NEWS RELEASES
EGGLETON TO ATTENDWORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CONFERENCE
December 3, 1996 No. 230
EGGLETON TO ATTEND
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CONFERENCE
The Honourable Art Eggleton, Minister for International Trade, will attend the
first ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Singapore to
discuss key world trade issues.
The December 9-13 meeting of the 125-member organization will review how member
countries are carrying out their trade commitments and look at the WTO's ongoing
and future work program. At Singapore, the ministers -- the WTO's "board of
directors" -- will give political guidance to the organization.
"The Singapore conference is an opportunity to consolidate our gains in
liberalizing world trade and to chart the path for the future," said Mr. Eggleton.
"As ministers, we must show the political will to forge ahead with the job of
opening up markets under effective trade rules."
The conference will consider reports by 30 WTO working groups and committees
covering all issues on the WTO agenda. Ministers will review proposed work in
these groups under the so-called "built-in agenda" of the WTO -- commitments
contained in the WTO agreements for review and further negotiation. Key
commitments are to resume negotiations in agriculture by 1999 and in services by
2000. They will also discuss work under way on trade and the environment. They
will consider what needs to be done to complete the ongoing negotiations in the
telecommunications and financial services sectors. As well, ministers will
consider a proposed information technology agreement, an initiative to remove
tariffs on technology products.
Ministers will also discuss a Canadian-led proposal for work on trade and
investment; a Canadian proposal for a conference on technical assistance to
improve the integration of the least developed countries into the global trading
system; and a range of other matters. As well, they are expected to discuss the
linkages between trade and labour standards.
"Canada played a major role in creating the WTO," said Mr. Eggleton. "The WTO is
key to a smoothly functioning world trading system. That is vital to Canadians
because international trade is the lifeblood of our economy. More than one in
three jobs depend on international trade."
Additional background information on the conference is available by telephoning
the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade at (613) 995-1874 or by
accessing the Department's World Trade Organization section at its Internet site:
www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/whatsnew/menu.htm under "Trade General."
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Nicole Bourget
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister for International Trade
(613) 992-7332
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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