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°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ: 2005 PRESS RELEASES

Press/393
4 January 2005
DIRECTOR-GENERAL CANDIDATES

Four candidates nominated for the post of Director-General

The following candidates have been nominated by their respective governments for the post of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Director-General to succeed the current Director-General, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, whose term of office expires on 31 August 2005:


Carlos Pérez del Castillo of Uruguay
Jaya Krishna Cuttaree of Mauritius
Luiz Felipe de Seixas Corrêa of Brazil
Pascal Lamy of France

According to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ procedures for appointment of Director-General (summarised below), the nomination period closed on 31 December 2004.

A formal General Council meeting will be held on 26 January 2005 where candidates will present themselves to the membership.

The selection process will conclude with a decision by the General Council no later than 31 May 2005.
  

Summary of the appointment procedures

The procedures for the appointment of Director-General, adopted by the General Council on 10 December 2002 (), stipulate that the appointment process must start nine months prior to the expiry of the term of the incumbent Director-General.

Since the term of office of the current Director-General, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, comes to an end on 31 August 2005, the appointment process for the next Director-General began on 1 December 2004.

Full details of the procedures are set out in document WT/L/509. Some of the time-lines for the process are summarised below:   
  

1 — 31 December 2004: One month for Member Governments to nominate candidates.

1 January — 31 March 2005:  Three months for the nominated candidates to make themselves known to Members, to engage in discussions on the pertinent issues facing the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ, and to be invited to meet with Members at a formal General Council meeting.

1 April 2005 — 31 May 2005:
 Two months for the Members to select and appoint one of the candidates. The process shall conclude with a meeting of the General Council convened not later than three months prior to the expiry of the incumbent’s term (i.e. by 31 May 2005), at which a decision to appoint a new Director-General shall be taken.