| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Tita Freeman |
| December 20, 2005 |
(202) 496-3269 |
Urge WTO Members to Move Forward with Serious
Commitment
Washington, DC - In the aftermath of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) Ministerial conference in Hong Kong, Business Roundtable
today called on WTO members to move ahead quickly with serious
negotiations so the Doha Development Agenda can be completed
by the end of 2006. The Roundtable called on the WTO to schedule
a follow-up Minister-level meeting in early 2006 to continue
the negotiating process.
"While progress was made in Hong Kong, much work remains
if a comprehensive agreement is to be competed in 2006," said
Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President and CEO, The McGraw-Hill
Companies, and Chairman of Business Roundtable's International
Trade & Investment Task Force. "The Ministerial meetings succeeded
in keeping the negotiations alive, but negotiators must be
forward-looking to make the promise of the Doha Round a reality
for businesses, families and farmers."
Mr. McGraw commended U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman,
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and the entire
U.S. negotiating team for their work leading up to the Ministerial
and their even more difficult efforts to achieve a breakthrough
in Hong Kong.
"WTO members now must find the political will to intensify
their efforts over the next few months," Mr. McGraw added.
"If they do not, they risk sacrificing a real opportunity
to generate global economic growth for developed and developing
countries alike - and may call into question WTO's ability
to deliver on critical objectives moving forward."
# # #
Business Roundtable (www.businessroundtable.org)
is an association of chief executive officers of leading corporations
with a combined workforce of more than 10 million employees
and $4 trillion in annual revenues. The chief executives are
committed to advocating public policies that foster vigorous
economic growth, a dynamic global economy, and a well-trained
and productive U.S. workforce essential for future competitiveness.
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