The current Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has officially expressed her intention to seek a second term. In support of this goal, Okonjo-Iweala has emerged as the sole nominee for the position.
The WTO initiated its process for appointing a new Director-General on October 8, allowing member countries to submit nominations until November 8. This development was shared in a formal message from Petter Olberg, Chairman of the WTO General Council, who confirmed that no additional nominations were received by the deadline, leaving Okonjo-Iweala as the only candidate for the role.
Olberg’s statement to WTO members highlighted that, per the WTO’s procedures for Director-General appointments (WT/L/509), he is required to report a consolidated list of candidates immediately after the nomination period closes. He confirmed that as of the November 8 deadline, Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination was the only one received. “I would like to advise members that at the end of the nomination period the only candidacy received for this post is from Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the incumbent Director-General,” he noted.
The notification from Okonjo-Iweala, submitted in accordance with WTO appointment procedures, had been previously distributed to all member states. This notice, initially circulated on September 16 under document JOB/GC/406, officially recorded her interest in continuing her leadership at the WTO. With no other candidates in the running, Okonjo-Iweala stands poised to secure a second term as head of the organization.
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Emmanuel Onwuka