What is it about?

This paper examines the pattern of WTO committee chair appointments by nationality since 1995. The General Council selects most committee chairs and must consider the balance of member representation and quality of candidates in its choices. Regression results suggest that election to be a committee chair depend on the size of the country's mission, experience as a WTO member and economic interest in trade. Among developing countries, emerging markets have the largest representation in chair assignments.

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Why is it important?

Committees play important roles in WTO negotiations and administration. Many chairs are in a position to influence the outcomes of WTO activities, such as those that head the General Council, which oversees all subsidiary committee chair appointments, the negotiating committees, and Goods and Services Councils. In an organization that depends on consensus, the selection of chairs must balance candidates' quality as well as their country and regional representation. WTO member countries must also invest in the quality of their countries' trade diplomats in order to maximize the value of committee leadership and success in WTO negotiations, administration, and dispute settlement.

Perspectives

Reduced support for the WTO among major nations risks lowering the investment by member countries in their WTO delegations, and thereby reducing the effectiveness of the organization as a whole in pursuing its goals of trade liberalization and stability of the global trading system.

Professor Kent A Jones
Babson College

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This page is a summary of: Patterns of Representation in WTO Committee Chairs, 1995–2012, World Trade Review, October 2014, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s1474745614000305.
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