58 Countries Back Okonjo-Iweala For Second Term As WTO DG

 Fifty-eight World Trade Organisation, WTO, members have thrown their weights behind Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, asking the former Nigerian minister of Finance, to make herself available to serve a second term as Director-General, DG, WTO.

Disclosing this in a statement the Geneva-based organisation, noted that members also considered proposals to set out a work programme for future negotiations on agriculture and to incorporate the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the WTO framework.

 The statement reads: “Fifty-eight WTO members took the floor at a 22 July meeting of the WTO General Council to voice support for a proposal from the African Group calling for an early start to the Director-General selection process and asking the incumbent, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to make herself available to serve a second term. Members also considered proposals to set out a work programme for future negotiations on agriculture and to incorporate the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the WTO framework.

DG selection process

Members discussed the request from the African Group of members regarding the appointment of the Director General (WT/GC/W/948). The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term, and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible. The current term of DG Okonjo-Iweala finishes at the end of August 2025. She is eligible for a second four-year term. Fifty-eight members, several speaking on behalf of groups of members, took the floor to comment and express their support for the African Group proposal. They called on DG Okonjo-Iweala to make her intentions known regarding a second term as soon as possible. Most of these members praised the DG’s hard work and her achievements during her first term. DG Okonjo-Iweala said that she was very grateful for the show of support from members. “Everything that I’ve accomplished, we’ve accomplished together,” she said. The DG added that she took the call of members very seriously and was favourably inclined. She said she would get back to members very soon regarding her intentions.

The General Council Chair, Petter Ølberg (Norway), said that he heard unanimous, broad and strong support, both for the current DG to make herself available and to run again, and for the process to be started as soon as possible. The Chair said he will be reaching out to delegations in the days and weeks to come.