So, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala wants another go at the helm of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and she’s starting early. Really early. The 70-year-old, who already made history as the first woman and African to head the WTO, told Reuters that she’s all set for another four years. And why not? After all, there’s “unfinished business,” right?
Let’s be honest, this isn’t just some noble quest to tie up loose ends. The whole Africa-led push to start her re-election process well ahead of the November deadline is clearly an attempt to secure her second term before the U.S. elections roll around. Why wait and risk the dice landing on another “horrible” Trump-era blockade? Remember, it wasn’t that long ago when Trump’s administration tried to block her from the post in 2020. It took Biden’s support to finally get her in.
But Okonjo-Iweala is keeping it diplomatic. “I don’t focus on that because I have no control,” she says when asked if her fate, and the WTO’s, might change if Trump returns to power. Sure, it’s an answer we expect from a seasoned politician, but it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out why she’s eager to lock things down now.
Now, let’s talk about this “unfinished business” she’s referring to. The WTO is no stranger to global headaches, and she’s got her work cut out for her. There’s the matter of ending fisheries subsidies, which has been dragging on for ages.
Then there’s global agriculture negotiations that need a breakthrough, because, let’s face it, the global food market is a tangled mess. Add to that reforming the WTO’s broken dispute resolution system and trying to decarbonize trade in the middle of a climate crisis. It’s quite the to-do list, and some might argue these are issues that should have seen more progress in her first term.
But, she’s “ready to compete for the position,” as she says in her letter to the WTO’s main decision-making body. Good for her, though it’s worth noting that her candidacy might sail smoothly if no one else contests. After all, under the WTO’s consensus rules, if no competitors step forward, she’s in. Simple as that.
So what are we left with? A determined Okonjo-Iweala trying to secure her second term early, an organization still struggling with major global trade challenges, and the shadow of U.S. politics looming large. It’s safe to say, her next term, if she gets it, won’t be without its controversies. But maybe that’s just business as usual at the WTO.
