUGGIERO, DIRECTOR-GENERAL
OF THE WTO, TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL ON 14 APRIL 1999
Mr. Chairman, colleagues, friends,
In two weeks I shall be leaving the WTO and I am grateful to you for giving me the
opportunity to address to the General Council a few remarks of farewell and appreciation.
Let me begin by thanking you all for the support, the co-operation and the friendship I have
received during my time here.  It has been a privilege to serve as Director-General and I am proud of
what this Organization has accomplished.  When I came here the WTO was four months old; the
atmosphere was one of hope, but also of sceptici sm, where every issue was considered "a test of
credibility".  Now, after more than four years, I believe we are entitled to look back together on a
record of solid achievement – even if it reminds us how much there is still to do.
I would like all of you to reflect that what we have in the WTO is something very important
and unique.  Firstly, this is an organization based on consensus, a consensus which is negotiated here
and approved and ratified by governments.  This operating principle of ours is at the heart of theWTO's strength.  Unlike a voting situation, all the combined negotiating energy is directed towards
finding an agreement based on inclusiveness, not on one side dominating the other.
Secondly, we have the non-discrimination principle.  The world would have been a far
different – and a worse – place if MFN treatment had not been at the core of the trading system for the
last fifty years.  Certainly the application of the principle has been less than perfect.  But I am pleased
that in the WTO's brief history thus far MFN has been reinforced as a fundamental element of the
rule-based system.
It is also fundamental to the concept of a set of trade negotiations as a single undertaking, a
concept that I believe has also become one of the secrets of the WTO's success.  It should remain so in
the future, provided three necessary elements of flexibility can be maintained.  The first is a
conscientious application of special and differential treatment for developing countries wherever it
applies; the second is to ensure that our technical co-operation effort is adequate – and financed
mainly through the regular WTO budget; and the third is a negotiating device that has been used latelyin Basic Telecommunications, Financial Services and the Information Technology Agreement – the
concept of the critical mass as an aid to reaching agreements coupled with MFN application of their
results.
This combination of equality in commitments  with flexibility in implementation is the
foundation of the WTO's success in building a respected and credible system which has strengthened
the rule of law in international system.
The attention that the WTO dispute settlement system now receives from the world at large is
evidence of its importance and its relevance, and this  can only increase as trade issues intersect more
frequently with other public concerns.  Everyone recognizes, at the dawn of the third millennium, that
the rule of law must become the main pillar of  an improved management of our globalizing world.
The system's record in these four years is impressive: 168 cases initiated, of which 20 per cent
have so far been settled out of court.  The average time for completion of disputes cases, including theadoption of the report, is 13 months - which compares  favourably with other systems.  Of course, like
any of our works, it can always be improved, and that is the purpose of the Dispute Settlement
Understanding review currently under way.  I shoul d also underline the importance I attach to the
proposed legal centre for developing countries - I think this would make a valuable contribution to
improving equality of access to the system in practice.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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Mr. Chairman, I will not add to the pressure on the Council's agenda by a lengthy review of
our other accomplishments together in these four years.  Let me just recall some of the highlights:
• We have held two successful Ministerial Conferences, concluded with applause from
delegations.
• We have commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the multilateral trading system,
with the participation of Heads of States and Government from all regions, the first time a trade
meeting has taken place at such a level.
• The growing rôle of our institution in the management of the world economy has also
been recognized by invitations to participate in  Summit meetings of the G8, the G15, the Summit of
the Americas and Mercosur, as well as many ministerial-level meetings.
• Major negotiations to liberalize trade in basic telecoms, financial services and
information technology - equal in importance to a major trade round - have been successfully
concluded.
• We have organized a high-level meeting for the least-developed countries which is
bearing fruit in practical action.  In particular it saw the launching of an integrated programme of
technical assistance with other organizations and initiated a programme to install Internet links
between all least-developed countries and the WTO in Geneva.
• An impressive series of symposia have been held, bringing together delegations and
interested parties from outside the WTO to exchange views.  The most recent and most notable, on
trade and the environment and trade and development, were high-level events which brought together850 people over four days - including 130 non-governmental organizations.
• Cooperation agreements with the UN, the World Bank, the IMF and the WIPO have
helped bring about a greatly improved cooperative relationship with these bodies, as well as our close
friends at UNCTAD, for the benefit of the WTO's membership.
• We have taken a new departure in the WTO's relations with civil society, through
improvements in transparency and dialogue - and not least a highly successful and expandingWebsite.
• The WTO Secretariat has been established under its own terms and conditions,
answerable directly to this Organization's Members.
This is far from being an exhaustive list, and I am sure you will agree it is one in which we
can all take pride.  And yet this Organization faces some public criticism and misunderstanding.  We
have already agreed that what we need is a major effort to improve our information policy so that the
real purpose and values of this Organization can be justly appreciated by public opinion.
But a large part of the problem, I am sure, lies in the tremendous pressure that the advance of
globalization is putting on this and all other international systems.  This pressure now goes well
beyond trade and capital movements.  It is about a growing awareness of our interdependence fostered
by new communications and computer technology, an interdependence which is no longer just a
matter for economists but rather a question of the human dimension.
The WTO can and must play its part in the process of adapting our institutions to a new
global reality. Clearly this Organization cannot drift away from its trade vocation;  it would serve
neither the WTO nor other causes if we were to pretend we can offer answers to every non-tradeWT/GC(99)/ST/3
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issue.  Specific responses must be found for specific problems.  But equally clearly the WTO cannot
operate in isolation from the concerns of the world in which it exists.  Reconciling these interests will,
I suggest, be one of the major challenges facing the WTO in the future.
This means, as I said on Monday in my last public speech as Director-General, that we need
to look at the policy challenges we face as pieces of an interconnected puzzle.  In that speech which is
annexed to this statement, I have proposed a new forum which would bring world leaders together to
tackle an expanded policy agenda and the new challenges of globalization.  Such an initiative must be
linked to a common strategy - among international institutions, national administrations, civil society
- for strengthening the international rule of law and working together on shared problems such as
poverty eradication and protection of the environment.  It should also be a common strategy for
eliminating the greatest part of global trade barriers - at least reflecting on a multilateral level whatgovernments have already agreed in regional arrangements.
I believe the time has come - at the end of the second millennium and the beginning to the
third - to promote this initiative at future meetings of world leaders.  The Millennium Summit,
recently decided upon by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and which was the occasion ofa great consultation of the Heads of all international agencies here in Geneva, could be the appropriate
occasion to improve the global architecture we need for managing globalization.
The immediate tasks ahead of the WTO are onerous ones - preparing for a very important
Ministerial, launching new negotiations and ensuring that they have a balanced agenda, takingaccount of concerns about the implementation of existing commitments.  I am confident that the
Organization is more than equal to them.  I would like to commend in particular the Secretariat,
whose hard work, commitment and integrity has been  of immense value to me and to the Members
during these four years.  I know it will continue to be  so.  I would also like to pay particular tribute to
the interpreters, who lend us their voices.
