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Tag: Okonjo Iweala

  • Buhari reacts to Okonjo-Iweala’s confirmation as WTO DG – Buhari

    Buhari reacts to Okonjo-Iweala’s confirmation as WTO DG – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says he has no doubt that Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will excel in her new position as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

    Following the confirmation of her appointment on Monday, President Buhari on behalf of the Federal Government and all Nigerians, warmly felicitated with Dr. Okonjo-Iweala on her election which he says is bringing joy and more honour to the country.

    “As the Harvard-educated and renowned economist takes up another onerous task of service to the world and humanity, the President believes her track record of integrity, diligence, and passion for development will continue to yield positive results and rewards to mankind,” the President stated.

    According to a statement by his special media aide, the president affirmed that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, who over the years set major records of economic reforms in Nigeria as Minister of Finance, and later Minister of Foreign Affairs, will excel in her new position and validate the global mandate of repositioning and strengthening the multilateral institution for the greater good of all.

    The President joined the family, friends, and colleagues in wishing Dr. Okonjo-Iweala well in her new endeavor.

    on Monday, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman and the first African to lead the international trade body. Her term is scheduled to start on March 1.

    The term, which is renewable, will expire on August 31, 2025.

    “This is a very significant moment for the WTO,” said General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand who, together with co-facilitators Amb. Dacio Castillo (Honduras) and Amb. Harald Aspelund (Iceland) led the nine-month DG selection process.

    “On behalf of the General Council, I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her appointment as the WTO’s next Director-General and formally welcome her to this General Council meeting.

    “Dr Ngozi, on behalf of all members I wish to sincerely thank you for your graciousness in these exceptional months, and for your patience.

    “We look forward to collaborating closely with you, Dr Ngozi, and I am certain that all members will work with you constructively during your tenure as Director-General to shape the future of this organization.”

    Quoted in a WTO statement, Dr Okonjo-Iweala said a key priority for her would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health consequences brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO Director-General,” she said.

    “A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again.

    “Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile, and better adapted to the realities of today.”

    South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee had been the only other remaining contender for the post but pulled out when it became clear that new US President Joe Biden was swinging firmly behind Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy.

    The organisation has been leaderless since Brazilian career diplomat Roberto Azevedo stepped down last August, a year ahead of schedule.

    The process of picking one of eight candidates to succeed him had been expected to wrap up by November, but the administration of former US President Donald Trump blocked the consensus to appoint Okonjo-Iweala.

  • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, catalyst and innovator for global finance and trade -Chido Nwangwu

    Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, catalyst and innovator for global finance and trade -Chido Nwangwu

    By Chido Nwangwu

    She is a bold name member of the Nigerian diaspora — here in the United States, and globally.

    She is a catalyst for progressive change and innovation in the financial centers of the world — especially in development economics.

    Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, PhD., is the quintessential technocrat who also understands the daily grind of life and living, She is both remarkable for her scholastic achievements as much as for her governance experience.

    The certainty of her manner of speaking and fact-wise content of her policy expositions have combined to make her one of the most sought after economists in the world. Evident is the fact, too, that she sits on the boards of several corporations, and offers advisory and management ideas to organizations.

    Nigeria’s former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed to the board of Twitter, in July 2018..

    Why is she in the news, this time?

    All things being equal — as her fellow economists usually say on matters of demand and supply — she will this February 2021 make history, again.

    She is on track to become the first person of African heritage and the first woman to hold the top position of director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

    Okonjo-Iweala has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders by Fortune magazine in 2015; and has been featured as one of TIME magazine 100 of the World’s Leaders!

    The position opened with the sudden, early exit of the man who was there; he left since August 2020. Then the notorious Trump Administration blocked her from moving into the position after she was nominated by the Nigerian government.

    Then, last Friday, her major opponent for the position dropped out of the running. She got the critical nod of the American government now led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In a sunny signal toward the nomination, an official of the U.S government wrote that “The United States takes note of today’s decision by the Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee to withdraw her candidacy for Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Biden-Harris Administration is pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next Director General of the WTO”.
    Long before this support, some of the WTO key members/blocs, such as China, the European Union, the African Union, Japan and Australia had indicated their support of Okonjo-Iweala.

    Also, she has a strong network of influential friends — largely amassed during her 25 years at the World Bank.

    Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala whom I met and chatted with, briefly, in Maryland during an event by her alma mater Queens School Enugu (Nigeria), almost 10 years ago — has been a major reference point for inspiration and ra ole model for millions of women. Especially, while she was the Finance minister and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy in Nigeria.

