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WTO DG: Okonjo-Iweala ‘keeping the positivity going’ despite US obstacle
BY NICHOLAS ABE
World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General designate, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has reacted to her adoption by majority of the organization’s members and recommendation to the WTO council as the next chief executive.
Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s two-time former Minister of Finance, was chosen above South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Yoo Myung-hee, after the race for the WTO top job began by eight candidates came down to a choice between two women.
She was said to have beaten Myung-hee by a wide margin, polling 104 endorsements out of 164 member countries at the final stage of the race announced on Wednesday.
But she would have to wait until November 9 for the WTO council concurrence and equally of significance is the acceptance of her choice as the organization’s DG by the United States of America which gave its support to the South Korean candidate and still stands by it.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala, a development economist and high profile global corporate icon, said she was happy for the success and progress she had made in her bid for the WTO job, in a reaction on her Twitter handle on Thursday.
“Happy for the success & continued progress of our @wto DG bid. Very humbled to be declared the candidate with the largest, broadest support among members & most likely to attract consensus. We move on to the next step on Nov 9, despite hiccups. We’re keeping the positivity going!” she tweeted.
READ: US poses obstacle between Okonjo-Iweala, WTO DG chair
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has expressed commitment to Okonjo-Iweala’s bid to head the global trade body.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, titled, ‘Update on Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s Aspiration to Lead the World Trade Organization’, and signed by its spokesperson Ferdinand Nwonye, assured that Nigeria would continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that the lofty aspiration of its candidate to lead the World Trade Organization was realised.
The statement read: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the third and final round of the selection process of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization was concluded on Tuesday, 27th October 2020, and the result was formally announced on Wednesday, 28th October 2020. The candidate from Nigeria, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has secured the support of the majority of the member countries but is yet to be declared and returned the winner.
“This is because apart from winning the election, all the 164 Member States of WTO were expected to adopt the winner by consensus, in accordance with the rule of procedure of the WTO. It is important to highlight that Dr Okonjo-Iweala has secured cross-regional backing with only the United States opposing the consensus.”