JOB/GC/243  
 
31 July 2020  
(20-5348) Page: 1/2 
General Council    
 
 
APPOINTMENT OF THE NEXT DIRECTOR -GENERAL – MODALITIES FOR PHASE 3 
INFORMAL MEETING AT THE LEVEL OF HEADS OF DELEGATIONS  
FRIDAY , 31 JULY 2020  
Statement by the General Council Chair, H.E. Dr David Walker  
1. As indicated in the convening notice and further to the useful discussion that we had at the 
Informal HoDs Meeting on Tuesday, the purpose of this meeting today is to announce the modalities 
for the Phase 3 of the DG Appointment Process which, as you know,  will start on 7 September. In 
this Phase and in accordance with the Procedures in WT/L/509, I will be assisted by the Chairs of 
the Dispute Settlement Body and the Trade Policy Review Body acting as Facilitators – respectively,  
Ambassador Castillo of Hond uras and Ambassador Aspelund of Iceland.  I greatly appreciate and look 
forward to their assistance in this process.  
 
2. On the basis of the discussion last Tuesday, and having listened carefully to the views 
expressed, Phase 3 will proceed on the basis of the following modalities : 
  
• First, we will hold three rounds  of consultations, with two candidates in the third 
and final round , in order to facilitate the building of consensus.  
 
• Second , three candidates  will be expected to withdraw after the first round;  and 
three candidates  will be expected to withdraw after the second round.  So, the profile 
will be 8 -5-2. This means we start with 8 candidates in the first round; then narrow 
the field to 5 candidates in the second round; and 2 in the third and final roun d. 
 
• Third, on the basis of past practice, and keeping in mind that this is a consensus -
building exercise, the Facilitators and I will ask the same question as in the past, that 
is: "What are your preferences?"  – this means more than one, that is multiple, 
preferences in no order, i.e. without ranking. As in the past, we will not accept any 
negative preferences.  
 
• We will ask delegations to come forward with a maximum of four preferences in the 
first round of consultations and a maximum of  two preferences in the second round, 
with delegations urged to provide the full number of preferences in each case.  
 
• Let me stress again that the aim of this exercise is to identify "the candidate or 
candidates least likely to attract consensus," thereby all owing Members to arrive at a 
final decision.  The objective is to identify, among the different preferences expressed 
by Delegations, those least likely to attract consensus, so that the General Council can 
narrow the field of candidates, as foreseen in the  Procedures.  
 
• Fourth , we will be consulting Heads of Delegations in their capacity as representatives 
of individual Members, and the consultations will be on a "confessional" basis. As in 
the past, the positions and views expressed by Members will be treat ed in the strictest 
confidence by us, with no information or other forms of indications of individual 
Members ' specific preferences made available by us to other Members, to the 
candidates or to the public.  
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  • Fifth, in assessing the information we receive a nd reporting to Members, we shall be 
guided by the elements set out in paragraph 17 of the 2002 Procedures, which states: 
"The Chair, with the assistance of the facilitators, shall consult all Members, including 
non-resident Members, in order to assess the ir preferences and the breadth of support 
for each candidate". And with respect to the breadth of support, I recall that this 
concept was discussed and clarified during the previous appointment processes – that 
is the one that took place in 2005, and then confirmed in 2013. In particular, in 2005, 
the then General Council Chair explained that: "As regards the breadth of support, we 
considered the distribution of preferences across geographic regions and among the 
categories of Members generally recognized i n WTO provisions:  that is, LDCs, 
developing countries and developed countries".  In 2005, the Chair also informed that 
other criteria were considered and rejected by Members in the formulation of the 
Procedures in 2002. Therefore, the Chair explained that "as reflected in past decisions 
and in experience, and based on common sense, "breadth of support" means the 
larger membership."  This was also the approach followed in 2013.  
 
• And finally , after each round of consultations, and in line with p aragraph 18 of the 
Procedures, we will be reporting the outcome of the first round of consultations to all 
Members at an open -ended meeting of Heads of Delegation to be held as soon as 
possible following the conclusion of the first round of consultations.  
 
• In respecting the dignity of the candidates and the Members nominating them, the 
eight Members who nominated candidates will be informed of the outcome 
immediately after each round and before the rest of the membership – as was also 
done in the past.  
 
3. The first round of consultations will begin on Monday 7  September. The Facilitator s and I will 
aim at finishing the first round in 6 working days, as was done in the past. This means that we will 
aim at finishing this round on 16 September, taking into a ccount the period of the Jeûne Genevois . 
We will then convene an Informal Heads of Delegation meeting as soon as possible to report on the 
outcome of the consultations to all Members – after having informed the Members who nominated 
candidates.  We will aim  at maintaining a similar schedule for the second and third rounds too, to the 
extent possible. We will send out a communication later today inviting all Members to consult with 
us in the first round.  I urge you all to come forward and schedule appointment s. 
 
4.  Once again, let me stress a couple of additional key elements. The decision to appoint the 
new Director -General is for you, the Members , to make.  The task of the Chair and the Facilitators is 
to support you in this process, facilitate the building of consensus, and assist you in moving from 
the initial field of candidates to a final decision on appointment.  You can count on us to carry out 
this task with objectivity and impartiality. We are very mindful of the importance of this task and of 
the trus t that you, the Members, have placed in us. Rest assured that we take this most seriously.  
We will act at all times strictly within the agreed Procedures.  
 
5. And in line with paragraph 1 of the Procedures, we need to keep in mind at all times that this 
process has to be guided by the best interests of the Organization, respect for the dignity of the 
candidates and the Members nominating them, and by full transparency and inclusiveness at all 
stages.  
 
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