Lastly, let me thank you all once more, and especially you, Mr. Chairman, and your
distinguished predecessors in your important position.  I am leaving with the sadness that is inevitable
when one leaves friends, but also with a sense of satisfaction at what we have done together.  You can
count on me to be a strong supporter and advocate of the WTO as it goes on to even greater success in
the future.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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ANNEX
"BEYOND THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM"
ADDRESS BY RENATO RUGGIERO, DIRECTOR-GENERAL WTO
20TH SEMINAR ON INTERNATIONAL SECURITY, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
INSTITUT POUR LES HAUTES ETUDES INTERNATIONALES
GENEVA, 12 APRIL 1999
Thank you for your kind welcome.  It is particularly appropriate for me to be delivering my
last public speech as WTO Director-General to this prestigious institution - an institution which hasnot only been a good neighbour, but a very good friend and collaborator for many years.
Four years ago I was asked to head the newly created World Trade Organization – the first
new international institution of the post-Cold War era.  It was a great privilege, and I can truthfully
say this has been the most challenging and rewardin g chapter of my career.  As I approach the end of
my term, I want to take the opportunity to reflect on the WTO's relevance to the emerging
international system.  What are its larger implicatio ns?  And what role can we play, along with other
international institutions, in developing a coherent approach to globalization?
Not too long ago the idea of a global system of governance would have seemed utopian – no
less utopian than the fall of the Berlin Wall without a war or the creation of single European currency.
Cold-War rivalries, ideological conflicts, North-S outh differences – all created an international system
that was defined by its divisions, not by its shared interests.
The trend in today's international system is very different.  All around us, and across many
issues, we feel more and more the need for global cooperation, multilateral agreements, and the
international rule of law.  The WTO's emergence as a leading rule-maker in the global economy is a
powerful example of this trend – but it is not alone.  From human rights, to climate change, to capital
flows – our globalizing world demands global solutions.  And these solutions must increasingly be based
on shared agreements and rules.
If the Cold War system was shaped by the clash of ideology, this new system is being shaped by
the convergence of trade, capital, technology, information, ideas.  If the challenge of the old order was
to manage a divided world, the challenge of the new order is to manage an interdependent one.
Ethnic conflicts, destructive nationalisms, violations of basic human rights – these tragedies have
certainly not disappeared from our world, as Kosovo, Sierra Leone, or Rwanda brutally remind us.  Butthey are even more unacceptable today because they  clash so starkly with the underlying spirit and
assumptions of our global age.  In 1999 we find ourse lves between two realitie s:  Between the logic of
global cooperation – the need for a global system - and the counter-pressures of nationalism, isolationism,
separatism.  Between the divisions and horrors of the 20
th century, and the global promise of the century
that lies ahead.
I will argue today that our progress in resolving these new tensions will hinge on our ability not
just to build a coherent global architecture, but to build a new political constituency for globalization,
backed by a new vision of internationalism.
This emerging global system is very new, but the vision behind it dates back 50 years.  The
postwar architects were guided by a central idea - that a durable international peace could only be built on
the foundations of interdependence.  In their vision, economic freedom – free markets, free trade, the
free movement of goods, capital and ideas – was a prerequisite for political and social freedoms
around the world.  Trade would lead to shared prosperity, a shared commitment to stability, and help toprevent the resurgence of economic nationalism and protectionism which had done so much to fuelWT/GC(99)/ST/3
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conflict.  Underpinning all this was a belief that the rule of law - not the rule of power – was the only
rational basis for civilised discourse among nations.
Fifty years on, our globalizing world of falling barriers, rising trade, borderless technologies, and
widening circles of interdependence is in many ways fulfilling that postwar vision.  Trade has expandedfourteen-fold since 1950 while production has grown six-fold.  A quarter of the world's output is now
traded – compared to just seven per cent in 1950.  Over a trillion dolla rs moves around the planet
every day.
But this new world is about much more that trade or capital flows.  We are increasingly
linked together by travel, communications, culture, and ideas, as well as by trade, services and
investment.  Television, mobile phones, and the Internet are erasing the barriers, not just betweeneconomies, but between people - allowing us to see and understand how interconnected we are.
Globalization is transforming international relations, not just our economies.  And this new system
requires us all to adapt.
The WTO was created in 1995 to be a pillar of this globalizing world.  Our goal was an
ambitious one – to build a universal trading system bringing together all economies under one
institutional roof and one set of rules, while preserving special and differential treatment for developing
countries.  So far the WTO has moved substantially towards these ambitions.  We now have 134
members, four-fifths of which are developing or  transition economies.  An additional 32 candidates
are negotiating to join, including the former cold warriors Russia and China.  The goal of havingChina - and a good number of other accession candidates – as full members of our organization this
year remains a vital one for the future of our system.
We have brought some of the most advanced sectors of the world economy into the system,
with sweeping agreements in information technologies, telecommunications and financial services –underlining the reality that multilateralism, rather th an regionalism, offers the most viable answer to
globalized trade.  We have improved our relations with other international institutions, in particular
with UNCTAD, the IMF, the World Bank, and the United Nations.  We have opened up many of our
own procedures to make this system more transparent.  Most important, we have established a binding
dispute settlement mechanism which is not only used by a growing numbers of countries – large and
small – but is respected by them as well.
Together with our two successful Ministerial Conferences; the 50
th anniversary celebration
involving world leaders from all regions and backgrounds; a High Level Meeting to help integrate the
least-developed countries into the trading system; a new Internet link between these countries and
WTO headquarters in Geneva;  our recent High-Level Symposia on Trade and the Environment and
Trade and Development to build a new relationship with civil society – these and other initiativesunderline how far the trading system has adapted to the reality of globalization.
But while the new WTO is an essential part of the answer to globalization, it is not sufficient.
More and more, we are facing issues and concerns which go beyond the parameters of trade.  More and
more, globalization is raising a whole new set of questions about how to manage interdependence.  Canwe have an open world economy without a stable financial system?  How to protect endangered species
and promote sustainable development?  Should trade be linked to labour standards and human rights?
Can we preserve cultural identities in age of borderless communications?  And what about poverty
eradication, reducing inequalities, and promoting the rights of women?
These and other questions underline how integration is blurring the lines between domestic and
global concerns.  All appear inter-linked – many facets of a single issue – to our publics.  Each one will
get louder and more insistent in an age when the images of ethnic cleansing, starving children, or burning
rainforests come into our homes every evening via television.  They will rightly demand answers.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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My point is that we are moving into a very different world from the one which existed before
the fall of the Berlin Wall.  In fact we already find ourselves in the 3rd millennium.  It is a world
shaped by globalism, technology and cyberspace, and where we can no longer rely on our old policy
tools and our old approaches.  Events are passing us by.  Today we need to respond to the challenges
before us with the same vision and imagination that inspired the post-war architects 50 years ago.  Iwould like to suggest what I believe are some of the fundamental prerequisites:
First, we must move towards a more collective leadership – one that reflects the reality of a
multipolar world, and especially the emergence of  new developing-country powers.  This does not
mean that the G-7/G-8 is suddenly any less important.  It means simply that the advanced economies
alone are no longer enough to provide international leadership.  The new G-22 – even if it is only at
the level of finance ministers – is already indicative of the kind of broader international leadership weneed.
Collective leadership also means that the nature of leadership must change:  In an
interdependent world, leadership is the art of cooperation and consensus.  It is about defining common
goals and interests, rather than a common enemy.
Second, we need to look at the policy challenges we face as pieces of an interconnected puzzle.
We can no longer treat human rights, the environment, development, trade, health, or finance as separate
sectoral issues, to be addressed through separate policies and institutions.  Both nationally and
internationally, we need to give more thought to how we coordinate our policy goals, harmonize anexpanding web of international agreements, and commit ourselves to agreed common actions.  As we
enter a new century, we need a new vision of security – human security – which reflects the reality that
financial crises or environmental degradation are equally threatening to the global peace – and
demand an equally collective response.
