Statement delivered by Mr. Amoako at the WTO meeting in Seattle

Abstract

Statement delivered by Mr. Amoako at the WTO meeting in Seattle, Monday 29th November, 1999. Dr. Amoako, on his remarks highlighted that, if the Millennium Round is to be successful, it must redress the inequities of the Uruguay Round and be more comprehensive in its sectoral and issues- coverage. A broadened agenda would be balanced in its content, process and outcomes, and would fully accommodate the legitimate interests of the developing countries. many of our countries have been liberalizing, but this brings volatility to our economies and higher risks than in the industrialized countries. the implementation costs involved in the trade liberalization decisions of the past were little compared to the cost of implementing a number of recent and prospective WTO rules and provisions, such as custom valuation and intellectual property rights. the ultimate challenge here in Seattle is to have a negotiating round that will be an instrument for realizing the poverty reduction goals of the UN’s Copenhagen Conference-- reducing poverty by half by the year 2015.