Bloomberg Quotes Clete Willems on Upcoming WTO Leadership Changes
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Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems has been quoted in the Bloomberg article “The Year That Hammered Global Trade Still Poses Five Big Risks.” The article looks at several key political and economic events that are likely to affect trade during the remaining months of 2020.
Looking at the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and who will be chosen to lead it, the article notes that Europeans have typically been tapped for the top spot for both the WTO and its precursor. According to Bloomberg, if WTO members are unable to select a new leader by consensus, a vote requiring a qualified majority could be held as a last resort—an unprecedented event in the organization’s 25-year history.
Willems commented that the WTO “is in a difficult spot and would benefit tremendously from a reformer who is willing to push countries for change.”