World Trade Organization head Pascal Lamy on Tuesday showed that he had the stamina to go on leading the trade bloc for four more years, as he put forward his candidature for a second term in office.

The Frenchman, who has been at the helm of the WTO since September 2005, has been relentlessly seeking a conclusion to the Doha round of trade liberalisation negotiations.

When he was first appointed to the post, the former European Union trade commissioner said nailing down a global trade deal, on which negotiations began seven years ago, would be the `number one, number two and number three` priority of his four-year term.

The 61-year-old accomplished marathon runner has argued that a successful deal could inject between 50 and 100 billion dollars each year to the world economy.

But agreement has been elusive, with Lamy`s latest attempt at breaking the deadlock through a ministerial meeting of key economies in July ending in bitter disagreement between India and the United States.

It also means that he has to further draw on the skills of stamina and endurance he uses when running marathons in his bid for successful negotiations.

Once likened to a monk because of his bald appearance and work ethic, Lamy has said he is `among those who put a little more reason than passion` into what they do.

Building on five years inside the system as Europe`s trade commissioner ahead of taking on the WTO, Lamy, a fervent advocate of `controlled` globalisation, exuded confidence when first running for the post.

He portrayed himself as a bridge builder between industralised countries and the ever more influential developing nations in the WTO.

As the EU`s trade commissioner from 1999 to 2004, Lamy sided with developing countries by fighting to reduce agricultural export subsidies, even though his stance drew criticism from his native France.

But he baulked at withdrawing the `Singapore issues` -- further liberalisation of investments, public procurement and competition policies -- from global trade talks even though developing countries firmly resisted them at the WTO`s ill-fated ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico in 2003.

Lamy`s critics acknowledge that the former close aide of ex-European Commission chief Jacques Delors is a `brilliant intellectual machine.`

But due to his free trade credentials, he is also sharply at odds with the anti-globalisation movement and part of the French left despite his own political roots in the French Socialist Party.

Born near Paris on April 8, 1947, Lamy graduated from France`s elite National School of Public Administration (ENA) after attending top flight French politics and economics schools.

He was an advisor to Delors in 1981 to 1983 when the latter was French economics minister, and an aide to former prime minister Pierre Mauroy in 1983 to 1984.

He followed Delors to the EU`s Commission, its executive arm, acting behind the scenes as his chief of staff for 10 years, then joined the management of the French bank Credit Lyonnais in 1994 to 1999.