The Biden administration on Friday declared its “strong support” for former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to serve as the World Trade Organization’s next director-general.
The decision breaks with the Trump administration’s opposition to Okonjo-Iweala and brings the U.S. in line with other countries of the world. It will also allow the WTO to confirm its next leader after years of the organization’s influence being diminished due to a lack of U.S. engagement.
“It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO Director General — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative wrote Friday in an unattributed statement.
Okonjo-Iweala, who became a U.S. citizen in 2019, would be the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO. A trained economist, she spent the bulk of her career at the World Bank, eventually holding its No. 2 post as managing director of operations. She twice served as Nigeria’s finance minister.
Okonjo-Iweala tweeted Friday that she was “grateful for the expression of support” from the U.S. and congratulated Yoo on a “hard fought campaign.”
The WTO’s next General Council meeting is scheduled for March 1-2, but a special session to appoint Okonjo-Iweala could now be called sooner.
