Global Policy Forum

By Richard Waddington

Former European Union trade chief Pascal Lamy took the lead on Friday in the race to head the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after a first round of consultations that saw the Brazilian contender knocked out. Kenyan ambassador Amina Mohamed, who heads the selection panel, said Lamy had more support than Mauritian Trade Minister Jaya Krishna Cuttaree and Carlos Perez del Castillo, former Uruguayan trade envoy to the WTO.

Brazil's candidate, its WTO envoy Luiz Felipe Seixas Correa, backed by India and China, should withdraw under the 148-member body's selection rules in which the candidate with least support is eliminated in successive rounds of consultations. "Lamy had the highest level of preferences and the most broad support," Mohamed told reporters. "The candidate least likely to attract consensus was the candidate from Brazil." Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said Mohamed "was very clear about the exclusion of Seixas Correa."

Mohamed said the next round of consultations would begin on April 25, with only the three other candidates. The WTO, which sets the rules for world trade, aims to find a successor to current Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi by the end of May. After the rows surrounding the last election, when New Zealand's Mike Moore and Supachai ended up serving three years each, the WTO is desperate for a peaceful transition.

Members fear a fresh fight over the leadership could delay the WTO round of free trade negotiations, with trade ministers due to conclude key pacts in Hong Kong in December. The head of the WTO, who usually serves four years, can have much personal influence, but, unlike the chiefs of the International Monetary Fund or World Bank, has no decision-taking powers.

Not an Election

Amorim questioned the selection process because the amount of support for each candidate was not announced -- a view shared by India's ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia, who told journalists his country would have been happier if the panel spelled out exactly how much support each candidate received. "This procedure does not contribute to improving transparency at the WTO," Amorim said. "One thing is confidentiality about who voted for who, another is just not giving the numbers."

But Mohamed told the WTO meeting she would give no numbers. "This is not an election," she was quoted as saying by one trade official. "It is an attempt to build consensus," she said. Although Lamy drew most support, trade officials said Mohamed had also told the meeting a number of countries expressed reservations about his ability to lead the Geneva-based organisation. She did not go into detail.

Lamy, 58, a French Socialist, was head of French bank Credit Lyonnais before becoming EU trade commissioner. He struck up a close working relationship with his former U.S. trade counterpart, Robert Zoellick, who has since moved over to become number two at the State Department. Cuttaree, who has held several ministerial positions, has the official backing of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group, which brings together many of the WTO's poorest members. Perez del Castillo, a respected former president of the WTO's executive General Council, was the first to enter the race and had ensured the support of many Latin American states before his Brazilian rival even started campaigning.

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