WTO chooses new leader
The votes of developing nations were crucial in defeating the candidate preferred by the US and the EU.
Brazil's Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo has beaten Mexican veteran Herminio Blanco in the race to become director-general of the World Trade Organisation.
Mr Azevêdo is Brazil's ambassador to the 159-nation WTO and in a two-way runoff beat Mr Blanco in the final round.
Mr Azevêdo’s win was sealed despite the fact that the EU took a decision to back Mr Blanco on Tuesday, though it did not object to Mr Azevêdo.
The US was also expected to support Mr Blanco but not block Mr Azevêdo.
The EU vote had appeared to have swung in Mr Blanco’s favour based on what many agreed was a more liberal trade record for his home nation. But Brazilians always insisted this would not be a fatal setback. Brazil was said to enjoy broader support among developing countries.
Earlier, New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser was among three other candidates knocked out at the penultimate stage of the consensus-driven electiuon process.
Pakistan's WTO ambassador Shahid Bashir, head of the General Council, has been running the selection of a successor to Frenchman Pascal Lamy along with counterparts from Canada and Sweden.
Mr Lamy is due to step down on September 1 after two four-year terms.
His successor will face the tough task of trying to breath life into the WTO's moribund "Doha Round" of trade liberalisation talks, launched in 2001 with the goal of using international commerce to boost development in poorer member states.
Meanwhile, many of the traditional engines of global trade – such as the US and the EU – have moved to undertake bilateral and multilateral trade agreements of their own outside the WTO framework.
Nevil Gibson
Wed, 08 May 2013
Wed, 08 May 2013
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WTO chooses new leader
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