World Trade Organization members made history yesterday when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organisation’s seventh Director-General.
When she takes office on March 1, Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to be chosen as director-general. Her renewable term will expire on August 31, 2025.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala said a key priority for her would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health consequences brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organisation faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today."
The General Council decision follows months of uncertainty which arose when the United States initially refused to join the consensus around Dr Okonjo-Iweala and threw its support behind trade minister Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea. But following Yoo's decision on February 5 to withdraw her candidacy, the administration of newly elected US President Joseph R Biden Jr. dropped the US objection and announced instead that Washington extended its "strong support" to the candidacy of Dr Okonjo-Iweala.
The process for selecting a new director-general was triggered on May 14 when former DG, Roberto Azevêdo, announced that he would be stepping down from his post one year before the expiry of his mandate. He subsequently left office on August 31.
