Hunt for a new WTO director-general

The hunt for a new director-general of the World Trade Organization officially started on June 8. The procedure demands that WTO members nominate their candidates within a month. Thereafter, the candidates have to present themselves before member states and express their viewpoints on relevant issues before the General Council holds consultations to screen out candidates and choose a new director-general.

The selection process usually starts nine months before the incumbent director-general's term ends, and it is completed three months before the incumbent's term ends.

However, the current WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo announced on May 14 that he would step down on Aug 31, a year before his term ends, leaving only three months for a new chief to be chosen.