The final recommendation of the new WTO Director-General is selected
Xinhua News Agency, Geneva, October 28 (Reporter Ling Xin) World Trade Organization spokesperson Keith Rockwell announced on the 28th that Nigeria’s candidate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been selected as the Director-General of the WTO. The "three-person team" intends to submit the final recommendation for the new director general to the General Council. The United States unilaterally expressed its disapproval of this recommendation.
Rockwell said at a press conference held after the informal meeting of the heads of WTO member delegations that day, considering that Oconjo-Ibeala has the greatest chance of obtaining support from all members, the Director-General selected the "three-person team" Confirm that he is the candidate recommended by the new Director-General.
He said that WTO members will hold a General Council meeting on the selection of the Director-General on November 9, and hopes to make a decision on the final candidate for the Director-General by then.
Rockwell said that the United States was the only WTO member that said at the meeting that it could not support Okonjo Iweala as the new director general. The United States said it would continue to support South Korean candidate Yu Myung Hee in the election.
The sixth WTO Director-General Azevedo resigned on August 31, ending his term a year earlier.
The selection process for the new Director-General was launched on June 8. A total of 8 candidates were formally nominated.
The Director-General, consisting of David Walker, Chairman of the WTO General Council, Dacio Castillo, Chairman of the Dispute Settlement Body, and Harald Asperond, Chairman of the Trade Policy Review Body, selects the "three-person team", Starting from September 7, representatives of all WTO members have met separately and started three rounds of consultations to gradually narrow the scope of candidates.
According to the current WTO rules, the appointment of a new director-general should usually be made by consensus among members, that is, the new director-general can only be appointed when all 164 members agree.
However, under special circumstances, it may also be an alternative to refer the decision on the appointment of the director-general to a vote of members.