Canada has emerged as an unlikely mover in the negotiations to choose a new director general of the World Trade Organisation.
Three WTO “ambassadors” who are overseeing the selection have cut the shortlist to five from nine by eliminating candidates from four developing nations, including the only ones from Africa.
That leaves New Zealand’s Tim Groser facing four candidates from Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea and Mexico.
While all are large and powerful economies, the Canadians have taken the unusual step of issuing a “manifesto” for the successor to Pascal Lamy, the former French trade unionist who has led the organisation for two four-year terms with disappointing results.
The Canadian agenda includes standing firm on WTO principles such as trade liberalisation, fighting protectionism and finding common ground on new approaches outside the WTO.
While Mexico and South Korea have free trade agreements with the US and Mexico has one with Canada, protectionism remains high in Indonesia and South Korea.
This leaves Mr Groser as the strongest candidate if the choice was made purely on the merits of New Zealand policies and what he has espoused during his campaigning around the world.
But the WTO selection process is also about moving control for the first time out of the western orbit and handing it to a developing economy.
The AFP news agency says there was “anger” at the WTO in Geneva as the only two African candidates were eliminated along with challengers from Costa Rica and Jordan.
"The selection process was flawed and the procedures were violated, and we cannot join the consensus," Kenya's WTO ambassador Anthony Andanje was quoted as telling AFP.
AFP says Brazil's WTO ambassador Roberto Azevedo is seen as a favourite in diplomatic circles.
"We are confident," Brazilian trade official Jose Estanislau Do Amaral told AFP. "There is a widespread perception that it is the developing countries' time.”
After starting as a rich nations’ club, the WTO now has 159 member states, many of which have little trade activity.
For example, a quarter of that membership is from Africa but even though the continent’s level of international trade is increasing it is still only 3% of the total.
For his part, Mr Groser has toured Africa and spoken of how he would make the WTO more effective:
"I had some constructive discussions on how WTO mechanisms might be further leveraged to assist developing and least-developed countries to take full advantage of the benefits of the multilateral trading system. The WTO Secretariat too will continue to have a very important role to play.
"To enable WTO members to compete on equal terms, it is important to ensure that there is adequate flexibility for developing and least-developing countries in implementing their obligations under WTO Agreements, while upholding the WTO's careful balance of rights and obligation."
Meanwhile, Canada’s trade minister, Ed Fast, has outlined that country’s views that the successful candidate possess the “right long-term vision for the WTO, along with the leadership characteristics, experience, proven record of success and commitment required to realize that vision.”
He says Canada will support a candidate who “can marshal common cause against the protectionism that remains a toxic threat to the global economic recovery.”
This is said against a background of the WTO is presiding over a huge slowdown in world trade and, with the stalled Doha round, is struggling to negotiate reforms in global trade rules.
My interpretation is that Canada does not see control of the WTO by Brazil, Indonesia or Mexico as achieving this goal, even if those nations feel it is their “time” for a go.
Mr Fast continues:
“Canada will support the selection of a candidate who has a demonstrated ability to bridge the very difficult gaps between developed, developing and least-developed countries in the pursuit of successful multilateral trade outcomes.
“Canada supports a merit-based selection process and will be calling upon all members to select a candidate who exhibits these traits and is committed to advancing this agenda for the common benefit of all WTO members.”
Mr Groser can take comfort from these words but whether they are heeded in the second round of the selection process, which runs until the midde of next week, remains to be seen.