(Bloomberg) -- The World Trade Organization’s top trade official, Roberto Azevedo, has told member governments he plans to step down before his term ends in 2021, according to four people familiar with the matter.

The 62-year-old Brazilian has served as the WTO’s director-general since September 2013 and his second four-year term began in September 2017.

A WTO spokesman declined to comment. Azevedo couldn’t be reached directly.

Azevedo’s departure would come at a difficult time for the Geneva-based trade body, which has struggled to contain an array of systemic crises even before the coronavirus pandemic devastated global commerce.

The stability of the WTO was dealt a major blow last year when the U.S. effectively paralyzed the organization’s dispute-settlement system after blocking new appointments to the seven-member panel that hears appeals.

A quasi-supreme court for trade, the WTO appellate body is now unable to issue judgments on future cases as of Dec. 11 because there aren’t enough active members.

It’s possible that one of Azevedo’s four deputy directors general could serve as interim caretakers until his term ends next year. They are Yonov Frederick Agah of Nigeria, Karl Brauner of Germany, Alan Wolff of the United States and Yi Xiaozhun of China.

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