WTO
NEWS: 2001 NEWS ITEMS
1 February 2001
Statement on the multilateral trading system by three former GATT/WTO Directors-General
Coinciding with their recent attendance at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos from 25 to 29 January 2001, three former GATT/WTO Directors-General released a joint statement containing observations on the multilateral trading system.
The former
Directors-General consider the political, public and economic
environment in which the multilateral trading system is currently
functioning. They describe the WTO as 搊ne of the most precious
tools of global economic management at the disposal of governments?
and add that 搕he fundamental concepts that underlie the institution
are as valid and crucial today as they were when written into the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade over 50 years ago? The
former Directors-General describe current pressures on the
multilateral trading system and underline key priorities, as they see
them, for the WTO in the period ahead. Chief among these priorities is
moving forward with a broad trade negotiation within the WTO.
The former Directors-General are:
Arthur Dunkel ?Director-General, GATT, 1980-1993
Peter Sutherland ?Director-General, GATT/WTO, 1993-1995
Renato Ruggiero ?Director-General, WTO, 1995-1999.