The result of the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s Third Ministerial Conference held in the northwestern US city of Seattle in November last year is "a blessing in disguise", Supachai Panitchpakdi, the WTO-Director General-in-waiting, said on January 7.

In a written interview with Xinhua, Supachai, Thailand's deputyprime minister and commerce minister, said the breakdown of the Seattle Conference was a "wake up call" to the more advanced WTO members that they will need to give greater consideration to the needs and interests of developing and least-developed members.

Since he began running for the post of WTO Director-General in November 1998, Supachai has labeled himself as a representative ofdeveloping nations and enjoyed popularity among developing membersof the world trade body.

On the other hand, he said, the collapse of the Seattle talks has revealed all of the urgency in searching and developing a moreeffective and transparent decision-making process within the WTO.

"With the increase in the number of membership, it is clear that the WTO institutional framework and negotiating tools would need to be improved so as to accommodate the inevitable rise in the number of diverse interests and complex issues as well as differences in the basic values and culture of the participants," he said.

The Seattle Conference has revealed what are the areas that require the utmost attention, Supachai said.

The first priority of the WTO in the new century, he said, mustbe to ensure that the WTO continues to be an effective forum for global trade negotiations.

"I would like to implore all member countries to maintain the momentum of multilateral liberalization processes by intensifying their efforts to find a common ground so that we can launch a new round of trade negotiations," said Supachai, who will succeed the current WTO Director-General Mike Moore in 2002.

He also stressed that efforts should be made to assure that all WTO agreements and future trade negotiations lead to the long-term welfare and prosperity of the world economies as a whole.

Being a genuine international organization with 135 members compared to 23 members in its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1948, the World Trade Organization has gained increasing public awareness, he said.

It created rules and norms for international trading practices, which injected greater predictability and transparency into the world market place.

However, the benefits generated from the more favorable trading environment have been distributed in an unequal manner, Supachai said.

"The developed members have benefited from the various WTO multilateral trade negotiations much more than the developing ones," he said.

"If this continues, there is little doubt that the majority of nations will soon lose faith in the WTO as well as in the multilateral trading system," he warned.

Supachai therefore called for more efforts to make the WTO a truly universal organization wherein all can participate on an equal footing.

He explained that this implies that favorable treatments and considerations need to be given to the interests and genuine concerns of developing and least-developed members in order for them to participate more actively and effectively in the WTO.

He also suggested that sufficient assistance be provided to non-members in their attempt to gain admittance into the WTO.

When asked about China's possible entry into the WTO after China and the United States reached bilateral trade agreement latelast year, Supachai said China's entry will be "an auspicious event for China, the WTO, and the multilateral trading regime as awhole."

On the one hand, he said, China will gain a great deal from becoming a WTO member in terms of the sense of predictability, transparency, and great access to markets and resources to expedite the Chinese market reforms and thus enhance the opportunity for growth and development.

On the other hand, the accession of China, a huge market of over one billion people, will be a big boost for the WTO and the entire multilateral trading system for it will greatly enhance theattempt to create a more open and freer trading environment, he said.

When asked about the process of globalization and its impact onthe world economies, Supachai said people should not shun themselves from the process of globalization despite its negative impact which could be seen from the spread of the Asian financial crisis.

With a better and faster telecommunications system, advanced computer technologies, and rapid innovation in financial and information services, it is widely believed that globalization would contribute positively to world development, Supachai said.

But he also pointed out that countries should continue to adaptand properly adjust to the changing environment brought about by globalization.

He said developing nations need to make far more adjustments and far-reaching reforms so as to keep up with the rapid globalization paces.

But with proper adjustments, they still gain more in terms of increasing their resource base, expanding their market opportunities, and expanding the needed technological know-how andexpertise.

Supachai said the world is facing an uphill battle in the endeavor to establish a freer and fair multilateral trading system.

But once the battle is won, he said, after both the WTO and itsmembers make the necessary reforms and adjustments, there will be "a new, more effective, and more vibrant international trading organization," and "a multilateral trading environment which is more robust, representing and working for the interest of all."