Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 8 • Number 42 • 8th December 2004
WTO DG Race Heating Up: Lamy Announces Candidacy; Kenyan May Throw Hat Into Ring
Former EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy announced on 7 December that he will seek to succeed Supachai Panitchpakdi as Director-General (DG) of the WTO. The very same day, his candidacy received the preliminary approval of the 133 Committee, the body comprised of trade officials from all 25 member states that determines EU trade policy. No EU members objected to Lamy’s bid at the meeting, so the official endorsement of his bid on 9 December is expected to be a formality. Lamy also received public declarations of support from Peter Mandelson, his successor as trade commissioner, as well as European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. US trade officials described Lamy as a "strong candidate," but stopped short of endorsing his candidacy.
Lamy is joined in what is fast becoming a crowded race by former Uruguayan WTO Ambassador Carlos Perez del Castillo and Mauritian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Jayakrishna Cuttaree, who have both already been formally nominated for the WTO’s top job.
Other likely nominees to replace Supachai when his term ends in September 2005 include Brazil’s current WTO Ambassador Luiz Felipe de Seixas Correa and surprise candidate Mukhisa Kituyi, Kenya’s minister for trade and industry.
Kenya unexpectedly announced its intention to nominate Kituyi at the end of an African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) group of countries ministerial in Brussels on 29 November - 3 December. Annoyed Mauritian officials insisted that the ACP group was "overwhelmingly behind" Cuttaree’s candidacy. However, the nomination of the Kenyan could split the ACP countries. An announcement regarding Kituyi’s candidacy is expected by 10 December.
All nominations are to be sent to the Chair of the General Council by 31 December. This will be followed by three months of campaigning by nominees before consideration begins on 1 April 2005. Less popular candidates are supposed to successively withdraw their names from consideration during the final two months of the process, leaving the General Council to establish consensus around one candidate by 1 June 2005. If consensus proves impossible by this date, Members may vote on whom to appoint.
The previous selection process paralysed the WTO for months, distracting Members from preparatory work for the 1999 Seattle Ministerial Conference that went on to end in failure.
ICTSD Reporting; "Lamy Confirms Bid for Top WTO Job; EU Committee Approves Candidacy," WTO REPORTER, 8 December 2004; "Pascal Lamy in running to head WTO," FINANCIAL TIMES.COM, 7 December 2004; "Move to Push Kenyan Candidate Could Split African Nations Over Selection of WTO Chief," WTO REPORTER, 7 December 2004.