I have written about the interesting race for the selection of the next chief of the WTO here, here and here.
Found this piece by Kimberly Ann Elliot that summarized the contest and issues so far in the selection of the next DG of the WTO. While the contest is heating up and innumerable parleys would be underway to reach a consensus candidate, it would be interesting to analyze how consensus really works in practice.As she put it:
The Washington Post has this overall analysis of the candidates, there pros and cons, odds as well as their most interesting positions here.
"So where is consensus likely to take us in the WTO ‘tournament’? The consensus rule has its strengths and weaknesses—it often makes agreements more difficult to reach, but it also makes them more credible and sustainable. And the reality is that the consensus rule is not going away. But the WTO does need to find a DG who is willing to shake up the status quo and find more effective ways of managing the institution with its large and diverse membership. In this situation, will the consensus rule produce a leader with the skills to accomplish that, or one that offends the fewest people?"
Over to the political process to offer the results.
