WTO: 2005 PRESS RELEASES

Press/397
1 March 2005
DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Supachai welcomes chance to lead UNCTAD, pledges continued support for DDA


Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said today he was deeply honoured to have been proposed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to lead the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. He stressed that until the expiry of his term of office as Director-General on 31 August 2005, he will remain fully committed to the World Trade Organization. Dr. Supachai emphasised the importance of making significant progress in the Doha Development Agenda negotiations by the end of July 2005, to provide a sound basis for a successful WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in December.