Okonjo-Iweala has until the end of November 2024 to officially apply for another term.
Geneva, Switzerland – World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has announced her intention to seek a second four-year term as the head of the global trade body.
In an interview with Reuters on Monday, she stated her goal of completing “unfinished business” from her first term.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance minister of Nigeria, made history in March 2021 by becoming the first woman and first African to lead the WTO. Her current term is set to end on August 31, 2025.
“I would like to be part of this chapter of the WTO story, and I stand ready to compete for the position,” Iweala said. She added that her priorities in a second term would include finalising a deal to end fisheries subsidies, advancing global agriculture negotiations, reforming the WTO’s struggling dispute settlement system, and promoting decarbonisation in trade.
Okonjo-Iweala has until the end of November 2024 to officially apply for another term. However, there are signs of early momentum for her candidacy, with an African-led initiative supporting her re-election as early as July.
The support has come as U.S. President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, potentially easing her path to securing a second term if no other candidates emerge and all WTO member states back her.
In 2020, her initial appointment was blocked by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, a move interpreted by some as opposition to the organisation, which Trump had criticised as “horrible.” Okonjo-Iweala eventually secured U.S. backing when Biden took office in 2021.
When asked whether both she and the WTO could succeed if Trump were to be re-elected, she responded: “I don’t focus on that because I have no control.”
Join our Channel...