Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Jordan's WTO candidate?

With the top post for the WTO falling vacant in September 2013, the race is heating up. I have earlier followed this story and blogged about it here and here. Arabianbusiness.com carried a piece of an unlikely candidate for the post - from Jordan - Ahmad Thougan Al Hindawi, a former minister of industry and trade of Jordan. 
"Jordan will put forward a former government minister for the top job at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) when the term of French Director General Pascal Lami expires at the end of August 2013, theJordan Times reported, citing an unidentified senior government official. 
The kingdom's government decided December 9 to nominate Ahmad Thougan Al Hindawi, a former minister of industry and trade for the top WTO post, marking the first time the country has contested the role."
Will he be a front runner for the post or a dark horse from the developing countries perspective? The battle lines are not yet drawn on this issue and all the cards are not out in the open. The EU Trade Commissioner opined recently that the next WTO chief would not be from Europe. 

2013 will be interesting times for political watchers of the WTO.



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