Pascal Lamy took over as Director-General of the WTO yesterday. His team of four Deputy Directors-General comes to work at the start of October.
Everyone thinks he's capable. Some have high hopes for what he might be capable of, others (Waldo Bello - see preceeding post) fear that. It's important to remember that the WTO Director-General is a weak institutional position. The member states are jealous of their decision-making responsibilities. Lamy will be dependent on moral suasion.
Here's his short statement on taking office:
I won't say much on the substance today. It's my day back to school. On the first of September, like many people in this country, we are starting our work, knowing there is a lot of work ahead of us. Following both what happened and what did not happen last July when the General Council met and a few ministers were here.
I am pretty aware that there is a lot of work to do. I will be starting this right now, in starting internal and external consultations. Internally, of course, with all the members of the Secretariat, who have received an email from me this morning, and with the chairs of the various negotiating groups, of course. With the ambassadors, the regional groupings and so on. And I will be back to you in a fortnight from now with more precise views on the substance and the way ahead to Hong Kong — which obviously is and remains the number one priority for myself, my team and the Secretariat.
Last thing: as we all know, and I think I have to remember this everyday, including when reading today's press, the WTO Director-General has no magic wand. Things don't work this way in the WTO. Members have the decision-making power. We can catalyze, we can broker. Sometimes, sometimes we can lead, but at the end of the day they take the decision, and that's why I have to start this series of contacts.
Statement to the media by Pascal Lamy upon taking office on 1 September 2005.
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