Geneva (AFP)
Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was named the first woman and first African to head the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Monday, hoping to end years of blocking the institution.
"WTO members have just agreed to appoint Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next WTO Director General. The decision was taken by consensus at a special meeting of the WTO's General Council today. hui ", announced the WTO, about fifteen minutes after the opening of the meeting.
"Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African at the head of the WTO. She will take office on March 1 and her mandate, renewable, will expire on August 31, 2025", underlined the gendarme of world trade in a short message.
After her appointment, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, 66, spoke, virtually because of the Covid, to the representatives of the countries, during a closed meeting, a European diplomat told AFP.
She is due to speak to the media at 4:00 p.m. GMT.
Her appointment at the head of the WTO - an almost paralyzed institution which can no longer fulfill its mission - was expected, after the withdrawal from the race on February 5 of her only other rival, South Korean Minister of Trade Yoo Myung -hee.
The latter had made its decision, after consulting the United States, which under Donald Trump was its main support.
After several months of paralysis, the Biden administration preferred to remove the main obstacle to the nomination of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the head of the WTO, by bringing "its strong support" to the Nigerian candidacy.
The process of appointing a successor to Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, who left a year before the end of his term for family reasons, had been deadlocked since the fall.
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