The World Trade Organisation Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, announced her intention to seek a second four-year term as head of the trade organisation.
This was disclosed by Okonjo-Iweala during an interview with Reuters on Monday.
she expressed a desire to address “unfinished business” from her first term.
Okonjo-Iweala, who began her role in March 2021 as the first female and African leader of the WTO, will complete her current term on August 31, 2025.
She said, “I would like to be part of this chapter of the WTO story, and I stand ready to compete for the position,” Okonjo-Iweala said, citing a letter she plans to send to the trade body’s main decision-making body.
“For my second term, I intend to focus on delivering,” she added, mentioning that among her priorities are addressing “unfinished business.”
Okonjo-Iweala’s priorities for a potential second term include finalizing a deal on fisheries subsidies, advancing global agriculture negotiations, reforming the WTO’s dispute resolution system, and promoting trade decarbonization.
Although she has until the end of November to make her official decision, the early announcement, which coincides with U.S. President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the election campaign, is viewed as a strategic move to bolster her reappointment chances before the U.S. election.
If no other candidates emerge and all WTO member states support her, her reappointment could be secured under the WTO’s consensus rules.
In 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration blocked Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as WTO Director-General, reflecting his critical stance on the organization, which he had labeled as “horrible.”
However, with President Joe Biden’s administration taking office in 2021, she secured U.S. support and was appointed, marking a significant shift in U.S. trade policy.
