First round of selection for new WTO head begins

The first round of selection process for the next Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) started here on Tuesday.

The term of current Director-General Pascal Lamy will expires on Aug. 31.

A “troika” consisting of ambassador of Pakistan and chair of the WTO General Council Shahid Bashir, ambassador of Canada and chair of the Dispute Settlement Body Jonathan Fried, and ambassador of Sweden and chair of the Trade Policy Review Body Joakim Reiter will consult all 159 members.

The first round of selection will last until April 9 and four of the nine candidates will be eliminated, a source close to the selection process told Xinhua.

The three chairs’ task is to help members build a consensus, and move from the initial field of candidates to a final appointment no later than 31 May 2013, according to the WTO.

The nine candidates are Roberto Azevedo from Brazil, Herminio Blanco Mendoza from Mexico, Anabel Gonzalez from Costa Rica, Taeho Bark from the Republic of Korea, Tim Groser from New Zealand, Ahmad Hindawi from Jordan, Alan Kyerematen from Ghana, Amina Mohamed from Kenya and Mari Pangestu from Indonesia.

Source: Xinhua News