World Trade Organization: A Search for New Director-General

The World Trade Organization has failed to select a caretaker chief due to an impasse among members who must still agree by November on a replacement for outgoing DirectorGeneral Roberto Azevedo, the Geneva-based body said.

The General Council agreed on 31 July on the steps to be taken in the final stage of the process for selecting a successor to depart Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. The Council also agreed to extend the tenure of the four sitting Deputy Director-Generals — Yonov Fred Agah, Karl Brauner, Xiaozhun Yi, and Alan Wolff — until a new Director-General has been selected.

Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mr. Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh, Mr. Tudor Ulianovschi, Ms. Yoo Myung-hee, Ms. Amina C. Mohamed, Mr. Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri, and Dr. Liam Fox have been nominated by their respective governments for the post of WTO Director-General to succeed the current Director-General, Mr. Roberto Azevêdo.

Photo Courtesy: WTO