    She was Minister of Finance under President Goodluck Jonathan. From July 2003 – June 21, 2006, she held the same position under President Obasanjo. She was appointed into a new position, Coordinating Minister for the Economy, August 17, 2011 – May 29, 2015.

    January 2016, she was appointed the Chair-elect of the Board of Gavi which is involved in provide coronavirus solutions.

    Bob Zoellick, World Bank’s ex-president, is one of the heavyweight friends of the public finance specialist. He wrote a memo to World Bank employees on July 8, 2011, where he commended her for, among other things, pushing African economies to greater reliance on open free-market positions. He noted that “Along with her oversight of the bank’s work in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia, and Human Resources, Ngozi has played a pivotal role in overseeing the Bank’s work to help countries hurt by high and volatile food prices…. with Ngozi’s leadership, we put together a food crisis response fund to allow for fast assistance to countries in need. It has helped more than 40 million people in 44 countries.”

    Two of her most recent books are ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous : The story behind the headlines – A frontline account from Nigeria’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, of how to fight corruption and lessons learned for governance and development’ — published by MIT Press, (2018) and ‘Reforming the unreformable : Lessons from Nigeria’ (First MIT Press paperback ed. (2012)

    Hopefully, she will begin work at the WTO next week to help create fairer trade relations between African countries and other parts of the world. At another level, it will be new heights of inspiration for many girls. Remember that one of the most influential women of the 20th century, Hillary Clinton, did say, regarding an entirely different issue: ”To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”

    Okonjo-Iweala has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders by Fortune magazine in 2015; and has been featured as one of TIME magazine 100 of the World’s Leaders!
    —————
    Dr. Chido Nwangwu, the Founder of USAfrica multimedia networks and public policy organization since 1992 in Houston, established the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the Internet USAfricaonline.com. He served as adviser on Africa business to the ex-Mayor of Houston, Dr. Lee P. Brown. Chido is the first continental African to be admitted to the 100 Black Men of America. He is the author of the February 2021 book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity. In July 2017, he was issued a U.S. Congressional Recognition for USAfrica’s 25 years. Chido has been honored by the Washington-D. C.based National Immigration Forum for utilizing multimedia to fight authoritarianism and foster freedom of expression in parts of the African continent.
    He has been profiled by the CNN International for his pioneering works on multimedia/news/public policy projects for Africans and Americans. Chido247@Gmail.com follow @Chido247

  • Its Official! WTO meets next week to confirm Okonjo-Iweala as DG

    Its Official! WTO meets next week to confirm Okonjo-Iweala as DG

    Sequel to recent developments in the tight race for the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), all seems set by the organization to appoint Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its first female and first African leader next week.

    The global trade body announced Tuesday that it would hold a special meeting of its General Council on February 15 “to consider the appointment of the next WTO director-general”.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the announcement comes after United States President Joe Biden’s administration last week offered its “strong support” to Okonjo-Iweala, marking yet another sharp split from his predecessor Donald Trump, who had blocked her nomination for months.

    TNG reports that key WTO ambassadors tapped Okonjo-Iweala back in October as the best pick to lead the organisation but Trump’s administration maintained its opposition to her appointment and said it backed her opponent, South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee, instead.

    Since the WTO makes decisions through consensus among all 164 member states, the US position left the process to replace Roberto Azevedo who stepped down a year ahead of schedule last August at a standstill.

    Observers suggested that South Korea had long been under pressure from the United States an ally that has 28,500 troops in the country to defend it from nuclear-armed North Korea to keep Yoo in the race.

    But Seoul suddenly announced last Friday that she was abandoning her bid, just hours before Washington announced its change of position.

    With no further obstacles in her path, Okonjo-Iweala is expected to quickly be tapped for the director-general post at Monday’s meeting.

    It remains unclear if she will be asked to take the reins immediately or if her term would start at a later date.

    Once she does, she will have her hands full.

    Twice Nigeria’s finance minister and its first woman foreign minister, 66-year-old Okonjo-Iweala is seen as a trailblazer in her country.

    A development economist by training with degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, she also spent a quarter of a century at the World Bank, rising to be managing director and running for the top role in 2012.

