WTO to appoint next director-general Monday, February 15
- The wait for the next DG of the WTO will be over very soon
- The global trade body has fixed a date for the appointment of its new director-general
- WTO said it will be choosing the next DG on Monday, February 15, in Switzerland
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By Monday, February 15, a former Nigerian minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, would have known if she will become the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
In a statement released on Tuesday, February 9, the WTO disclosed that it will be convening its general council meeting, Daily Nigerian reports.
According to the statement, the meeting will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, at noon.
Source: UGC
The organisation said:
“The WTO’s General Council will hold a special meeting on 15 February at 15:00 Geneva time to consider the appointment of the next Director-General. The meeting will take place in a virtual format.”
Earlier, Okonjo-Iweala emerged the only candidate for the position of director-general of the WTO, following the withdrawal of her major contender and South Korean trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee.
Yoo made the decision on Friday, February 5, after discussions with the U.S. and other major nations, and took various issues into account “comprehensively” including the need to revitalize the multilateral organisation.
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Legit.ng gathered that Yoo's withdrawal came after dozens of former U.S. government officials urged President Joe Biden to endorse Okonjo-Iweala after the Trump administration blocked her selection.
It was reported that the opposition halted the selection process because WTO decisions are made on the basis of a consensus of its members.
Okonjo-Iweala, also a US citizen, emerged as the front-runner for the WTO director-general post last year.
The former minister had secured the popular vote by a wide margin on October 28 but was not named DG because the US opposed her candidacy. The two women are the last candidates standing and the eventual winner would set a record as being the first female WTO DG.
The WTO had said Okonjo-Iweala had the best chance of getting a consensus after the October 28, 2020, meeting.
Source: Legit.ng
