Fifty-eight members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have stated their support for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to serve a second term as Director-General.
The Geneva-based organization disclosed this in a statement following a meeting of the WTO General Council on July 22.
The members voiced their support for a proposal from the African Group, which calls for an early start to the Director-General selection process and requests that Okonjo-Iweala make herself available for another term. Okonjo-Iweala’s current term is set to end in August 2025, and she is eligible for reappointment for another four-year term.
The statement revealed that fifty-eight members, including several speaking on behalf of groups of members, took the floor to commend Okonjo-Iweala’s hard work and achievements during her first term. They emphasized the importance of her continued leadership and urged her to announce her intentions regarding a second term as soon as possible.
In response, Okonjo-Iweala expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support, stating, “Everything that I’ve accomplished, we’ve accomplished together.” She indicated that she is seriously considering the call from members and will communicate her decision soon.
The General Council Chair, Petter Ølberg of Norway, noted the unanimous and strong support for Okonjo-Iweala’s reappointment. He affirmed that the process to reappoint the Director-General would be initiated promptly and assured members that he would be engaging with delegations in the coming days and weeks.
In addition to the discussion on the Director-General selection process, members also considered proposals to establish a work programme for future negotiations on agriculture and to integrate the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the WTO framework.