  • WTO DG: Buhari thanks Biden for removing ‘last obstacle’ in Okonjo-Iweala’s path

    WTO DG: Buhari thanks Biden for removing ‘last obstacle’ in Okonjo-Iweala’s path

    President Muhammadu Buhari has described as welcome development the pronouncement of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, signifying withdrawal of the country’s objection to the emergence of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

    The Nigerian leader made his feelings known in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports reports that President Buhari had earlier nominated Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the Director General of the WTO.

    The president said: “We certainly welcome the decision of the new U.S. administration to remove the last obstacle in the path of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to becoming the first female and the first person of African descent to lead the organisation,” said the President.

     

    “Nigeria and the entire African continent are happy about this new U.S. position, which signifies a shift and an important turnaround in the relations between our continent and the United States under the Biden administration.”

    “Today, we see that the United States stands with Nigeria and Africa with the acceptance of our widely respected citizen, Okonjo-Iweala to lead the WTO.’’

    According to Buhari, Nigeria looks forward to working closely with Biden led U.S administration with a view to addressing all issues of common interests to both countries.

    “We look forward to working very closely with the new U.S. administration on this and all issues of common interests, especially in such areas as accelerated economic growth, fight against terrorism and deepening progress on development issues.’’

    TNG reports that Okonjo-Iweala had on Feb. 5 in her Twitter handle expressed gratitude shortly after she was endorsed for the WTO job by the U.S. government.

    She further tweeted: “Grateful for the expression of support from the U.S. today for DG @WTO. Congratulations to Madam Yoo of Rep. Korea for a hard fought campaign.

    “Thank You President Muhammadu Buhari @MBuhari &all Nigerians for your unflinching support. Thank you friends. Love to my family. Glory to God.”

    The United States government announced its endorsement of Okonjo-Iweala in a statement by its office of trade representative on Feb. 5.

  • Trump’s trade chief wants WTO reopen selection process for DG

    Trump’s trade chief wants WTO reopen selection process for DG

    Outgoing US President Donald Trump’s trade chief Robert Lighthizer has made the unprecedented suggestion that the World Trade Organisation(WTO) reopen the selection process for a new Director-General.

    According to a BBC report, Lighthizer said the WTO needs “someone with real experience in trade”, as he doubled down on the US opposition against Nigeria’s candidate, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is supported by majority of countries for the job.

    The U.S. is backing South Korea’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

    Both Okonjo and Yoo have been left in limbo for more than five weeks as the WTO needs a consensus.

    The WTO council in late October suspended final decision on the matter indefinitely, perhaps expecting that a change in White House will resolve the logjam.

    The WTO issue will now be one of the most pressing global trade issues that President-elect Joe Biden will have to solve after being sworn in on 20 January 2021.

    A spokesperson for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the BBC that former World Bank chief has the right experience for the WTO job.

    “Dr Okonjo-Iweala looks forward to engaging with the Biden administration and is hopeful that final consensus can soon be reached. The WTO urgently needs to get to work at this time of global crisis,” the spokesperson said.READ ALSO Ramaphosa gives Okonjo-Iweala another job, as AU Special envoy
    The BBC reported that If a new Director-General for the WTO is not appointed before Joe Biden’s inauguration as US President on 20 January, it is likely the process will be delayed for several months as a new US trade team is put in place.

    That includes Katherine Tai, who has been picked to be Mr Lighthizer’s successor, but needs Congressional approval.

    According to Lighthizer, the WTO has “failed to function as a negotiating body”.

    He also pinpoints that “massive reform” is needed for the dispute-resolving Appellate Body, which he feels has evolved into a body creating a common law of trade, “taking away benefits” that members had negotiated for “and putting restraint on things that had been conceded”.

  • Bring back our boys now, Okonjo-Iweala tells FG

    Bring back our boys now, Okonjo-Iweala tells FG

    Former Nigerian Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged the Federal Government to bring back the over 300 schoolboys abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.

    According to her, those using the children as pawns must be held accountable.

    Okonjo-Iweala, who is the leading candidate for the job of director-general of the World Trade Organisation, made this known on Twitter handle last night.

    She wrote, “The abduction of more than 300 schoolboys in Katsina is heartbreaking. What a recurring nightmare. My heart goes out to the families of the missing boys. The authorities must do all possible to #BringBackOurBoys! Those using our children as pawns must be held accountable!”

    TheNewsGuru recalls that bandits had stormed the school on Friday night and abducted the students after a gun duel with the police. The President, Muhammadu Buhari had arrived in the state on Friday, hours before the abduction took place.