Third, we need a new forum for the management of these complex issues:  One that is truly
representative of the new global realities. One which brings world leaders together to tackle an expanded
policy agenda and the new challenges of globalization.  I believe the time has come – at the end of the
second millennium and the beginning of the third - to promote this initiative at future meetings of world
leaders.  The Millennium Summit, recently decided upon by the General Assembly of the United Nations,
could be the appropriate occasion to improve the global architecture we need for managing globalization.
Last but not least, we need a clear mandate from the world's leaders to promote a common
global strategy and common global actions.  A common strategy – among international institutions,
national administrations, civil society – for strengthening the international rule of law, eradicating
poverty and reducing world-wide inequalities within a set period of time.  A common strategy to
achieve a sustainable environment – in developing and developed countries alike.  A common strategyto eliminate the greatest part of global trade barriers – at least reflecting on a multilateral level, what
governments have already agreed in regional arrangements.  This strategy must be focused on people
and values - more than governments - harnessing interdependence and globalization to address today's
challenges.  An annual report to the world's leaders should indicate the progress we have made
towards meeting these common goals.
The choice we face is certainly not between this new global system and national sovereignty.
On the contrary, greater global cooperation, strong international organizations, and consensus-based
multilateral rules only extend sovereignty beyond borders. In today's interdependent world it is only
by remaining isolated – by turning away from international cooperation – that countries surrendertheir sovereignty.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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I began by saying that we find ourselves in a new international system – one called
globalization and this new international system requires a new way of looking at the world – new
approaches, new institutions, a new mental landscape.
Our globalizing world must be more than a slogan or a vague expression of shared sentiment.
We need first to identify new global values which can be shared by our global community in these
changing times.  We need to make a real collective commitment to working together, and show a
willingness to respect the concerns and interests of others.  We need a realistic appraisal of what can
be achieved together - based on workable proposals and multilateral approaches. And we need a new
vision of internationalism – backed by a new political determination to defend it.
We cannot expect international cooperation, but then resist interference in our domestic affairs.
We cannot assert the international rule of law, only if it mirrors our rules and our laws.  We cannot create
international institutions, only to deny them the resources or authority they need to work.
As this century draws to a close, we are no longer threatened by a Cold War nuclear
confrontation.  The new global threat is hunger, poverty, ignorance, inequalities, unemployment,human rights violations, the prospect of environmental collapse.  And yet we also live at a time when
mankind has reached a level of material, technolog ical, and human progress unmatched in history –
when we are all moving into a new world of unprecedented opportunities opened up by the end of the
Cold War and the revolutionary power of new technologies.
The fusion of computers and telecommunications is linking the world's people together,
improving access to health care and education regardless of geography and distance.  The reach of
satellites and mobile phones - into even the most remote villages - is not only reducing physical
marginalization, but can make the difference between life and death. With electronic commerce we
are opening up the opportunity for every nation and every person to be part of a world market for theirservices, their products, their ideas.
There are many criticisms of this globalizing world and the voices of concern often seem to
prevail over messages of opportunity.  But no one offers a rational alternative to the main challenge of
our time which is to improve the management of this interdependent world – not refuse it.  Let us
have no doubt about the nature of the debate.  The choice is between working together to solve our
global problems, or rebuilding walls – going back to a world more divided, not more united, where inplace of greater freedom and solidarity, we would find nationalism and racism flourishing.  Is this the
alternative world we want?
Our generation has witnessed three extraordinary events which have shown how utopias can
become dreams and dreams can become realities.  We have seen the fall of the Berlin Wall – and theend of Soviet domination in Central and Eastern Europe - without a war.  We have seen Western Europe
transformed from a devastated and divided continent into a unified community of nations through trade,
economic, monetary, and increasingly political integration.  We are now seeing the rise of a world trading
system – rules-based, not power-based – at a time when the call for an improved system of international
governance is more and more insistent.
Let us not be afraid to dream again as we build a global system for the third millennium.  Thank
you.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. A. MCHUMO (TANZANIA)
CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
I would like to take this opportunity to expr ess to the Director-General, Renato Ruggiero, my
deepest appreciation for his moving parting statement and for his outstanding contribution to the
strengthening of the multilateral trading system, the WTO institution and the Secretariat.  I am sure
that all of you share this high appreciation and achievement for the Director-General.  During the term
of office of Mr. Rentato Ruggiero, the WTO recorded a number of significant achievements which
would not have been possible without his leadershi p, political vision and determination.  The WTO is
now one of the most important international organizations and has a highly qualified and independent
Secretariat.  Those of us who have had the privilege of working closely with Rentato Ruggiero aregrateful to him for his invaluable assistance, cooperation and friendship.  We wish him all the best in
his future activities.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. JOHN WEEKES
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL IN 1998
This is an occasion of personal sadness for me to see a man who has done so much for this
institution on the verge of departing from our midst.  There are a number of things I would like to say.
First of all, I was reminded as I listened to the Director-General a few moments ago of the letter
which he sent us after last year's Ministerial Conference informing us of his intention to step down at
the end of April 1999.  In that letter he indicated th at until that time he would continue to give every
ounce of his energy to the service of this organization and I think he has definitely been true to his
word.  In March we had two high-level meetings to which he referred in his remarks, and indeed eventoday and earlier this week he is coming forwar d with new proposals and new ideas that will be
important to carry forward in the period ahead. One of the things which has particularly marked this
four-year period has been the growth of the realization that we live in a world in which globalization
has become a reality.  I agree with the Director-General's analysis that when we started the WTO
there was a sense of hope but also a sense of scepticism.  People were not certain whether this neworganization would really work, and whether the negotiations we were committed to continuing as a
result of the Uruguay Round would actually be brought to successful conclusions.  A large part of the
credit for bringing these negotiations to successful  conclusions and turning this fledgling organization
into one with strong roots rests with our Direct or-General and I would like to commend him for that.
I think also that the Director-General has been ou tstanding in communicating what the objectives and
goals of this organization are, not only to us here in Geneva, but throughout the world and to our
publics, and this has been most valuable.  In particular he has tried to reach out to those who have felt
marginalized, and not only those within developed country societies, but also and perhaps even more
importantly to the disadvantaged Members of this organization in a way which has endeavoured to
bring them closer into the family that we have in th is house.  I think in particular of the idea proposed
by the Director-General at the Lyon Summit of duty-free treatment for the least-developed countries,
an idea that we are still struggling to bring to full fruition.  But this was a good example of the kind of
leadership we have come to expect from him.  Since a number of other people wish to speak, let me
end by saying that some of the research that was undertaken on my behalf in preparation of this
statement brought to light a little-known seventeenth century opera called "The Liberation of
Ruggiero".  Those of you who have actually heard me sing - and a few of you have - can relax
because I am not going to try to sing the aria, but I do think that Renato deserves to be liberated, to go
on to other things, and I hope that in his liberated condition he will still feel willing and able to
contribute to this cause which he holds so close to his heart and to offer perhaps publicly some of his
views on the future so that we might benefit from them.  Thank you very much, Renato, for a job
extremely well done.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
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SWITZERLAND
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. W. ROSSIER
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL IN 1996
After listening to John Weekes it is very difficult to find words to thank Renato Ruggiero, our
Director-General, in an original fashion, but I w ould like to say two words about the man I have had
the opportunity to get to know in the last four years and with whom I had the privilege - sometimes
perilous - of collaborating very closely when I was the Chairman of the General Council at the time of
the preparation for the Ministerial Conference in Singapore.  Because I have to be brief I would justlike to mention two of his character features, running the risk perhaps of going counter to his modesty.
