Okonjo-Iweala wins; the hurdles ahead!

28 Oct Okonjo-Iweala wins; the hurdles ahead!

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has won the election for the leadership of the World Trade Organisation. But there are some hurdles to clear

She polled 104 votes from 164 member countries to defeat how South Korea’s trade minister at the final stage of the race.
Following that she received a key endorsement Wednesday from the World Trade Organization’s selection committee, moving her a step closer to becoming the WTO’s first female director-general, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg The panel of three senior WTO ambassadors told Okonjo-Iweala that she had a wide margin of support and is best poised to command a consensus from the organization’s 164 members, The recommendation helps Okonjo-Iweala clear one of the final hurdles in a complex and lengthy process.

Next Steps
Delegates for the members are expected to hold a general council meeting in the coming days to make a formal decision to determine if there is indeed consensus support for Okonjo-Iweala.
It is possible that the process may drag out if nations like the U.S. decide to oppose a decision to appoint Okonjo-Iweala.
According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has pushed for South Korea’s candidate, Yoo Myung-hee, even though Okonjo-Iweala gained U.S. citizenship in 2019.
If it’s not possible for the general council to agree on a consensus candidate, WTO members can consider the possibility of recourse to a vote as a last resort by a procedure to be determined at that time. Such a development would be unprecedented for the WTO.