Pascal Lamy, former European Union trade commissioner, yesterday emerged as the front-runner for the top job at the World Trade Organisation after a first round of consultations with WTO members.

Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, Mauritian foreign minister, followed in second place and Carlos Perez del Castillo, former Uruguayan WTO ambassador, came third. The Brazilian candidate, Luiz Felipe de Seixas Correa, Brazil's WTO ambassador, was judged to be the candidate "least likely to attract consensus".

Under the procedures for selecting the next WTO director-general, the candidate with the least support is supposed to withdraw. Although Brazil yesterday said it needed more time to consider its position, Amina Mohamed, Kenya's WTO ambassador who chairs the governing general council, said the next consultations would begin next Thursday with a slate of three.

Ms Mohamed said they had taken into account the strength of support for each candidate and the extent to which it was spread among geographic regions and rich and poor nations.