The World Trade Organization on Wednesday elected Japan's Shotaro Oshima as head of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body for 2003.
The WTO body, made up of all member governments, oversees trade disputes among WTO members.
Oshima, 59, is a career diplomat who has been with the Foreign Ministry since 1969.
Prior to his appointment in September 2002 as Japanese ambassador to Geneva-based international organizations, Oshima was deputy foreign minister for economic affairs. He also served as ambassador to Saudi Arabia and minister at the embassy in Washington.