MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pascal Lamy wants a second term as head of WTO

Lamy wish to be on front of WTO for a second term

The World Trade Organization's French director-general Pascal Lamy will seek another four-year term heading the body that sets rules for global commerce.

In a letter to the WTO 153-member general council released Tuesday by the organization, Lamy said he wanted to continue efforts to help poorer countries develop their economies through international trade. His current term ends in August 2009. The 61-year-old member of the French Socialist Party has served as the arbiter in disputes over the WTO long-suffering Doha round of global trade talks. The seven-year negotiation is still far from completed and has suffered a number of setbacks since Lamy took office in Sept. 2005. Many are sceptical as to whether the wide-ranging deal to cut farm subsidies and manufacturing tariffs around the world can be completed at all. "Much remains to be done, not only to conclude the Doha Round negotiations, but also to ensure a better functioning of the multilateral trading system," Lamy said. Countries can nominate alternative candidates as of December. Then, a complex set of consultations weeds out those deemed least likely to be approved by consensus decision until there is only nominee left. Before becoming WTO chief, Lamy was the negotiator in many high-profile disputes involving the United States and developing countries during five years as the European Union's trade commissioner. He went head-to-head with the U.S. in cases over steel, government aid to Boeing and Airbus, hormone-treated beef and protection for geographically specific products such as Champagne and Parma ham. WTO Council president Australian Bruce Gosper announced a weeks ago that the nomination process is to begin next December first, nine months before the end of Mr. Lamy's term, as indicated by WTO rules.