WTO总干事：WTO多哈会议筹备会上的演讲(3)
I believe there is another reason， more fundamental， more profound and more immediate， why we need a successful meeting next month.
While the need for a successful Ministerial Conference is recognised by all and the arguments in favour of launching a new round are widely acknowledged， some players remain to be convinced. The divergence of views is reflected in the current discussions in Geneva and in capitals. But it is also significant that Members are prepared to continue talking on the basis of the draft negotiating documents the Chairman and I recently circulated. They are good documents. Members realise they represent a good faith effort to bridge gaps that have existed for years. They also realise these documents are a basis for moving forward. Much work remains to be done and I am under no illusions as to the difficulty we face. However， I have seen in recent days a spirit of cooperation and a realization of the importance of the task ahead. With hard work and political will， I am convinced Members can reach consensus.
The most sensitive areas remain the obvious ones — implementation， agriculture， environment， Singapore issues such as competition and investment， and rules. Some of these issues are unlikely to be resolved before the Ministerial Conference and will require hard political decision-taking by Ministers. In the meantime， the preparatory process will continue to focus on reducing the number of differences and narrowing positions on the key issues so that Ministers， hopefully， can put the finishing touches to our forward work programme at the Ministerial meeting.
The concerns of all players — rich and poor， large and small — must be addressed， but with a sense of realism. It is true some imbalances exist in the trading system. But the only way the system can be adjusted and the imbalances addressed is in a wider process of negotiation. It is true that many of the expected benefits of the previous round are yet to materialise for some Members. But it serves the interests of no one to delay further trade liberalization until all previous expectations are delivered upon. It also runs the risk that frustrated key players will turn away from the multilateral process in favour of bilateral and regional trade deals. It is true some poorer countries are marginalized from the trading system. But this situation will not change by opting for the status quo. That is just yesterday's compromise. It is true that some rules embodied in the WTO system may need updating so they reflect current economic reality. But all of the rules of our system are the product of past negotiation and can only be changed through further negotiation. Members want to see the momentum of the negotiations in agriculture and services sustained. But that can only happen in the WTO and in a process that allows for wider trade-offs.
I have said this many times before， but it is still true： what is in question is the launching of negotiations， not their conclusion. The agenda must be balanced and fair， and the principle of consensus must ensure the outcome is acceptable to all Members. All this is possible.
France has real interests in an effectively functioning multilateral trading system. To give some examples： In 1999， more than 40 percent of French GDP was related to trade in goods； France exported 7 percent of this GDP to non-EC countries and 14 percent to EC Member-states. Annual flows of inward and outward foreign direct investment represent roughly 9 percent and 12 percent of trade flows. France is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world. Since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round， France has increased its exports. Through new negotiations， additional market access opportunities will be created. Further liberalization of developing country markets and China in particular should also result in significant gains. As the world's third largest exporter of services， France is also a major beneficiary of our Services Agreement with great interest in further liberalization in this area. In 2000， France exported commercial services worth US77 billion.
The 4th WTO Ministerial Conference is an opportunity for Ministers to reinvigorate our processes， boost global economic confidence and strengthen the multilateral trading system. It is a chance to affirm the importance of the rules-based system governing trade amongst nations. It is a chance for all Members to participate in a process that is win-win and promises benefits for all.
