- Title: WTO chief candidate urges quick decision on next leader amid 'deep crisis'
- Date: 15th July 2020
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JULY 15, 2020) (REUTERS) SEADE ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE, TAKING OFF MASK (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEXICO'S CANDIDATE TO HEAD THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO), JESUS SEADE KURI, SAYING: "So, you have crisis in the WTO, a ministerial conference happening after four years, change of Director General. So, for all those reasons, I think this needs to be done as quickly as possible. And if I could decide, I would say 'please members, decide by this weekend'. Because we need all the time to work towards the next ministerial and not to think of the United States elections. Whatever it is, we will work with that, it is a very important member, we will work with them." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEXICO'S CANDIDATE TO HEAD THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, JESUS SEADE KURI, SAYING: "The style of negotiation of Ambassador (U.S Permanent Representative to WTO Dennis) Shae may be robust, tough, but I don't think many of the critiques he has made will not be shared by the democrats, that is probably an issue that we will go over. And precisely for that reason, I think the election should not be something that creates any obsession to make a decision before or to make it after, I think we should make this decision as soon as possible." VARIOUS OF NIGERIA'S CANDIDATE TO HEAD THE WTO, NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA'S CANDIDATE TO HEAD THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO), NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA, SAYING: "We need an institution that can promote a rules-based system. 'Remember the trade wars', I would say to him - of the past, we don't want that. We want peace and security and stability. That is why the WTO is needed, with its ability to arbitrate dispute within members. So, 'Don't leave now. Let's try to fix what need fixing and if we didn't have the WTO we would have to invent it', that is what I would say to him (U.S. President Trump)." VARIOUS OF EGYPTIAN CANDIDATE TO HEAD THE WTO, HAMID MAMDOUH ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EGYPTIAN CANDIDATE TO HEAD THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO), HAMID MAMDOUH, SAYING: "The bilateral tensions between the U.S. and China in my view, should be resolved in the WTO. The WTO should be seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem. And also we have to keep in mind that since we all believe in the multilateral system, and I believe that the U.S. does believe in the multilateral system, as well as China, then, we also have to keep in mind that bilateral tensions do not only have bilateral effects. And bilateral solutions would have ramifications for other as well." VARIOUS OF MAMDOUH LEAVING AFTER NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF WTO BUILDING WTO LOGO AND SIGN
- Embargoed: 29th July 2020 18:59
- Keywords: China U.S. WTO WTO candidates World Trade Organization trade
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002CMX90LJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Candidates to lead the World Trade Organization urged members to reach a decision quickly on Wednesday (July 15) and address what one described as a "deep crisis" as it began the vetting process.
Nominations from eight countries have been submitted, including three women, three African candidates and a former Saudi air force pilot, to replace Brazil's Roberto Azevedo, who will step down a year early at the end of August.
His successor faces an unprecedented set of challenges such as intensifying global trade tensions, rising protectionism as well as a coronavirus-induced dive in global trade.
"This needs to be done as quick as possible," said Jesus Seade, a senior trade official in Mexico, describing the trade watchdog as being in "deep crisis".
Seade also rebuffed a suggestion that a final decision on the next chief should be delayed until after the U.S. presidential election in November.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Washington has urged reform of the WTO and blocked appointments to its top court.
Nigeria's candidate, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, also said she hoped members would make a quick decision, urging Trump or his successor not to leave the WTO and to work with the body on reform.
Egypt's candidate, Hamid Mamdouh urged Beijing and Washington to seek to resolve their trade disputes within the multilateral body.
(Production: Cecile Mantovani, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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