wtogeneralcouncilbythebraziliancandidatetothepost.docVIP

Presentation to the WTO General Council by the Brazilian candidate to the post of Director-General of the WTO, Roberto Azevêdo ? ? ? Let me start by thanking you, Madam Chair and Members, for this opportunity to be here with all of you, once again. It is an honour to participate as a candidate in this process of selection of the next Director-General. ? All of you know me as the Brazilian ambassador to the WTO. Some of you know me since the days when I was a first-secretary posted at the Brazilian Mission here in the late 90’s, and all the way to vice-minister for trade and economic issues, coordinator of the G-20, chief-negotiator for Brazil in the Doha Round. I arrived in Geneva when the WTO was only two years old; and frankly I never left. Even when posted in Brasilia, most of my time was spent here in Geneva, negotiating in the WTO. ? Throughout all these years and in all those instances, whenever I was in this building, I was here as a representative of my country. You all saw me defending the interests of Brazil. ? This is the first time that, in this building, I will be sharing with you my personal vision of this Organisation, my thoughts about the multilateral trading system, my assessment of where we are today, and the path forward. So, let me start with my views on trade. ? I firmly believe that trade is an integral and indispensable element for growth and development of any economy. The ability to compete in global markets is a reliable indicator of the sustainability of any economic model. On the other hand, trade cannot be a goal in itself. It must happen in a way that improves living conditions of families in the real world. ? As to the WTO, it is my view that a DG must truly believe in the principles that guide this institution. The preamble of the Marrakesh Agreement states that WTO members will negotiate mutually advantageous agreements that reduce tariffs and other barriers to trade. I do believe in this. The preamble also maintains that our work