WTO chief Azevedo resigns early ahead of trade body reform process
Roberto Azevedo will step down as director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the end of August, he announced on Thursday, leaving at a time of deep crisis at the Geneva-based body.
“It is a personal decision – a family decision – and I am convinced that this decision serves the best interests of this organization,” Azevedo told WTO member state representatives in a speech, pointing out that he and his wife have been living in Geneva while his daughters and mother are in his native Brazil.
Azevedo has served as chief of the global trade body for seven years, and his resignation will cut his second term short by one year.
The move comes at a time when the WTO is hampered by tensions between the United States and other member countries.
The organization has been unable to deliver final rulings in trade disputes since December because the US has been blocking the appointment of appellate judges.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has demanded broad WTO reforms without specifying its demands, and it has not accepted compromise proposals that are backed by a majority of the 164 WTO members.
In addition, US trade tensions with China, as well as with the European Union, have raised questions about the stability of the global trade rules that the WTO stands for.
Azevedo said he decided to step down already in August so that the search for his successor does not interfere with preparatory work for next year’s WTO ministerial meeting, which is set to focus on reforming the organization.
“The WTO may not be perfect, but it is indispensable all the same,” Azevedo said. “It is what keeps us from a world where the law of the jungle prevails, at least as far as trade is concerned.”
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European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan lauded Azevedo’s tenure but acknowledged that his announcement “offers a good moment for us to select a new director-general to embrace and respond to the many challenges for the organisation.”
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic requires immediate planning for the future to eliminate unnecessary trade barriers, the member of the EU executive body said in a statement.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer thanked Azevedo for his service.
“Despite the many shortcomings of the WTO, Roberto has led the institution with grace and a steady hand. He will be difficult to replace,” he said. (dpa)
