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<title>MR. PETTIGREW - ADDRESS TO ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS - MONTREAL, QUEBEC</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong><u>CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY</u></strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>THE HONOURABLE PIERRE PETTIGREW,</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE,</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>AT A LUNCHEON ORGANIZED BY</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS</strong></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><strong>MONTREAL, Quebec</strong></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><strong>December 2, 2003</strong></font></p>
<p>The Webcast of this speech is available at the following URL:</p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221063737/http://webapps.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/minpub/Minister_Webcast.asp?ID=3&Language=E">http://webapps.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/minpub/Minister_Webcast.asp?ID=3&Language=E</a></p>
<p>It is a pleasure to speak to you today, albeit virtually! First and foremost, I want to congratulate Aeroplan on its initiative to
assist Engineers Without Borders in their important work.</p>
<p>I would also like to commend the co-founders of Engineers without Borders, Parker Mitchell and George Roter, for putting
an idea that was conceived in a coffee shop in Toronto, into practice around the world. </p>
<p>Engineers Without Borders has volunteers working overseas on projects in such areas as water, energy, communications
and health. Their volunteers have provided over 25,000 hours of free labour for many worthwhile projects. What an
impressive example of social activism! </p>
<p>Today a further step has been taken. As you have heard, the innovative partnership between Aeroplan and Engineers
Without Borders will enable Aeroplan members to donate their miles to support Engineers Without Borders' project to
bring clean water to communities in Cameroon. This partnership means that more engineers will be able to travel, resulting
in more projects that support development.</p>
<p>I would like to speak to you about the links between international trade and development, but also about what the
Government of Canada is doing to better integrate developing countries into the global trading system.</p>
<p>I believe that there is an important parallel between the work that Engineers Without Borders undertakes, and what my
international colleagues and I are building. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Engineers Without Borders build
the physical infrastructure for development, and I believe that my colleagues and I help build the institutional infrastructure
for development. Your group has recognized that technology is a tool for human development, enabling individuals to
improve their livelihoods, health and safety. I believe that international trade, and the multilateral rules and institutions that
support it, are also tools for human development.</p>
<p>Leaders of developing countries have recognized that their citizens' standard of living depends greatly on their countries'
openness to international trade and the ability to tap into foreign markets. Make no mistake, they are asking for more and
freer trade, not less trade, and it is easy to understand why. The benefits of trade have been shown to far outweigh the
benefits ensuing from other sources of development financing, including official development assistance. For example, the
World Bank reported that a successful Doha Round of WTO negotiations could raise 144 million people out of poverty by
2015. </p>
<p>There are areas where developing countries themselves can improve access to each other's markets. South-South trade
currently accounts for 40 percent of developing country exports, but these countries have among the highest tariff barriers
between them. In fact, 65 percent of all tariffs paid by developing countries are paid to other developing countries! The
Government of Canada is encouraging the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to examine this particular
challenge to sustainable government revenues.</p>
<p>At the Liberal Party Convention last month, rock star and social activist Bono said that he intended to be the biggest pain in
Paul Martin's life by, among a long list of items, petitioning him on unfair trade. I welcome his activism! Canadian farmers
welcome it. Cotton producers in West Africa welcome it. We all welcome it because it puts the spotlight on our work at the
WTO and on those members that maintain policies that hinder the ability of citizens in developing countries to tap into
international markets. </p>
<p>The WTO continues to be a multilateral vehicle that gives its members--a majority of whom are developing countries--a
way to defend their trading interests. Without these rules, weaker economies would be more, not less, vulnerable. However,
we must strive to work within the boundaries of the institution itself. The WTO system works best when member states
come to the table to seek a deal, and there is no better proof of that than the case of the access to medicines initiative, which
allows least-developed countries with little or no domestic drug production capacity to import cheaper drugs to treat
epidemics. WTO members--developed and developing alike--recognized the problem and came to the table to reach a
balanced deal. It was by no means easy, but that is the nature of negotiation. As a result, we acted fast, so fast that Canada
was the first country to introduce legislation to allow for Canadian production of medicines for least-developed countries.
Bono thanked Canada for its leadership, and Paul Martin has indicated that this bill is a priority for him.</p>
<p>A further area where Canada is playing a leading role is capacity building. We recognize that a country's ability to integrate
into the global trading system depends on its capacity to use WTO rules to their full potential, in its best interest. Capacity
building for developing countries will continue to be a priority for Canada because we want them to be able to integrate into
this increasingly interdependent world. This can be a major challenge for many developing countries.</p>
<p>For example, some countries do not have a WTO delegation in Geneva, the seat of the institution, but handle WTO matters
through an embassy in Brussels. In the last two years, we have expanded our support for organizations that help developing
countries join the WTO and represent their interests once they do. The Government of Canada helped found the United
Nations Advisory Centre on WTO Law in Geneva and has provided funding to the Economic Commission for Africa to
establish an Africa Trade Policy Centre. The Centre helps African governments formulate, analyze and implement sound
trade policies. Through our membership in both the Commonwealth and La Francophonie, Canada is helping countries not
represented in Geneva through analytical and logistical support, as well as briefings. These projects are but examples of
how the Government of Canada is helping developing countries build institutional infrastructure. In our own way, these are
the "bridges" and "wells" that link international trade and international development.</p>
<p>In terms of physical infrastructure, as <em>Time</em> magazine put it, "Engineers Without Borders does smart new things in smart
new ways." The project you have launched today is another example of a great idea, and it is clear from the participants
sharing in the launch, that they think so too. Their commitment to you is a sterling example of a corporate-charitable sector
partnership.</p>
<p>Building strong institutions and fostering the capacity of developing countries to best use them are some of the ways in
which Canada is contributing to international development. Canada, one of the most open economies of the world,
recognizes the importance of international trade to the prosperity of our country. Equally so, developing countries see trade
as one of the largest and most promising sources of financing for development. I believe that our strong record in
international trade and development will only improve under our incoming prime minister, Paul Martin. He has a deep
commitment to international development. This was recognized when Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, named him Co-Chair of the UN Commission on the Private Sector and Development. The Canadian government will want to hear from
NGOs like Engineers Without Borders on how we can do better. On this front, stay tuned for more developments!</p>
<p>Thank you again, and congratulations.</p>
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