The functioning of the world trade organization

Public Strategies Inc.

1. 
   Mike Moore has shown significant leadership in helping all participants in the process that successfully concluded in Doha. I thank him now for convening this conference on the post-Doha work and the functioning of the WTO. Had the last ministerial gone the way Seattle did, we would not be meeting to discuss neither the development agenda nor the functioning of an institution that would be doing significant soul searching instead.
   

2. 
   It is an honor for me to share this panel with Arthur Dunkel, Clayton Yeutter, and Stuart Harbinson whom is much to blame for showing us WTO can function if the General Council is well led. I would like to use this opportunity to address three issues related to the functioning of WTO and let others talk about the financing of the institution. First of all, I will comment briefly on the mercantilist nature of the institution and of trade policy in most countries; then, I will share some thoughts on the decision making process in Geneva; and, finally, I will touch upon on the debate surrounding democracy and WTO.