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Okonjo-Iweala appointed as WTO DG

Published

4 years ago

February 15, 2021

The former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation..

Okonjo-Iweala, whose tenure begins March 1, is the first woman and African to hold the position.

The WTO stated this in a tweet on Monday, saying, “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria is appointed as the next WTO Director-General. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala makes history as the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. Her term starts on the 1st of March 2021.

“WTO members took the decision to appoint @NOIweala at a special meeting of the General Council, following a selection process that included eight candidates from around the world #WTODG.”

The former Minister had, a few days ago, received the backing of the administration of US President Joe Biden for the role.

The US Trade Representative in a statement cited her “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy” and said she had “proven experience managing a large international organization.”

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Okonjo-Iweala was challenged by South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee who later withdrew from the race for the position.