WTO Members Back African Group’s Proposal For Okonjo-Iweala’s 2nd Term

Fifty-eight members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have endorsed the African Group’s proposal for Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to seek a second four-year term. This support was expressed during the WTO General Council meeting on July 22, 2024, according to a statement released by the WTO.
The members advocated for an early commencement of the director-general selection process and encouraged Okonjo-Iweala to make herself available for reappointment. The statement noted that many of the 58 members, including representatives from various groups, praised her achievements and hard work during her first term, urging her to announce her decision regarding a second term soon.
Okonjo-Iweala expressed her appreciation for the support, highlighting collective accomplishments and indicating a favourable inclination towards seeking another term. She promised to communicate her decision shortly.
General council chair Petter Ølberg (Norway) acknowledged the strong and broad support for both Okonjo-Iweala’s potential reappointment and the early start of the process. He assured that he would engage with delegations in the near future.
Previously, the African Group, consisting of 44 African WTO member countries and nine observers, formally requested Okonjo-Iweala to run for a second term, emphasising the benefits of an early reappointment process.
Okonjo-Iweala, who began her term as the WTO’s director-general on March 1, 2021, is the first woman and first African to lead the organisation. Her current term concludes on August 31, 2025. She is a prominent global finance expert and economist with over 40 years of experience and has previously served as Nigeria’s finance minister and briefly as foreign minister.