WTO to approve Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as DG Feb. 15

The World Trade Organi­sation (WTO) said it would consider the appointment of a new Director-Gener­al on February 15.

According to a state­ment via its website, WHO said the General Council, its top decision making body, would have a virtual meet­ing concerning the ratification of the new DG.

“The WTO’s General Council will hold a spe­cial meeting on February 15 at 15:00 Geneva time to consider the appointment of the next Director-Gen­eral. The meeting will take place in virtual for­mat,” the statement read.

Recalled that Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s candi­date for the WTO top job, withdrew her candidacy. This means that Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is now the sole candidate left in the race.

If confirmed by con­sensus, she will be the first female WTO DG and the first African to head the organisation.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister, had secured the popular vote by a wide margin on October 28, 2020 but was not named DG because the US opposed her can­didacy.

After the October meeting, the WTO said Okonjo-Iweala had the best chance of getting a consensus.

The US had said it fa­voured Yoo over Okon­jo-Iweala because WTO is in dire need of reform and must be “led by some­one with real, hands-on experience in the field”. The Donald Trump-led administration suggested that the race be reopened.

However, the US gov­ernment led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ex­pressed strong support for Okonjo-Iweala’s can­didacy as WTO DG.