Mr Moore has a full agenda to contend with, including the preparations for the next round of world trade talks, which begin in Seattle in November.

In a gesture of reconciliation with his opponents, who included many developing countries, he vowed to open the trade negotiations to smaller countries.

"I am focusing on Seattle, ensuring that the smaller guys who have felt locked out have a chance to engage and benefit from what is a system that has driven ... the most sustained increase in living standards in the history of our species," he said.

Mr Moore also pressed for China's membership of the WTO, which has been stalled by a dispute with the United States over the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.

"We do not have a World Trade Organization without China. China is a superpower and has to sit at the table one day. I'll do anything I can to facilitate China's membership," he said.

In his first day at the Geneva headquaraters of the WTO, Mr Moore met staff and even greeted the small band of demonstrators outside the building.

"I like people who believe in things," he said.

Tough negotiator

The 50-year-old is known as a tough-talking, no-nonsense negotiator.

He comes from a strong trade union background and is a passionate supporter of free trade, but also an advocate for underprivileged and less powerful smaller states.

A social democrat from the liberal reformist wing of New Zealand's Labor Party, he has been involved in trade and foreign policy issues for many years.

As trade minister he helped to transform New Zealand from a protectionist backwater into a free-market economy.

For the first time, the trade organisation will split the six-year leadership term in two. Mr Moore will head it until September 2002. His chief opponent, Thai deputy prime minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, will then take over for three years.

The race for the top job bordered on the acrimonious at times.

Each man claimed to have enough support to win the post by consensus - resulting in a stand-off that dragged on until the compromise deal was struck in July.

Since both candidates had similar, free-trade stances on commerce, the battle was fought along the lines of personality and geography.

Mr Moore, a left-wing politician who in 1972 became New Zealand's youngest-ever MP, advocated including more developing countries in the organization.

But he also backed tougher labour and environmental standards in trade talks - something than many poor countries believe is nothing more than hypocrisy and back-door protectionism by the rich.

US support

His antipodean enthusiasm for cutting agricultural subsidies may prove a trifle alarming to some countries.

But the United States, South America, and powerful European Union nations including France and Germany rallied for him to win the WTO job.

US multi-national companies favoured the free-marketeer image of the New Zealander more than the pro-developing world image of his main opponent.

The US support for Mr Moore infuriated Thailand - both the government and the people - which considers itself a close ally of Washington.

Mr Moore has a natural instinct for politics and the kind of communication skills that Dr Supachai allegedly sometimes lacks.

The WTO job undoubtedly needs someone with people skills who can broker compromises and knock heads together when necessary.

But the Kiwi, sometimes dubbed ''Mad Mike,'' was perhaps not an ideal candidate either.

One New Zealand newspaper said he was treated by his parliamentary colleagues with a ''confusing mixture of amusement and respect".

Mud-slinging tactics

Some of his campaigning tactics also enraged his opponents.

In an interview with Television New Zealand, he said that Dr Supachai's party travelled around in a fleet of Mercedes Benz while his own aides relied on humble taxis.

Mr Moore added mischievously: "We were staying in a hotel where we could touch both walls.

"I'm not complaining, we're Kiwis. We do it our way and we do it in a modest way, and there are those who find that quite touching and attractive that there are still people on earth who don't travel with private secretaries and valets."