When the Director-General arrived here in Geneva, many of us knew who was coming to Geneva
because his reputation had preceded him.  We knew that he was very sure of himself and entirely
behind his opinions.  We discovered that his very assertive character was in fact an extraordinary
instrument in transmitting a very complex and bold message.  Renato Ruggiero has always knownexactly what he wanted for the organization, and he has recalled some of these elements in his parting
statement.  He has transmitted his vision with a bold nature through very clear messages, especially
when he was convinced that these messages were not necessarily going to please and certainly not
immediately.  His way of working has enabled us to establish relations, at least personally, that I
would qualify as energetic and colourful.  But how  could it be otherwise with a man of such a
character, with such determination and at such a high level?  What quality of relationship we have
been able to have with the Director-General, what fruitful exchanges, what a sense of a common
cause has he been able to engender in this organization by his character, his qualities, his presence, his
profound conviction.  We have all benefited from this, and for this reason I would like to thank him
most sincerely.  I have been most impressed by his total personal commitment to two principal causes:first, trade liberalization, his sacred cause, and second, the increased participation of developing
countries, particularly the least-developed ones in the activities of the World Trade Organization and
in the benefits accruing from trade liberalization.  History will recall this dual, strong historic
commitment by Renato Ruggiero, and justifiably so.  To conclude I would like to pay tribute to
Renato Ruggiero for his commitment to Geneva and for the understanding which he always showed to
the host country, Switzerland, without - sometimes unfortunately - reducing the level of commitments
to be undertaken by the host country, but that is Renato Ruggiero.  We are sad, but we are also happyto see that the Director-General is not going to take a rest but is just going to be a little less active.
We wish him and Mrs. Ruggiero a wonderful period ahead.  There is a satisfaction I will have
personally, which is to finally see Renato Ruggiero abandon one anomaly in his personality as from
May:  Renato Ruggiero will in fact, in my view, be much more in harmony with himself when he is
finally authorized to no longer have to drive in huge black limousines, but to freely drive the only carwhich is completely suited to his temperament and his character - a red Ferrari.  "Tanti Auguri
Direttore Generale e grazie mille."WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 12
EGYPT
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. M. ZAHRAN
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
It is a great pleasure for me to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Director-General,
Renato Ruggiero, after four years of much success since he took the post as Director-General.  I had
the pleasure and luck to be among those who applauded his designation as Director-General after the
establishment of the WTO.  I was chairing the GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES, a responsibility I
shared with Mr. Kesavapany (Singapore), the first Chairman of the WTO General Council, and with
Mr. Szepesi (Hungary).  We had found in Mr. Renato Ruggiero as the manager of this organization a
man of tremendous respect, who had initiative and who at no time had forgotten the interest and
concerns of developing nations.  I would like to express my appreciation for the contribution and
support Renato Ruggiero gave me during my Chairmanship of the GATT CONTRACTING
PARTIES.  With the preparations for the first Ministerial Conference in Singapore, we worked
together with all our colleagues to make this first Ministerial Conference a success.  We hadtremendous difficulties but we finally succeeded in finding compromise solutions.  During the
preparations for the 50
th Anniversary of the International Trading System and the second Ministerial
Conference in Geneva in 1998, I found in him a fr iend and also someone who sympathized with the
weaker part of this organization, i.e. the developing countries, and in particular the least-developed
ones.  As mentioned in his parting statement, he took several initiatives, including organizing ahigh-level meeting for the least-developed countries.  I would like to qualify his parting statement as a
masterpiece, a piece of art.  On behalf of my delegation I would like to wish him every success.  We
are going to see each other again, Renato, since we are both Mediterranean people and we will share
several moments together I am sure either in Cairo or in Naples.  My best wishes to you and to your
family.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 13
JAMAICA
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. A. HILL
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
This morning I made reference to Mr. Ruggiero's brilliant statement, one which I think has
been replicated here again this afternoon.  I should like to place on record that we recognized his
many qualities, among which generosity of spirit ranks high and a brilliance of mind for the clarity
and single-minded pursuit of his ideas and his ideals.  He is a person we can all admire because of his
inclusiveness, which did not stop at the idea but which he pursued by bringing more and more of the
membership to participate in the service of this organization.  Secondly, I hope that the record willalso show that he is devoted to something which we all cherish, which is the rule of law.  I would like
again to refer to his statement that trade would lead to shared prosperity, a shared commitment to
stability and would help to prevent the resurgence of economic nationalism and protectionism which
have done so much to fuel conflict, and that underpinning all of this was a belief that the rule of law,
not the rule of power, was the only rational basis for civilised discourse among nations.  We wish tounderscore that he has contributed to this in large measure in building and contributing to the
infrastructure of this organization.  We trust that his successor will bear this very much in mind, will
be as inclusive and as committed to the rule of law.  We believe that these achievements will outlast
even our memory of an inspiring leader.  I do recall on one occasion when he wished to be more
inclusive we were not forthcoming enough, and I know he was frustrated, and I believe we were allthe losers for that failed attempt on our part to shar e with him his generosity of spirit.  In closing, I
would like to say also that if this is the last occasion when we pay tribute to the Director-General, we
should also take the opportunity to pay a tribute to the Deputy Directors-General for working with
him and giving him their full support.  Finally,  I would like to refer to "the Rubayyat of Omar
Khayyam" and hope that we could have a "Rubayyat of Renato Ruggiero", which we can always refer
to in quiet times.  I hope and wish for him and for Mrs. Ruggiero that solitude and that peace in
retirement.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 14
HUNGARY
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. I. MAJOR
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Speaking on behalf of Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, the Slovak
Republic and Slovenia I would like to say that our collective CEFTA heart is bleeding when we have
to say farewell to Renato.  Italy is almost a part of Central Europe and we always considered Renato
to be almost an honorary member of the CEFTA family.  Therefore we are regretting his departure
very much because we are losing a very excellent matchmaker, an honest broker and a confessional
father to whom we so frequently came confessing our sins and our dangerous temptations.  Mr.Director-General, speaking a little bit more seriously on behalf of the CEFTA countries, let me take
this opportunity to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks and highest appreciation for your tireless
efforts and valuable work in promoting successfully the cause of the multilateral trading system in the
period of the establishment of the WTO.  Your vital role in and contribution to the significant
achievements that the world has witnessed under your able chairmanship is indisputable.  The primeexamples which come to mind include the conclusion of the basic telecommunications and financial
services negotiations, the success of the Singapore and Geneva Ministerial Conferences, the
successful 50th Anniversary Commemoration, and the launching of the integrated initiative for the
least-developed countries, to name but a few.  We are all confident that the groundwork laid under
your guidance is solid enough for the successful launching of a new round of multilateral trade talks atthe end of this year.  So, Renato, let me conclude by wishing you good health, happiness and success
in your endeavours in the coming years.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 15
COLOMBIA
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. N. OSORIO LONDONO
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
The truth is that the eloquence of previous colleagues who have spoken makes it difficult for
me to pay an adequate tribute, but I will do so anyway because it comes from the heart, both
personally and on behalf of my Government.  Rena to Ruggiero has been a leader of singular and
special qualities for this organization.  His dedication, his enthusiasm and his constant optimism has
made it possible for him to imprint on this organization a front line profile, and thus he has become
known as one of the best-known personalities of the end of the century, and will no doubt go down in
history.  I would like to pay a very particular tribute to him for the way in which he has conducted the
work of this organization, for the way in which he has managed the extremely difficult issues which
he had to handle, and the way he has been able to  maintain this capacity - working capacity - even at
