WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/15
10 November 2001
(01-5597)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth Session
Doha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  French
FRANCE
Statement by H.E. Mr Laurent Fabius
Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry
Three observations, to begin with:
- Firstly, I would like to thank Qatar, our hosts, who have done their utmost to provide
us a warm welcome, as well as the Chairman, Mr Harbinson, and the
Director-General, Mr Mike Moore.
- Secondly, I would like to highlight the fact that with the accession of China, the
World Trade Organization will at long last have become a true world organization.
- Thirdly, I wish to make the point that trade and terrorism are not good bedfellows.
Our presence here in Doha shows that we will not be intimidated.  After the failure of
Seattle, we want the success of Doha.
Making a success of Doha means fully understa nding the framework:  that of a necessarily
efficient, rules-based organization with a dispute se ttlement mechanism that substitutes law for force
and multilateralism for unilateralism.
Making a success of Doha means setting a course:  the opening up of trade coupled with a
strengthening of rules, with the ultimate aim – and I stress this point – of contributing to full
employment, to improvement of living standards and to sustainable development.
In this context, France favours a strong, legitimate and democratic WTO serving two priority
objectives:
1. The WTO must first contribute to the opening up and regulation of world trade
Markets, whether national or global, will only work for the benefit of all if they are governed
by rules.  And while we have, in the past, created global market rules in the traditional areas of goods
and services, if we wish to pursue our course and further open up our economies on a progressive and
mutual basis, we need to enhance those rules.  We need to improve them, where necessary, as aproper response to the process of integration of world markets.
I have drawn at least two lessons from  our experience in the European Union:
- The opening up of borders does not suffice to ensure a fair and harmonious
development of trade.  Common rules governing competition and investment must
progressively be introduced to consolidate what has already been achieved and thuscontribute to the development of investment flows between WTO Members and, inWT/MIN(01)/ST/15
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particular, towards the developing countries.  This would ensure equal opportunities
for the different economic actors, the SMEs and the large groups.
- Secondly, the economic preferences of consumers often reflect choices by our
citizens.  These choices may differ from one country to another, for example, in thefood safety area.  The WTO has the responsibility of avoiding conflicts that could
result from these differences by specifying or clarifying existing multilateral rules
wherever necessary.
Moreover, negotiations should pave the way for progress on the dispute settlement chapter, to
the benefit of all Members.
2. The WTO must also be an instrument at the service of sustainable development
The objective of sustainable development has been recognized and incorporated into the
WTO ever since the Organization was created.  The role of the State and of public policy is important
in ensuring greater security and solidarity.
Development, promotion of core labour standa rds and environmental protection are key areas
in which States and public opinion alike expect tangible results.
The question of development will be at the heart of the new round.  Above and beyond the
progress achieved in the discussions on implementation of the Marrakesh Agreements, access by the
disadvantaged countries to developed country and emerging country markets is a priority.   Europe
has already taken steps to that end on behalf of the least-developed countries.
And we are faced with two other tasks:  to give full meaning to the concept of "special and
differential treatment" without creating a two-speed WTO;  and to develop technical assistance in
areas where it is crucial.
The WTO must contribute to social development by ensuring permanent dialogue with other
international organizations, under the auspices of the ILO.
The WTO must contribute decisively to the regu lation of international trade by clarifying the
relationship between trade and environmental rules.
I would like to place particular emphasis on a matter of considerable importance, indeed a
moral obligation:  that of enabling populations that have been struck by epidemics such as AIDS to
have access to essential medicines.  France was behind the Global Health Fund launched by theSecretary-General of the United Nations.  Let us add access to essential medicines.  On behalf of the
French Government, I call upon you to give all human beings the means to exercise, concretely, their
basic right to life.
3. To fulfil these missions, the WTO must respect the principles of equity and transparency
Equity means participation by all.  It requires transparency of procedures and negotiation
methods.  The WTO has achieved some progress since Seattle, and it must continue to do so.
Equity also means a comprehensive negotiating agenda:  only through a broad approach can
the priorities of each and every one of us be taken into consideration and a balanced result ensured.
Finally, equity means refraining from all pre-negotiation of results in certain areas.  I am
thinking, in particular, of the negotiation of the built-in agenda on agriculture and services, whichWT/MIN(01)/ST/15
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must be pursued on the basis laid down in Marrakes h, with due regard for the collective preferences
of all Members.
Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General, distinguished colleagues, when we created the WTO in
1994, we broadened the scope of the GATT to include contemporary problems.  We now have tobroaden the scope of the WTO in pursuit of controlled liberalization, of development and of world
governance.
In the framework of our negotiations, we must meet the expectations of all Members of the
Organization, of the economic actors and of public opinion.  It is in that spirit that France intends to
contribute to this meeting in Doha.
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