The last day and a good beginning

It was a struggle until the very end, until the last minutes.

As daylight appeared through the glass walls of the convention centre, I realized that the moment of truth was coming closer. We were in a make or break situation. The last hours of meetings were incredibly intense. The frustration at revisiting some issues for the fiftieth time is kept in check. It’s too easy now to lose one’s temper, to shift everything in reverse with the wrong word. It’s like keeping your balance on a small boat, trying to reach the other side of the river in the midst of the storm.

Balance is key for the dynamics of this group of 30 Ministers, representative of the many WTO sensitivities: two-thirds developing countries, least-developed, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Small Economies… but only three women ministers. I guess that this is the only balance we should improve!

Went back to the hotel for just two or three hours of sleep — but then it’s one of those moments when you go to bed, but your mind is working at such speed that it is difficult to fall asleep. Every ten minutes the phone rings, decisions to take, back to the centre. For some days we have been building what seems to be a castle of cards. Keeping a cool head in the final hours of the conference is essential to ensure that the castle does not crumble in the last minutes. When ministers leave at 7:00 am, John Tsang, the Chairman, and I still have to finalise the text that will be discussed by all members in the afternoon. Better not get the word and the coma wrong!

It was anything but a smooth afternoon. Problems, concerns of different ministers being channelled to my office, more meetings, phone calls. The last hours were like an emergency room in a hospital. Good thing that my staff, in spite of working under tremendous pressure, kept cool, with team spirit. We knew we could pull this off, but as a famous baseball player once said “it ain’t over till it’s over”. Delegates are queuing by the documentation centre to get the last draft of our work this week. Not exactly my idea of a bestseller, but judging from the excitement out there, it is almost as if it was the latest Harry Potter! Maybe an idea for the next book: “Hogwarts: the school of trade wizards?”

Back into another meeting with the heads of delegations. One after another they remind us we still have a lot of work to do, but they accept the text. The relief in the room is palpable. Everyone shares the sense we’ve succeeded, not completely... but with an impetus to finish the Round in 2006. At the plenary session of all Members that follows, the text is presented for final approval: the sound of the gavel followed by the words of the Chairman “so agreed” are music to my ears. Applauds fuse. It’s amazing! They all have been fighting their cases against one another during 100 hours, and they are united during one minute — but that is the crucial one. At the news conference the journalists pepper me with questions, the last trial in this gruelling week. But even they share our excitement at the result of these six days. I will tell them that when I came to Hong Kong, I was fully awake and the negotiations were half-asleep; tonight I am half-asleep but the good news is that the negotiations are now fully awake !

Tonight, it’s the flow of adrenaline that will delay my sleep. But I cannot deny I am happy. It’s been an incredible week in a fabulous city whose team ... John Tsang, the organizing committee, volunteers, and many others working out of the spotlight have done an impeccable work. I will bring vivid memories of them all with me to Geneva. Hosting the WTO must have been like having visitors for the weekend. They bring happiness when they arrive and peace when they leave.

That’s my season’s greeting to my friends in Hong Kong, and to you: Merry Christmas, Peace and goodwill to all !

This will be the last of my diary entries from Hong Kong, but we’re far from finished with the Round. Au revoir, see you later.

Excellent work! Congratulations! I felt very proud upon hearing the outcome of the negotiations, I did enjoy very much your diary updates and admire the energy and patience it took to complete them.

Joyeux Noël!

Bravo!!! Great job! I kept my fingers crossed and am very very happy with the result.

I have been following closely your blog entries...and enjoyed very much reading it. I like your sense of humor, haha! And they are very inspiring too. You are a great leader and able to keep morale high even under extreme pressure. It must be very nice working with you! haha.

Seriously the blog is a great idea since it conveys to the world what is going on with the WTO, what are those grey-suit people doing and what is the aim of WTO. This is a valuable part of making WTO responsible to the civil society. Thank you for taking the initiative and making yourself (and hence WTO) much more accessible and comprehensible to the general public. As you said there is a lot to be done to promote communication and clear up prejudice that is based on misunderstaning. So the blog is a good window and I do hope it carries on after the closure of HK Ministerial. Would you still update it once in a while? Please do!

I also enjoyed reading your previous speeches on various occasions. I share all you said (not that I am not critical, actually quite the contrary!). I agree that to promote free trade is not just for trade's sake, we should not compartmentalize our work in excluding say, environment issues, and trade is the missing piece of the development puzzle. These all seem so natural in your speeches but I know it wasn't. There were intense debates on the aim and objective of WTO, and you now shaped it with an  much more superior blueprint, both intellectually and morally. I cannot overstate how much I am inspired. I expect the WTO to truly place fairness and development in its heart and resume greater responsibility in world governance. I am so glad and grateful that the WTO is now in very capable hands and I look forward to its brilliant achievement in the next four years!

Take care and have a good rest. You and your staff deserves a most beautiful (and relaxing) Christmas! Have fun (hope you still got time to do shopping at HK, haha)!!!

Finally, a big big THANK YOU!

Tracy from China

Salut l'ami du libre échange et du commerce équitable!

Bien que ne partageant pas toutes vos idées...
Bravo pour votre énergie et pour votre travail!
Merci de prendre le temps d'un blog pour tous!

Joyeuses fêtes!

Congradulations!

I like to read Mr Lamy's diary, not only for getting information for the negotiation, but the spirit to work under great pressure.

Thank you for your work and information.

Your candour, sincerity and openess have inspired hope in many, as many messages posted on your diary so eloquently testify.

2006 is a year, no doubt, in which you want to build on these foundations of hope. You will, of course, be painfully aware of how easily they could be destroyed.

It is a wonderful moment for you to confirm how strong these foundations of candour, sincerity and openess are. An answer to the question first asked of you, in this forum on December 13th 2005, would do just that. An answer would reconfirm the fine qualities that have won many hearts around the world.

Here is the question again; 

Do you recognise the free and fair international trade of ecosystem services?

There is little doubt, so the scientists tell us, that the waves of damage, and disappointment, caused by choosing to ignore this question, could ultimately destroy us all.  

Dear Mr PascalLamy

You are requested to develop latest minutes of discussions of ministrial meetings on Doha Development Round and the viability of success of Doha Round at the earliest.

Sreeram