News Date: 05/04/2009
On April 30, the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council agreed to reappoint Director-General Pascal Lamy for a second term of four years. His second term will begin on September 1, 2009.
The unanimous decision followed Mr Lamy’s presentation on April 29 in which the Director-General presented his vision for the WTO for the next four years. In his statement, which was made in the context of the Director-General appointment process, Lamy identified the strengthening of the WTO as a global trade body as the main objective of his directorship and said that the conclusion of the Doha Development Round must be the number one priority in support of this objective.
"Contrary to conventional wisdom, the WTO is more than its negotiations. But delivering on the negotiating mandate of the Doha Round remains the litmus test of our collective ability to strengthen the global trading system," Mr. Lamy said. "Beyond the trade-offs required to conclude the Doha Round and also beyond the market access that it will bring, lies its hugely important systemic value. The biggest prize in the Doha Round is the certainty, predictability and stability it will bring to global trade."
A copy of the Director General’s full statement can be found at:
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news09_e/tnc_chair_report_29apr09_e.htm
(Contact: Amy Mann)
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