New world trade supremo

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Brazil’s ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roberto Azevêdo, is to be approved by acclamation, as the Geneva-based organisation’s new director-general, at next Tuesday’s meeting of its general council.
Dr Azevêdo is only the WTO’s second leader from the developing world in its 18 years of existence. The fact that, this year, the majority of the nine aspirants to the post were from emerging economies and the result would appear to represent the general view in Geneva that the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations will have a greater chance of success under the leadership of a representative from a developing country, albeit, in the case of Brazil, a more developed, developing country.