ICC pledges business support on trade liberalization
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| ICC President Mr McCormick has pledged business support to WTO ambassadors |
Geneva, 31 May 2001 - At a top-level meeting with the WTO Ambassadors in Geneva, ICC President Richard McCormick pledged full business support for a successful outcome of the coming WTO ministerial conference in Qatar.
Warning against consequences of a negative result, Mr McCormick said: "Too much has been gained in terms of job creation and the development of opportunities for that to be allowed to happen," he said. "The future of this world depends on the trading system becoming more robust. If we don't succeed, we risk leaving whole continents behind."
Mr McCormick's comments came during ICC's annual meeting with key WTO ambassadors. ICC's delegation of 12 business leaders exchanged views on trade policy with the ambassadors who are preparing the ground for the WTO Ministerial Conference in November.
During a wide-ranging discussion on the progress of negotiations, WTO ambassadors expressed growing optimism at the prospects for a successful outcome in Qatar.
A development welcomed by ICC representatives at the meeting who said a successful outcome would boost business confidence around the world.
"We in business hope you can do the job and set the stage for a successful outcome in Qatar," Mr McCormick said. "This would send a huge signal to investors about the continuity of the market opening process and build confidence that an economic slowdown will not lead to more isolationism, but rather greater engagement.
"The rules based multilateral trading system is the central pillar of international cooperation. It terrifies me to think that people would even consider dropping out. Drop out to what? Isolationism?"
Mr McCormick added that the inclusion of developing country concerns in any negotiations would be crucial to a successful outcome.
"We are an organization with members in more than 140 nations and are highly sensitive to the needs of developing countries," he said.
"The rules based multilateral trading system is vital for job creation and economic opportunity in these countries. We have been trying to tell that story and would urge governments to do the same."
The ICC is the only world business organization with members in all business sectors in every part of the world. It has more than 7,000 member companies throughout the world.
For further details, contact ICC Director of Communications, Bryce Corbett in Paris: +33 6 20 47 32 52.