Brussels, 09/01/2012 (Agence Europe) -Seven figures vying to take over the head of the organisation which governs global trade at the end of 2013 are from developing countries, three of them women.
All of the candidates for the top job at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) currently held by France's Pascal Lamy, who has been its director general since 1 September 2005, and who is soon to finish his second term in office, have now made themselves known. The person to replace Lamy, who was previously European Trade Commissioner (1999-2005), could, under the tradition of alternation, be from a developing country. In this way, his predecessor, Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi (2002-2005), took over from the New Zealander Mike Moore (1999-2002). Another unwritten rule states that the person appointed to lead the WTO has to have held at least a ministerial or international senior civil servant position.
Seven of the nine candidates in contention are from developing countries. Ghana, the first country to submit an application, has put forward a former trade minister, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen. The continent of Africa has a second representative in the person of Amina Mohamed, who has several times held the position of ambassador of Kenya to UN organisations. Costa Rica has presented an application on behalf of its trade minister, Anabel Gonzalez, Indonesia has put forward Mari Elka Pangestu, its minister for tourism, who also held the post of trade minister for her country from 2004 to 2011. Latin America is also in a good position, with applications from Mexico's former minister for industry, Herminio Blanco Mendoza, and the current Brazilian ambassador to the WTO, Roberto Azevedo. Lastly, Jordan has nominated Ahmad Hindawi, its former trade minister. Just two candidates come from developed countries, the current trade ministers of South Korea, Taeho Bark, and New Zealand, Tim Groser.
The General Council of the WTO will start the hearings of the candidates on 29 January 2013, before appointing the next director general of the organisation by consensus, by 31 May 2013. Lamy's term in office will expire on 31 August of this year. (EH/transl.fl)