This para from the ECIPE website piece on who next as the WTO DG perhaps epitomises the state we are in, in term sof international trade governance:
A saviour would be high-profile, carrying political weight, being able to talk to world leaders on the state of affairs, a political leader herself/himself and one who can take the fight to the next level to maintain the interests of the international organisation.
A survivor would probably be a diplomat/technocrat who can carry on with the day to day running of the institution, implement the existing agreements amidst the gloom and attempt to move the slow ship of negotiation at the proverbial glacial pace.
Whether a saviour or survivor - it is going to be a challenging one to keep the momentum going.
By the way, the WIPO has a new DG elect - Daren Tang from SIngapore will be the new DG in WIPO from October 2020.
Change of guard all around.
The challenges are everywhere. The Organization lacks political leadership amongst its membership. Trade wars look like they could easily get out of hand. The Appellate Body has become defunct, threatening the WTO’s dispute settlement function. Trade negotiations are largely at an impasse. Calls for reform of the WTO have fallen on largely deaf ears. Countries are distracted by the Covid-19 pandemic which, in the trade sphere, has uncovered the fragility of global supply chains, led to increases in export restrictions and spawned massive subsidisation. There are even calls in the United States, the historical progenitor of the GATT and the WTO, to withdraw from the organization. International economic cooperation has reached a nadir.The ECIPE website summarises this when discussing what kind of person can lead the WTO next. A saviour or a survivor?
A saviour would be high-profile, carrying political weight, being able to talk to world leaders on the state of affairs, a political leader herself/himself and one who can take the fight to the next level to maintain the interests of the international organisation.
A survivor would probably be a diplomat/technocrat who can carry on with the day to day running of the institution, implement the existing agreements amidst the gloom and attempt to move the slow ship of negotiation at the proverbial glacial pace.
Whether a saviour or survivor - it is going to be a challenging one to keep the momentum going.
By the way, the WIPO has a new DG elect - Daren Tang from SIngapore will be the new DG in WIPO from October 2020.
Change of guard all around.
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