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TWN Info
Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Aug20/02) Geneva, 30 Jul (D. Ravi Kanth) – The WTO General Council Chair, Ambassador David Walker from New Zealand, is apparently exploring various options, including whether it would be legally consistent with the WTO rules for him to be acting director-general in the absence of consensus on the two deputy directors-general that are being considered for the acting DG post, said people familiar with the consultations. With the WTO DG selection process continuing until 7 November, there is an urgent need for members to agree to appointing an acting DG from the four existing deputy directors-general to replace the incumbent Roberto Azevedo who steps down on 31 August. The GC chair has been holding intense consultations with members to zero in on one of the two deputy directors- general – Alan Wolff from the United States and Karl Brauner from Germany. But the chair’s efforts seem to have proved to be in vain due to intense opposition from powerful members, said a person, who asked not to be quoted. Also, another powerful member has suggested that it is wrong to consider only those two deputies while the other two DDGs – Yonov Frederick Agah from Nigeria and Yi Xiaozhun from China – are being ignored, the person said. Against this backdrop, the GC chair is apparently seeking advice from some trade envoys about the option of his acting as DG and whether it would be legally consistent with the WTO rule-book, said another person, who preferred not to be identified. In his email sent to members on 29 July, the GC chair informed them that he will convene a heads of delegation (HoD) meeting on 30 July, which will be followed by a regular General Council meeting to finalize the designation of the acting director-general. Ambassador Walker said that he will announce the modalities for Phase 3 of the Process of Appointment of the next Director-General, which will start on September 7. The GC chair said that in the third phase, he will be “assisted by the Chairs of the Dispute Settlement Body and the Trade Policy Review Body acting as Facilitators – Ambassador Dacio Castillo of Honduras and Ambassador Harald Aspelund of Iceland.” The GC chair said the informal HoD meeting “will be followed by the resumption of the formal General Council meeting, to finalize the consideration of item 6 of the Agenda,” concerning the designation of acting director- general. While the United States is pushing hard for Mr. Wolff to be appointed as acting DG, the European Union is pushing for Mr. Brauner. Meanwhile, China is said to be unhappy that the two other DDGs are not even being considered, said another person, who asked not to be identified.
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