Mauritian WTO Director-General (DG) candidate Jaya Krishna Cuttaree held a press conference during a visit to Brussels this week.
This has to be one of the best covered events of this WTO DG campaign. We have reports from Reuters ("Poor nations' WTO candidate says betrayed by Europe" ), Stefania Bianchi for Inter Press Service of Johannesburg via allAfrica.com ( "Trade: Poor Countries' Man Makes a Strong Case" ), Agence France-Presse via Tribune de Geneve ("Mauritian WTO candidate digs at EU rival"), and the Associated Press ("Cuttaree says EU shouldn't vie for WTO post"),
Bianchi's report is the most comprehensive. Cuttaree discussed his platform:
Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries nominee to head the World Trade Organisation says he will fight for a "rule-based multilateral trading system" to protect the world's poorest countries if he assumes the role later this year.
Mauritian foreign affairs minister since December 2003, Cuttaree says he will push for a free trade system and also give the poorest countries a voice in global trade negotiations if he becomes director general of the Geneva-based trade body...
...Cuttaree says the WTO must have a "deliverable development dimension", and is strongly advocating a WTO agenda which provides for "operational special and differential treatment in favour of developing countries" to ensure that these countries make "meaningful gains" from trade liberalisation.
and his surprise when the EU backed Pascal Lamy:
Cuttaree says it is unfortunate that the EU and the ACP group who enjoy a special trading relationship will be "pitted against each other" in the race for the top post.
"I was disappointed to learn that Lamy is also going for the post. It was a complete surprise to me. I always thought that the EU-ACP relationship was based on the strengths and weaknesses of each other and I expected the EU to support us in this. Although the EU has the power to control the WTO I don't think that this will help the Doha Development Round," he said.
and campaign tactics:
"But Cuttaree has not ruled out alliances with fellow developing world candidates if the vote does not go his way.
"I have spoken to Latin American representatives and we all agree that if we want a leader from a developing country, then at a certain point we will have to form some developing country coalitions," he said."
Bianchi passes on speculation on which countries support which candidates:
The group of 79 ACP countries say they are overwhelmingly behind Cuttaree's candidacy...
But Cuttaree will face tough competition from the contenders from the developing world who each have their own supporters. Del Castillo is already reported to have won the support of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, while Correa said earlier this month that he is confident he will win the all-important U.S. endorsement.
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