The world of multilateral diplomacy is a world of intrigue: explorations, hints, secrets, complicity, betrayal and swaps that are not always in the national interest. Nothing new. Such behaviors are known since the Congress of Vienna (1814 -15), which was the first multilateral meeting. The Prince de Ligne said then "The Congress dances a lot but does not make much progress", so we can say today of the WTO.

Today, debate takes place in assemblies, councils, committees, commissions, work groups, whose chairmanship is negotiated because it is strategically important. The Chair convenes meetings, presents results, gives the floor, closes sessions and writes reports, all attributes that make it possible to bias debates results. It happens that the floor is given more to one group than to another or the Chair becomes blind when uncomfortable countries ask to speak, or debates are shortened or extended according to the turn it takes, or contributions are omitted or edited in the written reports over meetings.

For that reason, both the direction of the WTO General Council or chairs of the negotiating subgroups are a matter of intrigues and conspiracies. In the name of equity or perhaps to divide, countries are grouped regionally: Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Latin America & the Caribbean (GRULAC), which take turns in presidencies. It is noteworthy that most chairs exerted by Latin American countries are by those who signed FTAs with the U.S.

Intrigue can create strange bed fellows, as in the following GRULAC example. At the end of a meeting, chaired by the Mexican Ambassador, the Colombian Ambassador was allowed to expose something that was not on the agenda. He said that there would be vacancies in several chairs and a pair should be for GRULAC countries, he asked for candidates and suggested the Chilean Ambassador could be one. The Chilean said he would accept gladly. The Venezuelan Delegate supported Chile to become Chair of the Negotiating Group on Rules. Without more interventions, the Mexican Chair ruled that Chile was GRULAC’s candidate to chair that  specific work group, banged the hammer and closed the session. Everyone was surprised. The plot failed, because several countries irked by the gross procedure brought their discomfort to  the "troika" that receives the nominations and Jamaica was appointed instead of Chile.

Whenever plots put together unexpected partners, it must be remembered that there is an international bureaucracy with sinecures to reward those who give in to Big Business. The best examples are Tony Blair and Nicholas Sarkozy. Blair, soaked in Iraqi and British blood, receives several salaries, the latest one is for $13 million as advisor to Kazakhstan. Sarkozy, traitor to Gaddafi and scourge of Libya, expelled from the Elysée, is now comforted by Morgan Stanley with $ 230,000 for each one-hour chat. For less eminent and bloody rogues international bureaucracy also has appropriate appointments.

Does Pascal Lamy want a third term?

Pascal Lamy is the Director General of the WTO. Before directing the WTO he was European Commissioner for International Trade, which implies that he has good will in transnational corporations. Lamy was elected to chair the WTO in 2005 and repeated in 2009 for lack of contenders. According to custom in international organizations, developed and developing countries alternate in top jobs and there is also alternation between regions. Accordingly, Lamy's successor should be from a developing country and from Latin America or Africa.

Led by Lamy, negotiations at the Doha Round, stalled. Mainly because it was forgotten that a new negotiation round was accepted only because its mandate was to eliminate agricultural subsidies and promote economic development. Neither was done. Under Lamy negotiations veered towards more trade liberalization and more restrictions on national policy space. The WTO Secretariat, under Lamy, tried to overcome any resistance by deviating from norms on procedure and intrigue, a high handed style that causes rejection.

 
When there are only a few months left for the election of WTO’s Director General, a Reuters dispatch came out (09/04/2012) that analyzes potential candidates. It is a curious analysis. It predicts that "developing countries will squabble over the identity of their candidate." It frightens with a list of difficulties that will face the successor. It mentions two willing candidates: Tim Groser of New Zealand and Alan Kyerematen of Ghana. The first one is disqualified because New Zealand is a developed country and already had a Director General at the WTO. The second objected because of probable difficulties with African support. It mentions South Africa’s Rob Davies, but he is "at one end of the spectrum" and declared "dead on arrival", while suggesting he opts for UNCTAD instead. For Latin America it mentions Roberto Azevedo, the WTO Brazilian Ambassador, but claims that Azevedo is not good enough because he lacks ministerial "status", unlike Lamy who tends to pass above ambassadors and “solve things at the level of heads of State or at least minister”.

 

It may be a coincidence that the Reuters note comes when WTO Secretariat personnel join WTO delegates in the cafeteria and hallways to discuss about the Director General election. Their script is similar to Reuters', it disqualifies potential candidates, but they add that it is better to allow Lamy a third term. Not a surprising coincidence, because Pascal Lamy is also a director, since December 2009, at Thomson Reuters, the owner of the news agency.

Criminal-Diplomatic scandal

A week ago,Geneva’s and Swiss newspapers reported on front page the arrest in Geneva of Edwin Sperinsen, former Police Chief of Guatemala, accused of multiple murders and drug trafficking. The case was widely publicized also because the accused is a Swiss citizen, whose notorious criminal conduct while still in office, was a matter of concern at the Swiss Parliament and for the Swiss press a few years ago.

The case has diplomatic significance for Guatemala and the WTO because the fugitive was holed up at the home of his father, Eduardo Sperinsen, Ambassador of Guatemala to the WTO. Police were able to arrest him there because both are Swiss citizens and they can not have diplomatic immunity in Switzerland. It is an absurd situation – to say the least - to be hosting a fugitive of Guatemalan Justice at the residence of a Guatemalan Ambassador. It tarnishes Guatemala’s image. It affects also WTO, because it brings discredit on Sperinsen, who chairs the Negotiation Group on Trade Facilitation, a subject of great interest to the United States. Hopefully, to save his dignity and that of Guatemala, Eduardo Sperisen will resign, because his son's trial on criminal charges will continue to make headlines and commentaries.

Conclusion: As Victor Hugo said in Ruy Blas (Act 3, Scene 2) "Everything is done by intrigue and not by loyalty." (Tout se fait par intrigue et rien par loyauté).

 

Geneva, 07/09/2012