The first woman and first African at the head of the WTO, the Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, 70, whose mandate ends on August 31, 2025, is the only candidate for her succession, the organization announced on Saturday.
The Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), whose first term appointment had been blocked for months by former US President Donald Trump, announced on September 16 that she was seeking a second term as head. of this organization.
Accelerated procedure
The Chairman of the General Council, Norwegian Ambassador Petter Olberg, informed WTO members on Saturday “that no further applications for the position of Director-General had been received before the deadline of 8 November and that the Director-General In office, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was therefore the only candidate for this position,” the organization said in a press release.
The procedure should have started in December, nine months before the mandate expired. But the WTO brought it forward by two months, to October 8, the Norwegian ambassador, responsible for overseeing the procedure, having estimated that there was “a convergence of views in terms of starting the process (… ) earlier than expected. Countries had one month to propose candidates.
