At a meeting of the WTO General Council on 28 February, members agreed by consensus to appoint Roberto Azevêdo for a second four-year term as Director-General, which will begin on 01 September 2017.
In thanking members for their support, he encouraged members to speak up for the WTO. “I ask you to stand up and make the case for the value that you see in trade and the trading system. This organisation is here for a reason - to support economic development, growth and job creation, but also to support peace, cooperation and solidarity among nations. I can’t think of a more worthy, more worthwhile goal than that.”