the cost of his health at times.  When he received initiatives and suggestions from Members he always
showed himself to be highly receptive, and showed  his readiness to point out what could be done and
what could not be done.  I would like to pay a partic ular tribute of recognition and gratitude to him for
the particular enthusiasm he has shown with regard to an initiative of my country which is the creation
of a centre for legal counsel.  Without me personally asking for it, a promotional campaign was
initiated, pointing to the need for creating such a cen tre, and I am extremely grateful for that.  There is
very much more that could be said, but I want to respect the short time available to us, and I thereforewant to convey the very best wishes to Renato Ruggiero and to his spouse.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 16
JAPAN
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. N. AKAO
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
I would like to seize this occasion to pay a tribute to Renato Ruggiero on behalf of the
Government of Japan.  Mr. Director-General, we hi ghly appreciated the dedication and sense of duty
with which you assumed your responsibilities.  Your initiative in difficult moments of this young
organization helped us to overcome difficulties in our respective positions, and to achieve significant
results.  You have also proved to be an impar tial mediator, which is an important quality for the
Director-General.  Your commitment to the primacy of the multilateral trading system, as well as yourattention to the interests of the developed and developing, exporting and importing countries alike, is
something that we particularly valued.  You have also stressed the importance of making this
organization a truly universal organization, by concluding the various accession negotiations as
expeditiously as possible.  Japan is particularly sensitive to this question, since we ourselves had the
experience of being integrated into the international economic community through our accession tothe GATT in the early 1950s.  We must see to it that your initiative is followed up.  The WTO being a
negotiating body, we sometimes find ourselves in an acrimonious mood, but on many occasions we
were relieved by your sense of humour and the warmth of your personality, which helped us very
much in accomplishing our task.  Now it is our duty  to maintain and strengthen the momentum and
the credibility of this organization that you, as the first Director-General, have succeeded in setting inmotion.  We hope that we can still count on your wise advice in the future.  Thank you, Mr. Director-
General, for your tireless and dedicated service.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 17
UNITED STATES
STATEMENT BY H. E. MS. R. HAYES
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
As the representative of the United States, but most of all as a friend, I would like to take the
floor to express my thanks and highest regard to Renato Ruggiero.  On behalf of the US delegation I
can say that he has been, as the first Director-General of the WTO, a champion of this institution.  He
not only took on the difficult task of launching the WTO with two very successful Ministerial
Conferences, but he has also constantly worked with all of us on the initiatives we needed to achieve.
He has always respected the Member-driven nature of this organization and has helped us at timeswhen his contribution was critical to building consensus.  He has also been the champion of the
Secretariat.  But more importantly, we are unfortunately losing a great colleague who, with heart and
skill, forcefully represented the institution and, most importantly, defended our membership.  I
applaud you, Renato, on behalf of the U.S., and wish you the best of success always. We will miss
you, I will miss you, and remember your significant contribution and accomplishments in bringing theWTO to the stature that it now enjoys.  We appl aud your leadership in working with all of the
Members of this organization, and also in building relationships with the civil society and other
international organizations in a manner that will increase the coherence necessary in global trade
policy.  I would close with a message on behalf of the President of the United States and the
US Government:  "We thank you for your wisdom and most of all your vision, your respect andprofessionalism and the strength that you have shown in weathering the various storms that we have
had to tackle to keep this institution strong and ready for the twenty-first century."  On a personal
note, I will remember you fondly.  I will also remember the care, guidance and friendship that you
showed when I arrived here in Geneva, to hear my concerns and to explore options to smooth those
difficulties and concerns.  Sometimes those difficulties included bringing us to the table with otherdelegations, where sometimes the table seemed so far from my reach.  Thank you for your friendship
– but most of all for your leadership – that you showed for all of us as Members of the WTO and,
most importantly, your leadership in this global marketplace which has clearly formed our economic
interdependence.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 18
TURKEY
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. O. ERSUN
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Mr. Director-General, trade is generally percei ved as a domain alien to human concern, as a
domain in which petty interest, daily interest, will prevail.  What has struck me was that your
endeavours as Director-General gave trade a human face.  This institution is a very interesting and
original undertaking in international relations, so it was very important at the outset that its leader
could understand all the implications for the future of such an organization that would work to protect
the weak and the small countries, based on consensus.  I feel sad not to be able to work with you for alonger period.  We will really miss you, Renato, and I hope we will be able to meet you in social
encounters to benefit from your experience, wisdom and counsel for our future work.  You have done
a great job for this organization and it will be remembered in the next millennium as a baby which
grew up in your hands.  Thank you, and we will miss you.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 19
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
STATEMENT BY MR. I. WILKINSON
MINISTER, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
My delegation is sorry to see Director-General Renato Ruggiero leave this organization.  He
has been a Director-General of the greatest distinction and effectiveness in the service of the World
Trade Organization and its membership.  We believe that it is no exaggeration to say that his role has
been an historic one.  He has lead with authority and diplomacy, as well as passion and devotion to
duty, the major new international institution of the second half of the twentieth century.  The world
has changed and the WTO is not GATT, and it has been the Director-General's role and responsibilityto guide, cajole, encourage, perhaps even on occasi on to coerce us gently into meeting the challenge
of transition from GATT to World Trade Organization.  He has consistently insisted that we, as
Members, should embrace and respond to the new challenges which face the World Trade
Organization and, in particular, the challenge of accepting our political responsibility vis-à-vis the
wider civil society and the need to address the plight of the developing countries.  It is withcharacteristic passion and vision that he has shown us that the challenges the WTO faces are also
opportunities.  His message has always been one of vi sion, of aiming high, and of having the courage
to make ideals a reality.  The Director-General has guided us successfully through negotiations which
have been not just of sectoral utility, but fundamental infrastructural importance to us all.  He has
guided us through two Ministerial Conferences and the 50th Anniversary Commemoration.  But these,though sound and historic achievements, are only the tip of the iceberg.  The years of unseen patient
effort working to build this organization and ensu re its relevance and importance in the twenty-first
century must also be acknowledged.  Director-General, we are grateful for all that you have done for
this organization and for its membership.  It is an honour to be able to express that gratitude in this
General Council on behalf of the European Union.  We wish you and Mrs Ruggiero well in a long,happy and rewarding post-WTO time together.  Could I conclude by saying that we too acknowledge
and applaud the role of the Deputy Directors-General and all the help which they give us too.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 20
BANGLADESH
STATEMENT BY H. E. DR. I. A. CHOWDURY
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Renato Ruggiero's farewell remarks were characteristic of him, reflecting the dynamism with
which he has led the Secretariat of this organization for four years.  He can leave his present
responsibilities with the satisfaction of one who will find joy in the knowledge that in the task given
him he has performed well, in fact excelled.  The existence of the WTO today is critical to global
trade.  Of course this is a member-driven body, but the Director-General can be effective in his role as
a friend, philosopher and guide and as an implementer of decisions.  The long hours we are spendingin determining his successor is ample evidence of that.  As a least-developed country we are beholden
to him for the fervour with which he has pursued our cause.  This has spread across the spectrum of
capacity-building, market access, technology transfer and debt issues.  In all this he has been making
proposals, suggesting ideas, instilling courage and providing encouragement.  Even today he has
proffered concepts for the management of the world economy that we would do well to consider.Some day, hopefully, every Member country will be mainstreamed into the global trading system.
