WTO D-G: The World Can’t Continue To Wait For US, Says Okonjo- Iweala
Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has said the World cannot continue to wait for the United States to give a nod to her candidacy as the Director- General of the World Trade Organisation.
Okonjo- Iweala, who in October 2020 emerged as the WTO consensus candidate said this in a tweet via her official handle.
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The 67- year old’s reaction comes three months after the US blocked her appointed as the D-G of the largest multilateral trade block.
The former World Bank Managing Director fell out of the favour of the ex- US President, Donald Trump who favoured South Korea’s candidate, Yoo Myung-hee.
Yoo Myung-hee later dropped out of the race in November last year after the ex- finance minister secured 164 votes.
Trump’s move to block the Nigerian was over issues with China as the US has accused the Asian giant of unfair trade practice at the WTO.
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But Scott Morris, US former senior official in the US Treasury during the Obama administration had in an opinion on Tuesday published by The Hills called for the Joe Biden administration to join the consensus.
He said, “The question is not whether Okonjo-Iweala alone will be tough on China. It is whether the administration will embrace the consensus pick in a manner that strengthens the U.S. position in this critical multilateral forum, or whether it will carry forward a damaging legacy of the previous administration by snubbing the will of America’s allies.”
The Center for Global Development on Tuesday also supported the opinion put out by Morris on the urgency to address the hanging issue at the WTO.
Okonjo- Iweala reacting said, it was time to support the WTO focus on more important issues bordering the world in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ex- Finance Boss said, “Thank you @Morris_ScottA and @CGDev for this timely commentary. WTO is important to global public health and recovery from the pandemic. Ditto with global economic recovery. Time to support @wto to get to work on important global issues. The world cannot continue to wait.”
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Okonjo- Iweal who is the current Chair, Board of Gavi, had last month expressed optimism that the Biden administration would join the consensus.
