WTO confirms Okonjo-Iweala as sole candidate for director-general role

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has confirmed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the current director-general, as the sole candidate for the position.

According to a statement from the organisation on Saturday, Okonjo-Iweala confirmed her willingness to serve a second four-year term on September 16.

The WTO formally began the process to appoint its next director-general on October 8, allowing members until November 8 to submit nominations.

In a message to members, Petter Olberg, chair of the WTO’s general council, announced that no additional nominations were received by the November 8 deadline.

“Under the procedures for the appointment of Directors-General (WT/L/509), I am required to communicate to Members a consolidated list of candidatures received for the post of Director-General immediately after the close of the nomination period, in this case 8 November 2024,” the statement reads.

“I would like to advise members that at the end of the nomination period the only candidacy received for this post is from Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the incumbent director-general.

“The notification received from Dr Okonjo-Iweala pursuant to paragraph 12 of the Procedures in WT/L/509, was circulated to all Members together with my communication in document JOB/GC/406, dated 16 September 2024.”

The organisation noted that the general council chair would communicate the next steps in the process soon.

WTO added that Okonjo-Iweala’s current term will come to an end on August 31, 2025.

On February 15, 2021, Okonjo-Iweala was appointed as the director-general of the WTO.

She made history as the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO.

Okonjo-Iweala’s second-term bid had been in doubt after Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election on Wednesday.

Trump’s administration blocked her nomination in October 2020, in support of Yoo Myung-hee, former South Korean trade minister.

However, after losing his second-term presidential bid in November of the same year, Joe Biden’s administration backed Okonjo-Iweala for the WTO DG job.