Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 12 • Number 37 • 6th November 2008
Lamy Seeks Second Term as WTO Chief
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WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy confirmed on Tuesday that he will seek a second term as head of the global trade body.
“I stand ready to continue to serve the WTO for a second term and to make a contribution to reinforcing multilateralism and development,” Lamy said in a letter to the chair of the WTO’s General Council, Australian Bruce Gosper, who will preside over the selection process.
The 61-year-old marathon-running Frenchman has been at the helm of the international trade organisation since September 2005. His current term, which concludes next August, has been dominated by efforts to finalise a deal on the Doha Development Agenda Round of trade talks. Now in their seventh year, the talks suffered a major setback in July when ministers failed to secure a breakthrough deal.
“Much remains to be done, not only to conclude the Doha Round of negotiations, but also to ensure a better functioning of the multilateral trading system,” Lamy said in his letter.
Recently Lamy, a former EU Trade Commissioner, has argued that reaching agreement in the Doha talks would lend confidence to the world economy, given its current financial turmoil, and fend off protectionism.
In his letter Lamy also pointed to the progress made over the last three years at the WTO, including advances, although not success, in the Doha negotiations, the prominence of the Aid for Trade Agenda and the addition of five new Member countries to the global trade body, among others, he said.
Brazilian Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, who has been rumoured as a future WTO head, spoke positively about Lamy’s decision to re-run.
“I think he’s a great asset for the organisation. He is someone who has shown fairness, understanding, courage but at the same time equilibrium, so he has the qualities to continue to steer this ship,” Amorim told reporters on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
While Lamy’s intention to seek reappointment will most likely dissuade others from running, the decision may mean that the organisation will not be exposed to the prolonged and vicious campaigns that have marked past elections.
According to WTO selection procedures, other candidates have the month of December to throw their hats into the ring (see BRIDGES Weekly http://ictsd.net/i/news/bridgesweekly/31202/). The nominees then have three months — until the end of March — to “make themselves known” to the WTO Membership, followed by a two-month selection process that will conclude at the end of May.
Lamy’s letter is available at: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/pl_second_term_e.htm.
ICTSD reporting; “Lamy to seek new term as WTO chief,” FINANCIAL TIMES, 4 November 2008; “WTO head seeks new term in office,” BBC NEWS, 4 November 2008; “WTO chief Lamy seeks second term, renews Doha vow,” REUTERS, 4 November 2008.
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