Election of Ambassador Ihara as Chairperson of the WTO General Council (7 March 2018)

On 7 March, at the meeting of the WTO General Council, Ambassador Ihara was elected by consensus as the new chairperson of the General Council for a term of one year.

The General Council is the highest permanent body of the WTO and carries out the functions of the Ministerial Conference during intervals between meetings of the Conference. This is the second Japanese chairpersonship of the General Council since Ambassador Shotaro Oshima was elected to the position in 2004.

Upon his election, Ambassador Ihara said: “As the results of MC11 indicated, the WTO and the multilateral trading system are facing enormous challenges. We are at a crossroads. I believe this year is crucial for the future work of the WTO. I am ready to make myself available to facilitate the work of the General Council in a transparent and inclusive manner.”

【Ambassador Ihara addressing the General Council upon his election as Chairperson】