She is now sailing alone in the lead.

Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala could become the first Director General of the World Trade Organization, provided the new Biden administration gives her its blessing. 

The only other candidate for this post still in the running, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, officially gave up on Friday (February 5) to run for this mandate. 

Ms. Yoo consulted with the United States, which under Donald Trump was her main supporter, and other capitals and "decided to give up her candidacy," the South Korean Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.  

The Nigerian candidate "will not be automatically appointed. The choice requires a consensus, which in practice means that the United States adheres to the consensus", however tempered a European diplomat in charge of trade in Geneva to AFP, while explaining that the withdrawal of the Korean candidate implied that this is exactly what is happening. 

Especially since Ms. Yoo underlined her exchanges with Washington in the press release announcing her decision. 

The process of appointing a successor to Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, who left a year before the end of his term for family reasons, has been at an impasse since the fall. 

The succession committee announced on October 28 that the candidate best placed to achieve consensus was the Nigerian, who calls herself Dr Ngozi. 

United States Dam 

In addition to being the first woman to head the WTO, she would be the first Director General from Africa.

But the United States, under President Donald Trump, stood in her way, supporting Ms. Yoo, the first woman to have served as her country's trade minister, arguing that she had 25 years of experience in the trade. field. 

The position of the former Trump administration pushed the process to an impasse.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala did not claim victory.

She said she was waiting for the end of the selection process, stressing that "the WTO must turn its attention to the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic recovery", said her spokesperson. 

A European diplomat welcomed the news.

"We welcome the responsible spirit of this decision. This is good news for multilateralism. There is no longer any obstacle to the members nominating very quickly the Nigerian candidate, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who won the selection process, "he told AFP. 

 "With the impetus of its new Director General, the WTO will be able to consider its negotiations on fisheries subsidies and prepare for its 12th ministerial conference in 2021," he stressed. 

Economic crisis and trade war  

And in fact there is no lack of files to pull the WTO out of its quasi-existential crisis.

The next head of the institution will have to face the economic crisis, but also the crisis of confidence in multilateralism and in the merits of the liberalization of world trade, all against the backdrop of a trade war between the two leading economic powers, the China and the United States. 

In mid-October, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said he wanted to give himself two priorities to show that the WTO is essential. 

She wants to be able to present, at the next Ministerial Conference of the organization, an agreement on fisheries subsidies - which is currently at a standstill - to demonstrate that the WTO can still produce multilateral advances.

The other priority is to rebuild the dispute settlement body - the WTO tribunal - which was torpedoed by the Trump administration and is brain dead.

"I am the candidate for reform," she then said. 

For the time being, Joe Biden's administration has not said whether it will support the Nigerian's candidacy and the future trade representative, Katherine Tai, has not been heard or confirmed by the United States Congress to be able to take the reins of US international trade policy. 

WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said for his part that "South Korea has yet to indicate what it will do in terms of supporting Ms. Ngozi." 

The WTO has a meeting scheduled for March 1 and 2 of its General Council, but the spokesperson stressed that this schedule could be accelerated if necessary. 

With AFP 

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR