With the November 8 deadline for the nomination of candidates for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization gone, Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has remained the sole candidate for the position.
This is even as the former Nigerian Finance Minister and incumbent DG of the WTO have agreed to a second term for the organization’s top job.
The WTO, on Saturday stated that with nominations for Director-General closed; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is confirmed as sole candidate.
The Chair of the General Council, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, informed WTO members. He said with the expiration of November 9 that no further nominations for the position of Director-General had been received.
“Following the November 8 deadline, the incumbent Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is, therefore, the only candidate for the role.
“Director-General Okonjo-Iweala confirmed her willingness to serve a second four-year term in the role in a letter to the Chair on September 16.
“On October 8, the WTO formally commenced the process for appointing its next Director-General. With members given until November 8 to submit nominations,” he said.
WTO said the chair of the General Council will communicate the next steps in this process in the coming days.
“The process was led by the General Council Chair in accordance with the WTO’s “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General,” the organization said.
Recall that Okonjo-Iweala’s present term as DG will end on August 31, 2025.
The former Nigerian Finance Minister emerged as the WTO DG on February 15, 2021. A position that made the first woman and also African to lead the trade organization.
Upon her confirmation as the WTO DG in 2021, Okonjo-Iweala listed her priorities. These included getting long-blocked trade talks on fishery subsidies across the finish line. And to breathe fresh life back into WTO’s Appellate Body.
source: Channels TV
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U
