The United States government has endorsed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian minister of finance, for the office of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
In a statement made available to members of the public, the office of the US trade representative, said the government led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is pleased to support the candidacy of Okonjo-Iweala, who is also a US citizen.
Immediate past Trump-led government had refused to back the former managing director of the World Bank on grounds that she lacked trade experience, a claim Okonjo-Iweala has refuted.
The Nigerian candidate was poised to become the WTO DG after winning the race with support from Europe.
But her appointment suffered a setback, as a meeting scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2020, during which the appointment would be decided after rejection from the US government, was postponed.
Trade sources said they thought a factor in the delay was that there had been no indication the Trump-led administration – which will continue to govern trade policy in the weeks ahead irrespective of the ongoing US presidential race – had switched its support to Okonjo-Iweala.
The U.S. said in its statement as follows:
The United States takes note of today’s decision by the Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee to withdraw her candidacy for Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Biden-Harris Administration is pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next Director General of the WTO. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister. She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organization with a diverse membership.
The Biden-Harris Administration also congratulates Minister Yoo Myung-hee on her strong campaign for this position. She is a trailblazer as the Republic of Korea’s first female trade minister and the first candidate from Korea to advance this far in the Director General selection process. The United States respects her decision to withdraw her candidacy from the Director General race to help facilitate a consensus decision at the WTO.