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October 30, 2020

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US rejects Nigerian for top job at WTO

Source: AFP | 00:13 UTC+8 October 30, 2020 | Print Edition

Key WTO ambassadors tapped Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday as the best pick to lead the organization, but she was opposed by Washington, who said it supported South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee instead.

The so-called troika of ambassadors heading the World Trade Organization’s three main branches determined after four months of consultations with member states that Okonjo-Iweala was the most likely to obtain the consensus needed to take the top job, WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said.

The initial pool of eight candidates for the WTO’s top post had been whittled down to just two over two previous rounds of consultations.

The global trade body is thus set to be led by a woman for the first time whichever of the two final candidates succeeds in their bid to follow Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down as WTO director-general in August, a year ahead of schedule.

The troika, led by New Zealand’s Ambassador David Walker, concluded a third round of talks on Tuesday.

Its decision marks an important step paving the way for Okonjo-Iweala to become both the first woman and the first African to head the WTO.

But its 164 member states still need to determine whether they will support her before their next General Council meeting on November 9.

Washington already said it was opposed to her candidacy, casting doubt on whether she can obtain the necessary full backing from member states.

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