The organisation of world trade at a time of globalisation must be sure that countries and people are partners in change and not victims of change. In Seattle the questions we deal with will be complex and technical but we must never forget that there are also human questions. The answers we give will affect individuals, their families and their communities. In a speech prepared for a symposium of non-governmental organisations, Ms Short said much of the criticism of the WTO was misplaced and that developing countries would benefit from a broad round of trade liberalisation talks. Those who make blanket criticisms of the WTO are working against, not for, the interests of the poor and the powerless.
International trade can be unfair and exploitative.
The strong can deceive and defraud the weak. That is precisely why we need an institution like the WTO which is membership based and rules based - to prevent fraud, monopoly, predatory pricing and other abuses. Just as we need rules on these issues at the national level, so we need them at the international level.