The refusal of the United States of America (USA) to endorse Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the seventh director-general of the world trade regulator is keeping her fate in limbo.
WTO’s General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand and his two co-facilitators in the selection process to choose the WTO’s next Director-General told the organization’s members on 28 October that based on their consultations with all delegations the candidate best poised to attain consensus and become the 7th Director-General was of Nigeria.
“She clearly carried the largest support by members in the final round and she clearly enjoyed broad support from members from all levels of development and all geographic regions and has done so throughout the process.
I am therefore submitting the name of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the candidate most likely to attract consensus and recommending her appointment by the General Council as the next Director-General of the WTO until 31 August 2024,” he said.
But the assessment was challenged by the United States which said it would continue to support Minister Yoo and could not back the candidacy of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea has vast experience acquired in a number of leading positions and her outstanding qualifications are highly valued by all members, according to Amb. Walker.
But according to the WTO’s General Council Chair, members had expressed their views and choice of the Nigerian to him, Amb. Dacio Castillo (Honduras) and Amb. Harald Aspelund (Iceland) during the third and final stage of consultations from 19 to 27 October.