Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala To Run For Second Term As WTO Director-General

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and African to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO), plans to run for a second four-year term when her current one ends next August.

In an interview with Reuters on Monday, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed her desire to complete the “unfinished business” from her first term.

Okonjo-Iweala, who previously served as Nigeria’s finance minister, began her role in March 2021, becoming the first woman and first African to lead the WTO.

“I would like to be part of this chapter of the WTO story, and I stand ready to compete for the position,” she said, emphasizing her readiness to run for re-election after her current term ends on August 31, 2025.

Okonjo-Iweala explained that her focus in a second term would be on delivering results, especially in areas like finalizing a deal on fisheries subsidies, progressing global agricultural negotiations, reforming the WTO’s dispute system, and working on decarbonizing trade.

Though she has until the end of November to officially decide, an early initiative led by African nations has been in motion since July, aiming to secure her second term before the U.S. election in November.

According to WTO rules, her re-election could be achieved through consensus if no other candidates emerge and all members back her.

In 2020, Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment faced opposition from former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which delayed her confirmation.

She finally secured the position in 2021 after President Joe Biden endorsed her.

When asked about the possibility of Trump being re-elected and its impact on her and the WTO’s success, she said, “I don’t focus on that because I have no control.”

KanyiDaily recalls that 58 out of the 164 member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) had expressed their support for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to serve a second term as Director-General.