I’ll bring all my experience to reform WTO – Okonjo-Iweala

 

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says she would bring all her years of experience to reform the organisation.

Okonjo-Iweala made the pledge while addressing the General Council of the WTO after officially assuming office on Monday, March 1, 2021, as the Director-General.

She thanked members of the council for the confidence they placed in her, saying, “I’ll bring all my knowledge, passion, experience and persistence to the task at hand, reforming the organization and achieving results.”

READ: Swiss newspaper apologises for racist remarks against Okonjo-Iweala

The General Council is the WTO’s highest-level decision-making body in Geneva, meeting regularly to carry out the functions of the organisation. It has representatives (usually ambassadors or equivalent) from all member governments and has the authority to act on behalf of the ministerial conference which only meets about every two years. The current chair is Ambassador David Walker from New Zealand.

The council also meets, under different rules, as the Dispute Settlement Body and as the Trade Policy Review Body.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian Minister of Finance, is the first woman and first African to lead the global trade body.