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  • Business - World
  • Updated: September 18, 2020

WTO DG: Okonjo-Iweala Makes Final Five, To Battle Fellow African For Job

WTO DG: Okonjo-Iweala Makes Final Five, To Battle Fellow Afr

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's credential as a former minister of Nigeria has earned her a spot in the next stage as the number of contenders for the Director-General job of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been cut down to five. The number of contestants was eight prior to the recent cut.

Okonjo-Iweala was competing with Mexico’s Jesus Seade, Egypt’s Hamid Mamdouh, and Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi, Saudi Arabia's Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri, UK's Liam Fox, South Korea's Yoo Myung-hee, and Kenya's Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril.

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But Mexico’s Jesus Seade, Egypt’s Hamid Mamdouh and Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi failed to secure needed support in the first round of voting to make the next stage. However, Saudi Arabia's Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri, UK's Liam Fox, South Korea's Yoo Myung-hee, and Kenya's Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril gathered enough votes to see them through to the second round.

Tight Competition For Okonjo-Iweala

The voting process involves three rounds, and the first has been concluded, while the final will involve just two candidates. Okonjo-Iweala made it to the second due to her previous ministerial appointments - the WTO had stated that to become the Director-General of WTO, one must have such experience; however, she's not the only one with such a portfolio, as other candidates have also served their respective country.

While speaking on the portfolio of the candidates, WTO General Council Chairman, David Walker, said, “Their expertise and high professional and personal qualities are highly valued and respected by all members,” Walker said in a statement on Friday.

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The level of all candidates has made the WTO DG election tight. Okonjo-Iweala has been campaigning on the basis that WTO Director-General position has never been occupied by a female, neither have a candidate from Africa lead the global trade organisation - she think it's time to change the narrative; Europeans have mostly head WTO.

But she's not the only female and African, as Kenya's Jibril is also a key contender among the top five - both candidates will also split votes.

On September 24, 2020, the second phase will begin, with candidates consulting members of the WTO for their votes.

WTO will announce the final two on October 6, while the new Director-General of WTO will emerge by November 7, 2020.

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