When that happens a part of the credit will, quite aptly, be owed to him.  He does not leave who lives
in the hearts he leaves behind.  In that sense Renato Ruggiero will have never left.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 21
PAKISTAN
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. M. AKRAM
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
I have asked for the floor to say a few words about Mr. Renato Ruggiero and his four years as
the first head of the World Trade Organization.  I believe that, at the outset of the World Trade
Organization, we could not have found a personality with greater vigour, energy and commitment to
the multilateral trading system.  Mr. Ruggiero has put the WTO on the world map and it is no accident
that this organization has come to be regarded as  one of the central players in the international
economic system.  Mr. Ruggiero's advocacy of an ope n rule-based trading system has not always been
received with open arms by certain quarters.  But it has been a sincere advocacy, born of conviction,
and I believe that that conviction has kept up the momentum of trade liberalization, despite the past
two years in which the world economy has been engulfed by the most severe crisis since the
Depression.  I think this, if anything, is the si ngular most important achievement of Mr. Renato
Ruggiero, our first Director-General.  But this is not the only achievement.  I think that, due to a deepsense of fairness, he has also become an advocate of an equitable multilateral trading system, and we
have followed, with great interest, the remarks that he made at the two symposia which he chaired last
month in Geneva, as well as his bold and courageous features in many other fora and more restrictive
bodies than the WTO.  All of this advocacy I believe is bound to evoke a positive response in those
quarters where important decisions are required to be made in order to ensure the revival of the worldeconomy and the preservation and strengthening of the global free-trade system.  So, we shall miss
Renato Ruggiero once he departs from his post at the end of this month.  And we owe it to him as
Members to do our utmost to achieve the earliest possible consensus on his successor, as
Mr. Ruggiero, I am sure, would wish to be reassured that when he departs from this organization he
leaves it in good hands.  And, of course, we are confident that he will leave it in good hands.  Weshall look forward to his continuing support and contributions to this organization in whatever
position or post he happens to occupy.  I am sure that his future will be as bright as has been the last
four years of his stewardship of this important organization.  I wish to convey my deep appreciation
and thanks to Mr. Renato Ruggiero.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 22
HAITI
STATEMENT BY DR. R. CLERISME
MINISTER COUNSELLOR
The Delegation of Haiti would like to thank and congratulate Mr. Renato Ruggiero most
especially for his determination in combatting marginalization of the least-developed
countries (LDCs) and fighting for their integration at  the same time.  He had the courage to launch a
very bold pleading in favour of the LDCs, asking ev en that LDCs should obtain duty-free tariffs for
their products.  That initiative required courage in a world where each country seeks to draw the
greatest advantage.  Mr. Ruggiero has not only f ought to integrate the LDCs, but has also been
determined to cooperate with all the institutions which are related to the integration of LDCs in the
global system - for example his determination to maintain close links with the World Bank, the IMF
and UNCTAD.  This seems to my delegation to be the expression of a sincere dedication to the
integration of LDCs.  Yesterday, at UNCTAD, he  mentioned how new technology could be employed
to try to reduce the gap between developed countries and developing countries and LDCs.  It is hisdetermination - a determination which is sometimes stubborn - together with his flexibility, that
makes him someone I will always admire.  And I think he has paved the way for his successor to be
able to continue to lead the battle in favour of th e integration of all into the global trading system and,
at the same time, to collaborate with the World Bank, the IMF, UNCTAD and the ITC, in order to
ensure that WTO's work is really integrated into the international system.  I would like to wish Mr.
Renato every success and much happiness, and I hope th at he will keep this determination to fight in
favour of equity, non-discrimination and the integration of the weakest ones.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 23
CHILE
STATEMENT BY H. E. MS. C. L. GUARDA
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
My delegation would like to associate itself with the sincere expressions of thanks to the
Director-General expressed by previous delega tions.  Renato Ruggiero has performed a tremendous
task in directing this organization since its inception, and in strengthening it throughout these four
years with his tremendous energy and determination in defending the multilateral trading system.  We
recognize that the task was not easy.  The implementation of the Marrakesh Agreement, the
establishment of an independent Secretariat from the United Nations system, the development of thisorganization with its modern information systems, the administration of two successful Ministerial
Conferences, the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the international trading system, the
organization of the High-Level Meeting on Integrated Initiatives for Least-Developed Countries -
these are some of the activities he organized, showing thus his tremendous devotion to this
organization and to the interests of all Members.  We consider very significant his contribution toWTO and its Members.  We also consider tremendously valuable his contribution in many
international fora, and his visits to Member states, such as my own, which enabled us to improve the
awareness of the World Trade Organization throughout the world.  He is leaving a tremendous legacy
to his successor, which will enable us to look to the future with tremendous optimism.  We would like
to wish Renato Ruggiero great success in his future activities in years to come, as well as best wishesto him and his wife in their personal life.  We will certainly miss him.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 24
KOREA
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. M. S. CHANG
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Korea I wish to express our
sincere congratulations and thanks to you Ambassador Ruggiero for your outstanding
accomplishments during the past four years.  In spite of the heavy responsibilities you have had to
face daily and the numerous daunting tasks you have fulfilled, you seem to leave this organization
cheerful, as ever, with an unabated energy that most of us envy.  Since the inception of this
organization in 1995, your leadership has provided it with an impetus that makes it now one of themost effective and efficient international organizations.  The vigour and energy you have injected into
the organization has no doubt facilitated the expansion of world trade and, through painstaking
negotiations, made possible important achievements, such as the Information Technology Agreement,
the Basic Telecommunications Agreement and the Agreement on Financial Services.  Much more,
your leadership has led to the establishment of an independent WTO Secretariat, a long-standingobjective since the GATT years.  Your departure from this organization is surely a great loss for all of
us.  It is our hope that, even after your departure, you guidance will contribute to the evolution of the
multilateral trading system as you just promised.  Now that you are free from the burden of official
duty I am certain that you will find many other wa ys to channel your energy and enthusiasm and keep
on going with relentless pursuit of achievement.  I nonetheless hope that you will also take the time toenjoy life with your family in your home country, a place with a breathtaking landscape bathing in a
splendid sun.  On these words I wish you the best of luck and thank you, once again, for the
contribution to this important organization.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 25
INDIA
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. S. NARAYANAN
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
I would like to express the deep sense of gratitude as well as the appreciation of my
Government, my delegation and myself for the services rendered by Renato during the last four years
as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.  I can associate myself with every speaker
that has preceded me and echo the same sentiments which they have expressed.  There are two
important concepts which Renato as Director-General has repeatedly highlighted to all of us, and it is
absolutely essential for all of us to remember them.  He has always pointed out, especially to me, Imust say, that the multilateral trading system represented by the WTO is a rule-based organization
and not a power-based organization.  The second concept which, again, he has repeatedly pointed out
to me is that the principle of consensus is designed to promote a sense of responsibility, a sense of
inclusiveness, and is not designed to promote a sens e of irresponsibility and exclusiveness.  These two
