A sign is pictured in front of the chair of the Director General before the start of the General Council of the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, July 22, 2020.
Such a progressive programme requires a director-general with the gravitas to make their presence felt on the world stage. “Gravitas” may sound vague, but it is important: The WTO director-general wields limited executive power, so their effectiveness derives largely from their status and influence. When they talk, the business world - and, crucially, China and the United States - must listen. Reforming zeal, unmatched by experience, will therefore be of little use.
With the G20 having failed to forge a coordinated global response, hopes of avoiding a damaging escalation of vaccine-related trade barriers rest on the appointment of a director-general with real political clout. And, ideally, a good understanding of pharmaceutical supply and distribution chains.