Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman and first African Director-General of the WTO
KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 16
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian finance minister, has been unanimously selected as the 7th head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), on Monday.
She became the first women and African director-general of the WTO following the election result, yesterday.
Okonjo-Iweala, whose name was previously rejected by the Trump administration, received majority backing from the WTO members, after the defeat of Donald Trump in the United States presidential race three months ago.
Taking to Twitter, Okonjo-Iweala Thanked the WTO members for selecting her and making history as the first woman and first African for the post,
"It is done. Thank you @WTO members for finalizing my election today and making history. In the 73 years of GATT and WTO, honored to be First Woman and First African to lead. But now the real work begins. Ready to tackle the challenges of WTO. Forget Business as usual!
It is done! Thank you @WTO members for finalizing my election today and making history. In the 73 years of GATT and WTO, honored to be First Woman and First African to lead. But now the real work begins. Ready to tackle the challenges of WTO. Forget Business as usual! pic.twitter.com/apnAalHWf5
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) February 15, 2021
Okonjo-Iweala will have to deal with post-Covid-19 pandemic trade rules, counter protectionism, and the current trade conflict between the US and China.
"What it (the WTO) needs is someone who has the capability to drive reform, who knows trade and who does not want to see business as usual. And that is me," she said on Monday. "I think our interests and priorities are aligned. They want to bring the WTO back to (its) purpose," she told Reuters.
Okonjo-Iweala, a Harvard graduate of development economics, has 25-years of experience working at the World Bank.