concepts which he has vigorously promoted during the last four years should stand us in good stead inthe years to come.  The representative of Jamaica referred to the single-minded pursuit of ideas and
ideals by Renato Ruggiero, and it is no secret that sometimes my delegation has not been able to show
that degree of enthusiasm for some of his ideas, while we have been quite enthusiastic about most of
them.  But, the real tribute I would like to pay to Renato is that, even when we showed some
reluctance to follow his guidance, he showed a spirit of tolerance for which we are eternally grateful.Though he knew from his perspective that we were not exactly right, he understood the constraints
within which we were operating and tried to encourage us.  For this spirit of tolerance, the spirit of
understanding which he has shown towards me and my delegation and my country, we shall forever
remain grateful.  At a personal level, I would like to express my gratitude to Renato for the fatherly
affection he has shown towards me.  I would also say that he has also given me a lot of fatherly
admonition, and I would like to say that for the rest of my life I will share this experience and cherish
both the fatherly affection and fatherly admonition he has shown me, and both, I am sure, will do me
a lot of good in my future life.  I would like to wi sh Renato Ruggiero and his family all the best in the
years to come.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 26
AUSTRALIA
STATEMENT BY MR. RIC WELLS
MINISTER, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
On behalf of the delegation of Australia I would like to thank the Director-General for the
vital role he has played in maintaining and im proving the efficiency and effectiveness of the
multilateral trading system.  As the Director-General well knows, it is almost impossible to overstate
the importance of a rule-based system of trade for a country like Australia, a relatively small
economy, that is not a member of a regional grouping.  For us, trade rules are not icing on the cake,
they are our daily bread.  The Director-General can, and has, played a powerful role in ensuring thatthe multilateral trade system has worked.  He has communicated a sense of urgency and mission
through the entire Secretariat, and he has also ensured the efficient functioning of the Secretariat,
whose activities underpin the application of the multilateral trading system.  It is also difficult for a
relatively small WTO Member like Australia to pursue an ambitious agenda of trade liberalization,
but this is something that we have had to do.  We found in the Director-General someone who alwaysunderstood what we have done and what we have been seeking, and who always tried to help
wherever possible.  He has always been aware of the practical impediments in the path of what we
have been proposing and has communicated those to us wisely and fairly.  We are mindful of the
assistance we have received over the years from the Director-General and we stand in his debt, and I
am sure his advice and assistance will be sorely missed when we move on to the next and difficultphase of further multilateral trade liberalization.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 27
NEW ZEALAND
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. R. FARRELL
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
I do, personally, vividly recall a most successful visit by Renato Ruggiero to New Zealand,
really quite early on in his term, and he was immediately seen by us to be an effective and very skilled
Director-General.  But, perhaps especially impor tant, a Director-General who represented all the
Members of the new organization.  All my New Zealand colleagues who have worked in Geneva with
Renato Ruggiero want to join with me in extend ing our sincerest thanks for the unfailing leadership
that he has demonstrated over a critically important time for the organization.  We do want to conveyour warmest best wishes to him for his retirement.  We thank him once again for his enormous
personal contribution to the multilateral trading system, and we have absolutely no doubt whatsoever,
especially listening to his valedictory speech today, that in different ways he will continue to
contribute to solutions to challenges at the global level.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 28
NORWAY
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. K. BRYN
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
This has already been a comprehensive round of thanks and good wishes for Mr. Ruggiero.
The critical mass of what I wanted to say has been covered by a lot of other speakers, but I do think
that Mr. Ruggiero deserves some special and differential treatment today. On behalf of my country I
want to thank him for what he has done for the international trading system over the last four years.  I
know that his presence has made a decisive difference on a number of occasions in the bringing up of
this four-year old toddler which we are daily strugg ling with.  He has, indeed, been both a good and a
caring father.  Let me also say on a personal basis that I presented my letter of credentials to him
exactly three months ago today, and I was not sure what personality I was going to meet.  I have to
say I was a bit surprised - for me it was a very warm person who was so enthusiastic that I almost
wondered if I was meeting the new Director-General who should take up his next four-year term and
not the person who was going to leave the organization.  On that basis, I must say I understood betterwhat he had meant over the last four years and t oday.  After three months, I can understand the loss
that many of us feel now when he is going to leave us.  I hope, and definitely my country hopes, that
both him and Mrs. Ruggiero will have a happy and g ood retirement, and I am quite sure he will not
forget us.  Thank you Mr. Ruggiero.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 29
MALAYSIA
STATEMENT BY H. E. MR. A. HAMIDON
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Thank you very much Mr. Chairman.  We wish to join in the chorus of statements expressing
thanks and gratitude to Mr. Renato Ruggiero.  The WTO has benefitted immensely from
Mr. Ruggiero and his leadership, and he leaves behind an efficient and effective Secretariat which he
has shaped during his tenure as the Director-General.  Mr. Ruggiero's wit and sense of humour,
particularly in some very trying times, such as during the lead-up to the Singapore Ministerial
Conference, will be something that we will all miss.  We thank Mr. Ruggiero and we wish him all thevery best as he moves into another phase of his life.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 30
VENEZUELA
STATEMENT BY MR. O. HERNANDEZ
MINISTER COUNSELLOR
I would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation and respect to Renato
Ruggiero.  We would like to state the reasons for which we consider it timely to make a statement,
and we may be a bit redundant because Mr. Ruggiero knows very well the appreciation and respect
that Venezuela feels for him.  We expressed it recently when the former President of Venezuela gave
him one of the most important distinctions we have as an expression of our admiration for the
contribution he has made to the multilateral trading system.  His successful management is closelyrelated to the enthusiasm he has demonstrated during his office and his infinite capacity to devote
himself to all the different aspects of the multilateral trading system, and he has shown a keen interest
in the problems of developing countries, particularly the least-developed ones.  Mr. Ruggiero has
demonstrated that the sensitivity of this organization to the problems of developing countries are
guaranteed only by the Director-General's capacity to understand the best interests of the multilateraltrading system, which include, among others, the full participation of all Members, especially the
least-developed countries.  We recognize, in particular, the efforts which he made in difficult times by
providing his best contribution in seeking a convergence of views among WTO Members.  He
contributed to finding compromise solutions to the particularly delicate problems which this
organization has faced at different times.  To conclude, this delegation, on behalf of the Governmentof Venezuela, wishes to recognize Mr. Ruggiero's efforts to promote the WTO.  This certainly has
contributed to creating a more appropriate image of the tasks which we pursue here.  In conclusion,
we wish him the best of success in his new challenges, including that of fully enjoying retirement.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 31
BOLIVIA
STATEMENT BY H. E. MS. S. AVILA SEIFERT
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
Mr. Director-General, I was not able to share with you your full four years of your successful
mandate, but the time which we have shared was enough to feel your support and solidarity with my
country.  The wonderful thing about these fora is that they really do promote the enrichment of human
relationships.  It is human to feel sadness when a dear friend is leaving, but you have enriched the
present which you are leaving with me.  Mr. Ruggier o I would like to express to you my thanks and
admiration for the qualities which you have shown on so many occasions.  Thank you very much Mr.Ruggiero.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 32
HONG KONG, CHINA
STATEMENT BY MR. S. HARBINSON
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
On behalf of my Government and our delegation here in Geneva, I would like to join others in
