The World Trade Organization (WTO) has officially confirmed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, its current director-general, as the only candidate for the position in the upcoming term.
Okonjo-Iweala formally expressed her interest in serving a second four-year term on September 16, and the WTO launched the nomination process on October 8, giving member states until November 8 to submit other candidates.
Petter Olberg, chair of the WTO’s general council, announced that no further nominations were received by the deadline.
“Under the procedures for the appointment of Directors-General (WT/L/509), I am required to communicate to Members a consolidated list of candidatures received for the post of Director-General immediately after the close of the nomination period, in this case 8 November 2024.
“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.
“The notification received from Dr Okonjo-Iweala pursuant to paragraph 12 of the Procedures in WT/L/509, was circulated to all Members together with my communication in document JOB/GC/406, dated 16 September 2024,” the statement read.
The WTO stated that Olberg would soon outline the next steps in the appointment process. Okonjo-Iweala’s current term is set to conclude on August 31, 2025.
Appointed on February 15, 2021, Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO.
Her bid for a second term came into question following Donald Trump’s re-election victory, as his administration initially blocked her nomination in October 2020, endorsing South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee instead.
However, after Trump’s defeat, Joe Biden’s administration backed Okonjo-Iweala, enabling her appointment as director-general.
