Like many developing countries, especially those from African countries, the media reflected the selection of the 66-year-old Nigerian expert, Akonjur Iwela, as director of the World Trade Organization, as if it was a victory for developing or African countries in a round of conflict with developed countries.

Akonjour's selection was also addressed in the Positive Excellence Framework for Women as the first woman to hold the position of director of the organization after 6 men held the position since the inception of the organization in 1995.

It is noteworthy that international organizations are governed by the interests of adults, even if they are headed by children of developing countries, and for decades we have not noticed the bias of one of the sons of developing countries who took the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, for example, in favor of developing countries' issues, and violating developed countries.

Also, the World Trade Organization has more specificity than other international organizations, as its decisions and the agreements or procedures that are reached directly affect the interests of countries, and therefore there will be no room for courtesy of geographical affiliation or gender, so the lesson will be what the organization has accomplished for the benefit of member states. Especially large countries.

Get rid of stagnation

Perhaps the atmosphere in which Akonjor Iwela was chosen as the director of the World Trade Organization, will help her achieve a state of success in terms of the change in the US position after the removal of Donald Trump from the presidency, who has hindered the work of the WTO since coming to power in January 2017.

Trump is the one who fostered the trade war with China, the European Union, Japan and other countries, and even threatened America's exit from the Trade Organization in August 2018, claiming that the organization is working against America.

But it was the administration of US President Joe Biden who stood firmly behind choosing Akonjor Iwela as director of the Organization for Trade, a desire driven by the desires of most countries of the world to get rid of the recession that afflicted the global economy in light of the Corona pandemic, as well as activating the organization to play its role in facilitating international trade and working on End disputes related to it.

It is believed that America will facilitate the work of the organization's dispute settlement committee, which has suspended Trump's work by preventing the American judges represented on the committee from attending.

The issue of global trade is governed by interests, not emotions (Reuters)

Daughter of the World Bank

The state of strong support that Nigerian Akonjur Iwela got from the European Union and America was not to come from a vacuum, but through her work at the World Bank for 25 years, and therefore she is an advocate of globalization policies and supporters of capitalism and economic trends of both the European Union and America, and this did not prevent, of course. That Nigeria win the support of the African Union.

Aconjour comes from an economic background related to experiences in the field of public finance, as she held the position of Minister of Finance in her country, and through her work at the World Bank, her association with financial and development expertise is greater than her interest in the field of international trade and its problems.

There is an important note related to Akonjur's performance in her country as Minister of Finance, as she did not leave clear imprints related to improving the financial situation of her country, which suffers from corruption and debts greatly, but on the contrary, Nigeria is still classified among one of the ten largest corruption countries in the world.

The mechanism of work in the World Trade Organization is completely different from that of the World Bank, where the World Bank as an institution enjoys greater powers in dealing with its customers, and Europe and America are considered to be the ones in control of directing its policies since its inception in 1947 through its Executive Board.

Working in the World Bank gives its employees great power in decisions to provide financing or not, a relationship that can be described as compliance because it is considered a one-sided relationship.

The applicant for funding from the World Bank is usually in a weak position, and has no option to reject the bank's policies accompanying the granting of World Bank financing.

Whereas in the WTO, the WTO Ministerial Conference is the backbone of work, as it is through it that the work agenda is agreed upon, negotiation rounds are defined, and decisions are voted on. Therefore, the WTO agreements are called multilateral agreements.

Consequently, even if Akonjur will be the director of the trade organization, but her powers are limited by the rules of the work of the trade organization, as well as the great powers enjoyed by the ministerial conference, and the members of the trade organization, especially the senior ones, are not in a position similar to those seeking funding from the World Bank. China, the European Union, Japan and the rest of the emerging countries are calling for the abolition of trade protectionism, and are looking forward to the return of the organization's work to what it was before Trump, at least.

Akonjur will assume her duties as Director of the World Trade Organization in March 2021 for a period of 4 years (Reuters)

Aconjour's priorities

Akonjur will assume her duties as Director of the World Trade Organization in March 2021 for a period of 4 years ending in 2025, and during her speech after her selection decision, she pointed to the importance of the organization's work to remove obstacles related to international trade in light of the Corona pandemic, and she also focused on adopting Two main files during the coming period. The first file is seeking to reach an agreement on the official support provided to fishing, and the second file relates to the restructuring of the Dispute Resolution Commission.

We think that the second file will be the fastest in terms of work and completion, because it represents an American desire, as the Biden administration adopts a policy of erasing all the steps taken by former US President Trump, which would reduce the US role in the globalization system.

The work in the second file is a procedural matter that depends on the speed of the Biden administration's handling of the issue of allowing the American judges represented in the Judges Committee of the Dispute Settlement Body to attend and practice their work, which will issue a case of success in the short term for both parties Akonjur and the Biden administration, as both need to achieve a state of success.

The file of the agreement on the official support provided to fishing is technical, and needs rounds of negotiations due to the commitments it reflects on the countries in this regard, and therefore it will take time that may reach the term of Akonjur's tenure, and if it is achieved before that, it will undoubtedly be a case of success.

Even if Akonjur will succeed in taking over the management of the organization for a second term, her completion of this file will be a success because reaching a multilateral agreement within the framework of the World Trade Organization is not easy.

A message to people from developing countries and women

It is not an easy task for Kongor to run the World Trade Organization, and choosing it is not a sporting representation or a victory for the battle of women against men. Handling such matters does not go beyond the lines that referred to it, while the interests of developing countries related to the field of the Trade Organization, for example, come in calling them fair trade and not Free trade, for example, which Akonagur will not adopt while in her new position.

It may be easy for Akonjur to refer to women's rights in economic matters in general, or in matters of trade in particular, but it will be just a call or a word received on an occasion, and it will not rise to an obligation or law that will result in ending problems related to women, or guaranteeing a reality that distinguishes them. About men.

In sum, the matter of global trade is governed by interests, not emotions, so look for your best interests.