The Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has stated that she has too much on her hands for now, to consider a possible second term in charge of the global body.
In an interview, she said she first wanted to focus on how the Geneva-based trade body could deliver on things “that matter” before thinking of running again.
“I still have so much to deliver in the short term. This thought hasn’t even crossed my mind.
“There is so much before us. We need to get through a successful MC13,” she said, referring to the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO — an international gathering of trade ministers next week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the two-time Nigerian finance minister, she first wanted to focus on how the Geneva-based trade body could deliver on things that matter before thinking of running again.
“Maybe when we finish all of that, that will cross my mind,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala took charge of the WTO in 2021 for a four-year mandate.
The process of appointing a new director general is due to start at the end of this year, according to the WTO’s internal rules.
A second term would offer Okonjo-Iweala a realistic chance to complete some unfinished business at the beleaguered institution, whose highest appeals court has been out of action since the United States vetoed the appointment of judges back in 2019.