    Boko Haram terrorist group, on Tuesday, claimed responsibility for the abduction, saying it had not entered into negotiations with the government contrary to claims by the authorities.

    The terror group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a recording, also said the shameful act was done in order to discourage people from obtaining western education.

    The Kankara students’ abduction is not the first in the history of the nation. Non-state actors had in the past abducted hundreds of secondary school girls from Chibok, in Borno State; and Dapchi in Yobe State. Some of them eventually regained freedom while a number of them were detained in the enclaves of their abductors and sexual abusers.

     

  • Okonjo-Iweala assures Nigeria access to COVID-19 vaccine

    Okonjo-Iweala assures Nigeria access to COVID-19 vaccine

    Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has assured Nigeria and other African countries of access to COVID-19 vaccines as from the end of January through the first quarter of 2021.

    A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday quoted Okonjo-Iweala after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja.

    “As long as one person has it in the world, no one is safe. And that is why poorer countries, lower-middle-income countries like Nigeria, need to get it as quickly as possible”, she was quoted as saying.

    Okonjo-Iweala is currently the African Union Special Envoy on mobilising international economic support for the continental fight against COVID-19. She is also Nigeria’s candidate for the Office of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

    She disclosed that the international initiative involved the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI and the international community, to get vaccines delivered to developing and poorer countries, in an affordable manner and quickly.

    According to her, the Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca were presently being negotiated so that poor countries don’t have to stand in a queue behind rich countries.

    The former finance minister described Africans as blessed, for not having the same incidence rate of COVID-19 like other continents, but warned African nations against complacency.

    Okonjo-Iweala recalled that a platform called the COVAX facility had been developed with 186 countries on board, saying that the side interested in serving the poor countries had 92 countries, for which resources have been raised to try and get the vaccines to them quickly.

    “So, the Pfizer vaccine, the AstraZeneca, those are being negotiated now so that poor countries don’t have to stand in line behind rich countries.

    “So, we hope they are starting by the end of January. We will be able to reach these countries, including most of the African countries, Nigeria included, will be able to get access to some of these vaccines.

    “Initially, it will be for frontline health workers, followed by some other target groups – older people, those with underlying conditions and then, from there, the rest of the population. I think the COVAX facility can cover maybe 20-23 per cent of the population by the end of next year,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

  • BREAKING: Okonjo-Iweala wins Forbes’ Africa Person of the Year 2020

    BREAKING: Okonjo-Iweala wins Forbes’ Africa Person of the Year 2020

    Former Minster of Finance, Okonjo-Iweala and a leading candidate for the office of the Director-General. World Trade Organisation has been voted Africa Person of the Year by Forbes magazine.

    Among other prominent Nigerians who have won this prestigious award include, former governor of the central bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido; President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, Nigerian billionaire, Aliko Dangote.

    The award is coming weeks after the Chair of the General Council of the World Trade Organization, Dr David Walker and Facilitators of the process for the Appointment of Directors-General formally submitted her name as the WTO DG designate – the candidate who has garnered the most support to head the organization.

    It will be recalled that Dr Okonjo-Iweala emerged the overwhelming choice of WTO member-countries following a keenly contested race in which she got the majority support of the 164 member countries.

    The Forbes Africa-CNBC award is the latest honour clinched by the multi award winning development economist, one of the African Union (AU) Special Envoys appointed to mobilize international support for Africa’s efforts to address the COVID-19 economic fallout.

    She is also the World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Envoy for the newly inaugurated Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) accelerator and its offshoot the COVAX facility, an international collaboration aimed at accelerating the development, production, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests kits around the world with the specific objective of ensuring timely, affordable and equitable access to poor countries.

    Okonjo-Iweala also serves as the Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a public-private global health partnership that has immunised 760 million children in developing countries and saved 13 million lives.

    Reacting to the news, Okonjo-Iweala, who is known for her humility and humanity, expressed her delight at the recognition and dedicated the award to Africans facing the health and socio-economic challenges of Covid-19 during a very difficult year.

    “It is a great honour to serve Africa in different capacities” said Okonjo-Iweala. “I look forward to deploying my energies at the WTO for Africa and the world”.

    Okonjo-Iweala has received numerous recognitions and awards. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015), the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014), the Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012), the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), the Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012), the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011), the Top 100 Women in the World (The Guardian, 2011), the Top 150 Women in the World (Newsweek, 2011), the Top 100 most inspiring people in the World Delivering for Girls and Women (Women Deliver, 2011). She received the Women’s Economic Empowerment Award from WEConnect International (2017) and was listed among 73 “brilliant” business influencers in the world by Condé Nast International.

