The United States has finally backed the choice of Nigeria's Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as Director General of World Trade Organisation, after the support for the Korean Republic Candidate under the former President Donald Trump, stalled the selection process for several months.
President Joe Biden’s administration in a statement on Friday on the website of the US Trade Representative ,expressed its strong support for Okonjo-Iweala, citing her “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister.”
The immediate past Trump administration opposition to Okonjo-Iweala who enjoys popular support of many countries to lead the World Trade Organization, had paralysed the organisation's activities for several months, following the uncertainty in its leadership.
South Korea's Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee had on Friday, withdrew from the race for the WTO top position, paving way for Okonjo-Iweala to make history as the first woman and an African to head the global trade Institution.
The statement titled, ‘Office of the United States Trade Representative Statement on the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, reads in parts
“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 Organisation (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. Dr Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister.
“She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organisation with a diverse membership. It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO Director-General – the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution.”
Following the development, the US government being led by Biden expressed its readiness to work with the Nigeria's former Finance Minister as consensus candidate in the next phase of the WTO process for the DG.
“The Biden-Harris administration looks forward to working with a new WTO Director-General to find paths forward to achieve necessary substantive and procedural reform of the WTO,”the statement added .
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