Dr. Liam Fox had a virtual meeting with the Honduran Minister of Economy, Antonia Rivera.
The Minister congratulated Dr. Fox on his progress to the second round of the selection process for the next Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and was delighted to exchange views about what is needed to strengthen the organisation. In particular, she highlighted that the WTO needs to play a fundamental role on the road to economic recovery due to the consequences of Covid-19 pandemic, including support to SMES, which will be vital for the economic wellbeing of all countries.
Dr. Fox highlighted that Covid-19 has taught us that we live in a deeply interdependent world, that our resilience lies in diversity of supply, and that our global institutions need to reflect this.
He says that from the first day of his appointment, he will work to ensure the global pandemic does not lead to a rise in protectionism, ensuring global trade works for everyone, including smaller developing countries and small businesses. As this is one of his priorities, he wants to work with Honduras to advance these priorities.
Dr. Fox is campaigning to restore the credibility of the WTO at the heart of the rules-based trading system, reform its Appellate Body, deliver genuine gender equality by ensuring that at least half of his top team are women and work more closely with other international organisations.
Dr. Fox will go into the second round of voting against nominees from Kenya, Nigeria, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. WTO delegates are expected to whittle down the five candidates to two in October before choosing a winner the following month.
