Conference mid-point, some small and volatile progress, and still too much to do.

Hi — and thank you to those of you who took the time to send comments on this diary. Great to know someone is reading this! I also got some interesting questions — hope to have the time to do an on-line chat next year. The sun is shining again in HK this morning — good omen for what will be another long day? We’re at the mid-point of the Conference and the path ahead can either become a slippery slope or a careful climb upward. I push, as I should, for the latter, but I also think we should now be asking ourselves: can we move 149 Members in the same direction? Listening to some of the Minister’s statements throughout the day I’m reminded of how many people in the world are watching us .... so many have a stake in the outcome of this Conference. This morning I feel more than ever the need for the work to begin in earnest.

Delegates from the 49 poorest countries are gathering to meet with me. I know they are expecting to hear what I and the other Members will do about the issues they care about. They are keen to get access to rich countries’ markets for their products — free of barriers. Some of them remind me that they represent only a tiny fraction of world trade, less than 1%, they cannot be seen as a threat to anyone — do they have any chance? I see my task as ensuring that their voices are heard and their points taken into account.

Straight to a big meeting with the African Group. More than 300 delegates. They are determined that nobody should forget that this is meant to be a development Round. In all these discussions we’re inching upward towards something concrete.... some words that we can put down on paper and begin to see a bit — a very little bit — of convergence. It’s a fascinating process, almost magical at times, but always excruciating for everyone involved .... especially when you rarely get any sleep. But I must confess that seeing just a sparkle of what could become a big light, a textual agreement, is worth every minute of hard work.

Next meeting: the delegation of Ukraine. The Minister makes it a point to tell me that membership of the WTO is his government’s top priority and that everything is being done so it can occur next year. New members coming to the WTO — Saudi Arabia officially joined the organization just before this conference, on December 11, bringing the total membership to 149. There are some 30 countries in the line-up for membership. Contradictions surface very clearly during these big events: while some out there are shouting “sink the WTO!”, others, notably poorer countries, are doing everything they can to get in.

A rare moment of ease during this tough day — I’m coming out of the pressure cooker for a few minutes to attend the signing ceremony for the accession of Tonga to the WTO..... a pretty joyous occasion for this island country of 112,000 people. Tonga, the “Friendy Island”, is a “milestone” country, positioned next to the international date line — and it has a milestone place in the WTO — it will become the organization’s 150th member. Mâloh y léléi!

Back to work, although it’s already dark, many people going out for dinner. Tough luck for me and Secretariat staff. We have to stay on and prepare for the difficult task of getting everyone to agree on mapping out areas of progress — however small. Back into the “fish-bowl” for tough negotiations. Long hours, desperately trying to make people focus, I’m not allowed a moment of distraction now. I feel calm nonetheless because I’m confident that what we’re shaping has come from the bottom up, from the Members, developed and developing, small island countries, from powers like US, EU, China, India and Brazil, and also from the group of the poorest countries, who are perhaps the most eloquent of all on why we must not fail. Different interests, a myriad of signals and signs to decipher, to make sense of, before stealing a little sleep. I’m reminded of a Chinese proverb: no wind, no waves. Something is happening. A demain!

PS. I hope I have some time to shop for Christmas presents when the Conference is over.

Dear Mr Lamy,

I want to thank you for your commitment to bridging the gap in communication between the WTO and the people represented at that forum. Remember, we're far closer to mutual understanding and cooperation now than we were just 6 years ago when the complete lack of comprehension lead to the Seattle disaster.

I'd like to quote Dr Earl Reum, Co-ordinator of studenst activities at Lakewood, Colorado. I think this message is relevant to all the participants in your conference:

"I sincerely wish you will have the experience of thinking up a new idea, planning it, and following it to completion, then having it be magnificiently successful.
I also hope you go through the same process and have something fail terribly.
I wish you could know how it feels to run with all your heart and lose horribly.
I wish that you could achieve some great good for [humanity] and have nobody know it except you.
I wish you could find something so worthwile that you deem it worthy of devoting your life.
I hope you become frustrated and dissatisfed enough to begin to push back the very barriers of your own personality limitations.
I hope you make a stupid unethical mistake and get caught red handed and are big enough to say those magical words "I was wrong".
I hope you give so much of yourself that some days you wonder if its worth it all.
I wish for you a magnificent obsession that will give you a reason for living and purpose and direction and life.
I wish for you the worst kind of criticism for everything you do because that makes you fight to achieve beyond what you normally would.
I wish for you the experience of leadership."

I wish you the best christmas.

Dominic Meagher
Student, Australian National University
Director, AIESEC ACT

Dear Mr. Lamy

It's a great pleasure to read your devoted diary notes from Hong Kong. I wish  best luck and succes to you in your hard path of work at WTO.

Lasse Makela

Yichun, Heilongjiang Province

China

Another day left, but esperance is begining to jump up within the negotiations meetings on Honk Kong.

The target is now more near than before this conference.

Your team must continue their job and you too, because, Members (or delegates) need some insurance to take the good option for themselves and the world trade in general.

A big chance is offering to members in hong kong to make a minimal consensus. they are passing to side.

Good job and persevere more, your are approaching the goal.

Cordially Mr Adil DIANI

Ministery of foreign trade (Morocco)

asdil@yahoo.com / 0021264.79.04.83

Wonderful efforts. I appreciate your concern and honest graceness towards smaller countries to sustain. God bless these efforts

Anand

Monsieur le Directeur général,

C'est tous les matins un grand plaisir de lire votre journal.  Pour la première fois, nous, à Genève, avons vraiment le sentiment de faire partie de "l'équipe qui s'est déplacée".  Je parle en mon nom, mais je suis sûre qu'on ne me contradira pas. Je vous souhaite bonne continuation - nous sommes de tout coeur avec vous pour que les négociations soient un succès.

Anne L.

You are certainly right that the obstacles are many and formidable. But we must believe that changes for the better can be made, and that they can achieve at least a modest increase in the stock of fairness and justice in the world.

PL

Thank you for those thoughtful words and believe me I take them to heart  in considering how we can make the WTO not only more effective in contributing to global economic development, but also how we can earn the support of more people like you. Any ideas in that respect would be welcome. By the way, I do not "represent" France. France as a member of the EU is represented as such in the WTO. But, true, I am French and grateful to my country for having educated me as a public servant.

PL

Thank you for your encouragement. It is something I and the WTO need more of.

PL