Nigeria’s candidate for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been selected as one of the two female candidates to proceed to the final stage in the race to lead the Geneva-based global trade body.

Bloomberg quoted sources at Geneva that are familiar with the matter to have named the second candidate is South Korea’s Ms. Yoo Myung-hee.

With this development, history is set to be made as WTO is expected to have its first female director-general in its 25-year history.

WTO’s General Council Chairman, Mr. David Walker, is expected to formally announce the results to the institution’s delegates in Geneva this morning.

The United Kingdom’s Liam Fox, Kenya’s Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril, and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri did not secure enough support in the second round of consultations; Bloomberg quoted insiders familiar with the matter as saying.

The third and final phase of the consultation process would begin later this month and run until November 6, after which the WTO would name a consensus winner of the race.

Clouding the outlook for the selection process in the United States’ presidential election holding on November 3.

The third and final phase of the consultation process would begin later this month and run until November 6, after which the WTO would name a consensus winner of the race.

Clouding the outlook for the selection process is the United States’ presidential election holding on November 3.

The WTO makes decisions on a consensus basis, and a lack of American support for any of the finalists could mean delays in picking the new director-general.

If WTO members are unable to select a leader by consensus, a vote requiring a qualified majority could be held as a last resort, which would be an unprecedented development in the organisation.

The campaign to lead the WTO during the most turbulent period of its 25-year existence is playing out against the backdrop of the pandemic, a worldwide recession, the US-China battle for trade supremacy and the American election.

The WTO makes decisions on a consensus basis, and a lack of American support for any of the finalists could mean delays in picking the new director-general.

If WTO members are unable to select a leader by consensus, a vote requiring a qualified majority could be held as a last resort, which would be an unprecedented development in the organisation.

The campaign to lead the WTO during the most turbulent period of its 25-year existence is playing out against the backdrop of the pandemic, a worldwide recession, the US-China battle for trade supremacy and the American election.