Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), will seek a second term in her office. The WTO said on Saturday that she is the only person running for the position again. This announcement comes after the one-month period for people to apply officially ended.
Petter Ølberg, chair of the WTO’s General Council, said that Okonjo-Iweala is the only person who wants to be the top leader of the WTO. She is the first woman to ever have this job. Okonjo-Iweala, Former Nigeria’s finance minister, started her job in March 2021. She made history by being the first African and the first woman to lead the organisation.
She wants to stay in her job at a time when the WTO’s future and who leads it are uncertain, especially because the United States will soon have a new leader.
Her attempt to be re-elected happens when the WTO’s future and leadership are facing new uncertainties, especially because of the upcoming change in leadership in the United States. The re-election process will take several months, and the new Trump administration, which won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, is expected to have a big say in who gets chosen.
Okonjo-Iweala’s first term focused on reforms to make the WTO stronger in global trade, especially dealing with issues like trade disputes, the increase in protectionism, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on international trade. But her leadership has had its difficulties, and there are doubts about whether she will get the support of the United States under President-elect Trump, who has been against multilateral organisations and how they are run.
