SECRETARY-GENERAL DELIGHTED BY WILLINGNESS OF SUPACHAI PANITCHPAKDI

 

TO SERVE AS HEAD OF UNCTAD

 

Following is the text of a statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

I am absolutely delighted that Supachai Panitchpakdi has agreed that I should propose his appointment as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Dr. Supachai has done an outstanding job as Director-General of the World Trade Organization, particularly in pushing forward the very difficult process of the Doha round, on which rest many of the hopes for economic progress in developing countries and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  His willingness to move to UNCTAD is eloquent testimony to the important role of that body in ensuring that the interests of development are taken into account in discussions on world trade, and that the voice of developing countries is heard.  In him, the United Nations, and the developing world, will have an advocate of incomparable authority in the trade arena.

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