Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is set to be confirmed as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) today, February 15, 2021.
Upon her confirmation, she will be the first woman and first African to become the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Ms Okonjo-Iweala is expected to be formally appointed to lead the global trade organization at the convening of the organization’s special general council meeting.
The Joe Biden administration swung the contest in Ms Okonjo-Iweala’s favour after the only remaining candidate, South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee, withdrew from the race, following a meeting with US officials.
As the Director-General of WTO, Okonjo-Iweala, 66, will need to broker international trade talks in the face of persistent U.S.-China conflict, respond to pressure to reform trade rules and counter protectionism exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Former WTO chief, Pascal Lamy, in a chat with Reuters, said, “She brings stature, she brings experience, a network and temperament of trying to get things done, which is quite a welcome lot in my view. I think she’s a good choice. Key to her success will be her ability to operate in the centre of a U.S.-EU-China triangle.’’
Okonjo-Iweala, who is expected to become one of the few female heads of a major multilateral body, said her priorities include getting long-blocked trade talks on fishery subsidies across the finish line and breathing life back into WTO’s Appellate Body.
The Trump administration’s main criticism of her was that she lacked direct trade experience compared to her main South Korean rival and even supporters say she will have to quickly get up to speed on the technicalities of trade negotiations.
While rejecting this claim, Okonjo-Iweala said she has plenty of experience in trade plus other expertise, insisting that what is needed to lead the WTO is not technical skills but boldness and courage.
