Egypt’s nominee for the post of the World Trade Organization’s director general, Abdel Hameed Mamdouh (R), meets with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly (file photo: Ahram)
Egypt’s nominee for the post of the World Trade Organization’s director general Abdel Hameed Mamdouh said the organization’s problems require a clarity of purpose and a genuine desire from all countries to seek solutions to them.
In statements to MENA, Mamdouh said the reason for his nomination is attributed to his strong belief in a fair, equitable and transparent global trading system, especially in light of his long experience that started in 1985, when he assumed the post of negotiator for Egypt with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) till the establishment of the organization in 1995.
The Egyptian international trade expert noted that the WTO has faced three phenomena over the past 15 years, specifically since the 2008 global financial crisis; most notably the decline in leadership due to the lack of political will on the part of the member states, noting in this regard that the success of the famous Uruguay Round was thanks to the consensus reached between the United States and the European Union on one side and developing countries on the other.
On the other hand, the failure of the Doha Round was due to the absence of political will to push forward the WTO’s agenda, Mamdouh added.
He also highlighted that one of the challenges facing the organization is the growing complexity of the technicalities of trade issues tabled on its agenda, such as the cross border e-commerce for example
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