Moore climbs to third in WTO race

Former Labour Party leader Mike Moore has flown to Geneva for a round of intense last-minute lobbying amidst signs he is making up ground in his bid to become director-general of the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Moore will be in Geneva as WTO diplomats convene a high-level meeting on trade and development issues.

The meeting will allow him the opportunity to further lobby key trade representatives as they try to reach consensus on a successor to the current director, Renato Ruggiero, who is stepping down at the end of April.

The chairman of the WTO's general council, Tanzanian trade ambassador Ali Mchumo, yesterday said Mr Moore was now enjoying a level of support very near that of the front-runner, Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi.

Previous soundings among the 134 members on their first preferences put Mr Moore in third place, behind Moroccan trade ambassador Hassan Abouyoub. Mr Moore, however, holds many countries' crucial second preferences.

Mr Mchumo was confident delegates could finalise the matter by the end of March, even though the WTO has already missed two deadlines trying to reach a consensus on a successor for Mr Ruggiero.

The WTO always works by consensus and has never voted on anything in its four-year existence. However, the rules do allow a vote if members are unable to agree on a single candidate.

The director-general is responsible for spearheading the organisation's efforts to open world markets, ensuring fair trade rules are respected and drawing up a trade agenda to take into the next century.

The Minister for International Trade Minister, Lockwood Smith, has asked Asian countries to give their second preferences to Mr Moore.

"It's no secret, of course, that Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] members have given their first support to Dr Supachai," Dr Smith said yesterday on his return from Japan, Singapore and China.

"I've asked them all to give Mike Moore their second preference. I have good undertakings from many economies they will give real consideration to that." - STAFF REPORTER, NZPA