By Aiyeku Timothy
The Biden administration has heeded to calls to give its nod to former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
Joe Biden declared his “strong support” in a statement late Friday.
This is after former Donald Trump administration opposed to Okonjo-Iweala and the recent withdrawal of South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee from the race.
This development will now allow the WTO to confirm its next leader after years of the organization’s influence being diminished due to a lack of U.S. engagement.
Yoo and Okonjo-Iweala were the last candidates from an initial field of eight and the first women to be seriously considered for the role after Roberto Azevêdo of Brazil stepped down as director-general in August, a year before his term expired.
“It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO Director General — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative wrote Friday.
“Dr. Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister. She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organization with a diverse membership.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration also congratulates Minister Yoo Myung-hee on her strong campaign for this position. She is a trailblazer as the Republic of Korea’s first female trade minister and the first candidate from Korea to advance this far in the Director General selection process. The United States respects her decision to withdraw her candidacy from the Director General race to help facilitate a consensus decision at the WTO.” the statement added.
Okonjo-Iweala, who became a U.S. citizen in 2019, would be the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. A trained economist, she spent the bulk of her career at the World Bank, eventually holding its No. 2 post as managing director of operations. She twice served as Nigeria’s finance minister.
In her reaction, Okonjo-Iweala tweeted Friday that she was “grateful for the expression of support” from the U.S. and congratulated Yoo on a “hard fought campaign.”
The WTO’s next General Council meeting is scheduled for March 1-2, but a special session to appoint Okonjo-Iweala could now be called sooner.
