The Frenchman Pascal Lamy was poised last night to become director general of the World Trade Organisation after he won the final round of polling among the organisation's member countries.

　　He will take over at a crucial time, as the WTO tries to rediscover lost momentum in its drive to secure a new deal on freer world trade in talks known as the Doha round.

　　The 58-year-old former European Union trade commissioner had long been favourite to take over from Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi in August but yesterday his only remaining rival, Carlos Perez del Castillo of Uruguay, pulled out after he received less support in the final poll than Mr Lamy.

　　Mr Lamy, who has been working for a thinktank in Paris since finishing at the European commission last year, was travelling yesterday and aides said he would not comment until the official announcement on May 26.

　　His appointment is the outcome of three rounds of consultations over two months among the 148 members of the WTO. Candidates from Mauritius and Brazil had dropped out after previous rounds, leaving only Mr Lamy and Mr Perez del Castillo going into this week's round.

　　Charities welcomed the announcement. Phil Bloomer, head of Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign, urged the new WTO chief to provide leadership and direction to ensure a successful outcome of the Doha round, which has the potential to lift millions of the world's poor out of poverty.

　　"Oxfam looks forward to working with Pascal Lamy to make global trade work for the poor," he said.

　　Mr Lamy earned the respect of many developing countries during his time at the European commission by calling for the rich world to dismantle trade barriers to allow greater access to their markets without obliging poor countries to lower theirs at the same pace.