Azevêdo Takes Office from Lamy as WTO DG

Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo formally began his term as WTO Director-General on Sunday, succeeding Pascal Lamy in the role. The leadership transition comes as the organisation’s 159 members gear up for their December ministerial conference, where they hope to clinch a package of deliverables from the long-running - and often troubled - Doha Round of trade talks.

The arrival of Azevêdo, who was previously Brazil’s Ambassador to the global trade body, marks the first new WTO chief in eight years. Azevêdo will give his inaugural speech to members next Monday at a meeting of the General Council, where he is expected to outline his initial plans and priorities for his four-year term.

Lamy exits

Azevêdo’s entry comes on the heels of the departure of Pascal Lamy, a French national who served as Director-General from 1 September 2005 until 31 August of this year. Notably, Lamy’s eight-year tenure saw the organisation launch the Aid for Trade initiative, along with taking an active role in monitoring the rate and number of protectionist measures implemented by WTO members during the financial crisis.

Other major WTO developments during this period included the finalisation of a revised Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), an update to the organisation’s guidelines for least developed country (LDC) accessions, and the adoption of a transparency mechanism for regional trade agreements. Eleven new members have joined the WTO since Lamy took office in 2005, including Russia, bringing the current total to 159.

The next steps for Lamy remain unclear. The former EU Trade Commissioner has long been rumoured to be a contender for a place in the French government’s cabinet; however no formal announcement of his future plans has been made.