    Details soon

  • We will ensure Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala gets WTO job – FG

    We will ensure Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala gets WTO job – FG

    The Federal Government has restated its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerges as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this known in a press statement on Thursday.

    The statement signed by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, was titled, ‘Update on Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s aspiration to lead the World Trade Organisation’.

    “Nigeria will continue to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that the lofty aspiration of her candidate to lead the World Trade Organisation is realised,” part of the statement read.

    The ministry noted that the former Managing Director of the World Bank had secured the support of the majority of the WTO members with only the United States opposing her.

    It stated that a meeting of the General Council of the WTO has been scheduled for November 9, 2020, for the final decision on the election process.

    It said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the third and final round of the selection process of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization was concluded on Tuesday, 27th October 2020, and the result was formally announced on Wednesday, 28th October 2020.

    “The candidate from Nigeria, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has secured the support of the majority of the member countries but is yet to be declared and returned the winner.

    “This is because apart from winning the election, all the 164 Member States of WTO were expected to adopt the winner by consensus, in accordance with the rule of procedure of the WTO.

    “It is important to highlight that Dr Okonjo-Iweala has secured cross-regional backing with only the United States opposing the consensus.”

  • Why we don’t support Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala as next WTO DG – U.S.

    Why we don’t support Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala as next WTO DG – U.S.

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has explained why the President Donald Trump led administration is opposed to the selection of former Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

    The United States said it supported instead Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

    She is “a bona fide trade expert who has distinguished herself during a 25-year career as a successful trade negotiator and trade policy maker, ” the US statement read.

    Although the U.S. did not mention Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, it said “The WTO is badly in need of major reform. It must be led by someone with real, hands-on experience in the field.”

    The U.S. position was seen Wednesday night as another blow at the WTO by the Trump administration.

    U.S. President Donald Trump, who faced a re-election battle on 3 November, had described the WTO as “horrible” and biased towards China.

    The Trump administration has already paralysed the WTO’s role as global arbiter on trade by blocking appointments to its appeals panel.

    Now it is threatening to render it leaderless for weeks or months to come.

    The WTO itself has called a meeting for Nov. 9, less than a week after the U.S. election, by which time it hopes to have secured full backing for Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

    The decision needs to be approved by consensus, however, meaning any of the 164 WTO members could block her appointment.

    After weeks of consultations, three WTO ambassadors, the “troika” charged with finding a successor to Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, announced at a meeting in Geneva on Wednesday that the former Nigerian finance minister should be the next chief as she had secured cross-regional backing.

    “All of the delegations that expressed their views today expressed very strong support for the process, for the troika and for the outcome. Except for one,” WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell told reporters after the closed-door meeting, specifying that the one was the United States.

    William Reinsch, a former senior Commerce Department official now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the U.S. move was likely to worsen trade tensions already running high within the WTO.

    “It’s very Trumpian. They’re basically saying ‘We want to get our way and we’re willing to throw sand in the gears if we don’t get it’,” he said, adding that it was possibly a bid to gain concessions in other disputes.

    A spokeswoman for Okonjo-Iweala said she was “immensely humbled” by the backing of the WTO’s selection committee and hoped for a swift conclusion to the process.

    Next steps are uncertain but WTO’s Rockwell said there was likely to be “frenzied activity” before the Nov. 9 meeting to secure the required consensus.

    It was not immediately clear if the outcome of the U.S. vote would affect the U.S. position on Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment. By then, Trump may be heading a lame-duck administration.

    Many members, including China and the United States, had declined to name their preference publicly before Wednesday although some African, Caribbean and other states had voiced support for Okonjo-Iweala during the four-month selection process.

    The European Union endorsed her on Oct. 26.

    The leadership void was created after outgoing WTO chief Azevedo stepped down a year early in August. The WTO is currently being steered by four deputies.

    Okonjo-Iweala, a 66-year-old former finance minister and World Bank managing director, would face considerable challenges with rival economies bickering amid rising tensions and protectionism during a coronavirus-induced trade plunge.

    Okonjo-Iweala, a development expert, has branded herself a “do-er”, saying she has the political clout to command influence in capitals.

    Currently chair of the of GAVI vaccine alliance board, she has also said the WTO should play a role in helping poorer countries access COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.