appreciating and recognizing the ability and leadership of Renato Ruggiero.  We are all grappling
with the major expansion and improvement of coverage of the rules of the multilateral trading system
which the Uruguay Round and the WTO have ushered in.  What we are doing so successfully is due
in no small part to the Director General and the WTO Secretariat which he has very ably led.  Led by
Renato Ruggiero, the WTO has risen to its role in all its facets, from the successful conclusion of theBasic Telecommunications, Financial Services and Trade in Information Technology Products
Agreements - which would not have been achievable without the personal intervention of the
Director-General - to the highly successful Ministerial Conferences, to the need for more to be done
on technical assistance, and his special concern for the interests of developing Members.  He has also
shown himself an ardent, forceful and very persuasive proponent of the primacy of the multilateral-trading system and of the WTO, something he will know we very much appreciate.  His wisdom and
advocacy will be sadly missed.  We owe Renato Ruggiero a large debt of gratitude and we join others
in warmly acknowledging this and in wishing him every success in his future endeavours.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 33
BARBADOS
STATEMENT BY MS. S. RUDDER
CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES
I am grateful for this opportunity to join my distinguished colleagues in paying tribute to our
Director-General.  Mr. Ruggiero, y our many qualities, not least of which are your superb leadership
abilities, have served Members of this organization well over the last four years.  Your numerous
achievements have been well catalogued by those speaking before me, and I join Barbados' voice to
those who have expressed their praise and congratulations for your contributions to the establishment
of an equitable, rule-based multilateral trading system.  Mr. Ruggiero, under your careful guidanceand stewardship, the World Trade Organization has gr own in strength and importance in the eyes of
the entire international community.  As the first Director-General of the World Trade Organization
you had an historic role to play, and history will reflect that you excelled in your task.  Finally, I
would like to convey to you Barbados' sincere appreciation for the work you have done for
developing countries, especially least-developed ones, and for the hand of friendship you haveextended to small countries.  We wish you the very best in your future endeavours.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 34
PARAGUAY
STATEMENT BY MR. R. RECARDE
CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES
On behalf of the Republic of Paraguay and the Delegation of Paraguay I would like to express
our warmest congratulations for your effective work in leading this organization.  You, Ambassador
Ruggiero, had the tremendous challenge of implementing this organization and we are sure that you
have achieved this with transparency and with your habitual leadership qualities.  We had the
privilege of receiving you in our country at the invitation of the Government of Paraguay to
participate in the MERCOSUR summit, a visit which also allowed us to have an open and frankdialogue and a good understanding of the MERCOSUR process and its compatability with
multilateral trading standards.  To conclude, I would like to express to you that we will feel your
absence very much, Ambassador Ruggiero, but we are sure that the dynamism that you promoted in
this organization will contribute to our work continuing to develop with the success that it has always
had.  Ambassador Renato Ruggiero, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Paraguay, thankyou very much.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 35
SENEGAL
STATEMENT BY H. E. MS A. C. DIALLO
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
The departure of Mr. Ruggiero is a difficult moment for us all, particularly not only because
of the quality of the relations which we have built up with him, but also and especially because of the
positive nature of his work in leading the WTO.  The Delegation of Senegal will always remember
him as a dynamic Director-General, equitable, warmly courteous and entirely committed to
combatting the indigenous and exogenous factors preventing developing countries in general, and
least-developed in particular, from participating in the international trading system.  The firmcommitment of Mr. Ruggiero in the service of solidarity and the active partnership between WTO
Members with different levels of development must be stressed and welcomed now at a time when he
is taking leave of us.  During his mandate, his tremendous political vision and his generous openness
enabled him to help us to move collectively forward in  the interest of all, and to consolidate the bases
of the young organization.  He more than deserves our very sincere thanks, which we address to him,for the efforts he made and for his sacrifices from 1995 until today.  We hope that his legacy will be
made even more fruitful by his successor.  Senegal would like, through me, to thank him at this time
of his departure, and to once again express all our esteem, our consideration and our gratitude.  It is
not exaggerated to add that it is a friend of all of Africa who is leaving, but leaving with the
satisfaction of having successfully fulfilled the difficult task which was his.  I am sure that he willcontinue to work, as he has always done, in favour of our countries moving closer together.  All our
best wishes go with him and to his family.  We will miss him very sincerely.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 36
MALTA
STATEMENT BY MS. T. CUTAJAR
FIRST SECRETARY
On behalf of my delegation I would like to join other delegations and pay tribute to
Mr. Renato Ruggiero for his sterling services and say a small but nevertheless heartfelt thank you for
four years of pragmatic stewardship.  Mr. Ruggiero has seen a fledgling organization through its first
teething problems to emerge slowly but surely  as a robust and rule-based, not power-based,
multilateral organization.  My delegation is convinced that, were it not for his able guidance, his
vision, his professionalism and, more importantly, for his dedication and imbued enthusiasm, thisorganization would not have reached the stature it has today.  Mr. Ruggiero has left an indelible mark
on the organization.  As a WTO Member, and warmly as a neighbourly country, I would like to say
grazie, grazie mille .  I would also like to wish Mr. Ruggiero and Mrs. Ruggiero the very best wishes
for the future.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 37
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
(AS AN OBSERVER)
STATEMENT BY MR. V. A. FANASSIEV
SENIOR COUNSELLOR
We are not frequent speakers in this forum but it will certainly be next to impossible for us to
miss this opportunity and not to say a few good words and pay tribute to the Director-General,
Mr. Renato Ruggiero.  We would like to express our deep gratitude and thanks to Mr. Ruggiero for
his very sincere wish and very tremendous effort to bring as many acceding countries as possible to
the WTO and to advance the negotiation process of others to make the organization truly universal.Recognizing his abilities as a very active, dynamic and energetic person, which was once again
reflected in his parting statement of today, we are confident that he will never retire from active
political and public life, at least in the foreseeable future, and we hope to have the privilege and
pleasure to see him often, not only at the WTO Ministerial Conference but also at other international
fora.  We appreciate his understanding and support for the efforts of acceding countries to becomeMembers of the WTO, and it is regrettable that my country will join the organization only after he has
left it.  However, we hope that he will be one of the first who will send congratulations to my country
once we become a Member of the organization.  Saying that, I wish very much to express our thanks
and to wish to him, to Mrs. Ruggiero and to his family, the best in his life.  Thanks a lot once again.WT/GC(99)/ST/3
Page 38
THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
I just want to say a few words.  I just want to say that you surely understand that this is for me
a very happy moment of my life, and I owe this very happy moment to your generosity and yourappreciation.  I would like to extend the tribute that you have given to me to the three Deputy
Directors-General.  They have accompanied me and the Secretariat in these four years with the same
appreciation, with the same talent and with the same generosity.  I believe that this happy moment that
we have is really, I would say, the consequence of our mission.  You know that this is my deep
belief - trade unites people, protectionism divides them - and because we operate in order to liberalize
trade we are uniting people, and the unity of this room tonight is clear evidence that our mission is a
positive one.  I would like to assure my dear friend from the Russian Federation that I will follow hisaccession process and also the accession processes of all the other candidates with all my enthusiasm,
and I will certainly send him a very happy note when I hear that he soon becomes another Member of
this community.
Thank you very much to all of you.
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