(Adds Mexican candidate)
GENEVA/BRUSSELS, June 8 (Reuters) - The World Trade
Organization (WTO) began the process on Monday of selecting a
new director-general to replace Brazil's Roberto Azevedo, who is
stepping down a year early at the end of August. Azevedo's successor will need to steer reforms and
negotiations in the face of rising protectionism, a deep
recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and growing trade
tensions, notably between the United States and China.
The Geneva-based body normally takes nine months to choose a
new chief but now wants to do so in three. It prefers to pick a
chief by consensus, moving to a vote only as a last resort.
Below is a summary of possible candidates:
AFRICA
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria), board chair of global vaccine
alliance Gavi
Okonjo-Iweala, 65, is an economist and development
specialist who has served as Nigeria's foreign minister and
finance minister as as a managing director of the World Bank.
The former Harvard and MIT student's work has involved efforts
to make immunisation programmes financially sustainable.
She did not respond to a request for comment.
Eloi Laourou (Benin), ambassador to the U.N. and WTO
Diplomat for 30 years and champion of the rights of poorer
countries as ex-coordinator of a group of the least developed
countries. Holding a doctorate in international law and
international relations, he co-chairs a working group of
French-speaking countries on trade and development.
He did not respond to a request for comment.
Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt), currently Geneva-based lawyer
A former trade negotiator for Egypt and ex-WTO official who
helped draft an agreement on trade in services in the landmark
Uruguay Round deal - an experience which he said gave him
essential "bridge-building" skills.
Mamdouh, 67, is currently advising the G20 presidency, Saudi
Arabia, on trade and investment matters. He confirmed his
candidacy to Reuters and says he is backed by Egypt.
Amina Mohamed, (Kenya) sport and culture minister
Mohamed, 58, is a former Kenyan ambassador to the WTO who
was the first woman to chair the WTO's General Council in 2005.
She ran for the director general post unsuccessfully in
2013. Her CV says she speaks four languages, has a law degree
and is an "excellent strategist and visionary" who has advocated
broad participation in the WTO reform process.
She did not respond to a request for comment.
EUROPE
Arancha Gonzalez Laya (Spain), Spanish foreign minister
A lawyer, she served as chief of staff to then-WTO chief
Pascal Lamy between 2005 and 2013. Trade officials say she may
be unacceptable to the U.S. administration given strained
relations with Washington under Lamy's leadership.
Asked about her potential candidacy, she said she had a
"full plate" with her current job. Hogan (Ireland), European trade commissioner
He is in his second role as a European commissioner,
previously covering agriculture, and is considering a WTO bid
A politician of the centre-right Fine Gael party,
he has also served as a minister in two Irish governments.
He advocates reform at the WTO, agreeing with the United
States and Japan on the need to update global rules on
industrial subsidies. But his own relations with Washington have
been less cordial amid persistent transatlantic trade tension.
SOUTH AMERICA
Jesus Seade (Mexico), senior trade official in Mexican
government
Mexico is set to propose Seade, who helped rework the North
American Free Trade Agreement, sources said on Sunday.
He previously worked at universities in Hong Kong.