Okonjo-Iweala Set to Secure Second Term as WTO Director-General

Oluwasegun SanusiNovember 10, 20241 Mins read604

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, is set to secure a second term as Director-General without facing any opposition.

The confirmation came on Saturday from Norwegian Ambassador Petter Olberg, chair of the WTO’s General Council, that Okonjo-Iweala stands unopposed, as no other nominations were received by the recent deadline. With 166 member countries on board, the Nigerian economist is on a clear path for reappointment by consensus.

Okonjo-Iweala announced her candidacy for re-election in September after a first term that saw spirited efforts in global trade.

She emerged as the DG of WTO in March 2021 as the first female and African head of the 30-year-old international trade organisation. Her current term expires on 31 August 2025. She noted that her new priorities for the second term include concluding a deal on ending subsidies on fisheries, achieving a breakthrough in global agriculture negotiations, decarbonising trade, and reforming the WTO’s struggling dispute system.

Her first term came after opposition from then-U.S. President Donald Trump, who supported a South Korean candidate. But President Joe Biden’s administration later paved the way for her historic appointment.

If confirmed, Okonjo-Iweala’s second term will officially begin in September 2025, with the stewardship of the global trade body extending to 2029.

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