Developing world hails WTO146;s new chief

Former Thai deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi on Monday became the first developing country official to head the World Trade Organisation.

Taking over from New Zealand8217;s Mike Moore, the 55-year-old Thai will hold the post as director-general of the almost global trade body based here for the next three years. Many Asian nations hope he will champion their interests as the WTO presses on with a new round of global talks, designed to further tear down trade barriers and scheduled to run until January 2005. But Supachai8217;s role is largely one of impartial helmsman, leading a body that makes every decision by consensus among its 144 members, four-fifths of whom are from the developing world. He has already made a number of appointments. PTI