Brazil's Azevedo set to head WTO
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E-mail Xinhua, May 9, 2013
Brazil's permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo will become the next director-general of the 159-member organization, it was officially announced Wednesday.
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| Brazilian Roberto Azevedo smiles during press conference after he has been officially named to take the helm of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on May 8, 2013 in Geneva. [Xinhua/AFP] |
The chair of the general council Shahid Bashir, who head a three-person panel for the selection, announced at an informal meeting of heads of delegations the recommendation of Azevedo as the most likely candidate to garner a consensus and be selected for the post.
He will be confirmed in a formal meeting of the general council on May 14 and replace current WTO director-General Pascal Lamy, whose tenure will end on Aug. 31.
The 55-year-old diplomat has worked directly on economic issues for more than 20 years. He had overseen the dispute settlements affairs in Brazil, acting as head of delegation in several WTO cases.
He participated in the Doha round negotiations as head of the Brazilian delegation from 2005 to 2006. He has been ambassador to WTO since 2008.
Azevedo will face a tough challenge to break the deadlock of the Doha Development Round negotiations. A more urgent task for Azevedo is trying to push members to finalize an "early harvest" package in trade facilitatation, agriculture and some specific issues for developing countries, expected to be delivered at the coming ministerial conference in Bali, Indonesia.
An unprecedented nine candidates ran for the top post in a process lasting half a year. Four candidates were eliminated after the first round and three more after the second.
Azevedo advanced into the final round with the former Mexican minister for trade and industry Herminio Blanco Mendoza, backed up by major economies including the United States and the European Union.
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