BREAKING: Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala Becomes Lone Candidate For WTO Job As Korea Withdraws Candidate

Yoo Myung-hee is South Korea’s trade minister and its candidate for the top job at the WTO following the resignation of Roberto Azevedo.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s candidate in the WTO race, had secured the popular vote by a wide margin on October 28 but was not named DG because the US opposed her candidacy.

The two women are the last candidates standing and the eventual winner will set a record as being the first female WTO DG.

After the October 28, 2020, meeting, the WTO also said Okonjo-Iweala had the best chance of getting a consensus.

“Due to the prolonged vacancy of the leadership at the WTO, the future of the organization also has become uncertain,” Yoo said at a press briefing in Seoul.

“To speed up the consensus-building among the member countries on selecting a new director-general, I have decided to renounce my candidacy through close cooperation with the United States, our strong ally.

“Washington, which showed strong support for my candidacy, also respects the decision to step down from the race.”

The US had said it favoured Yoo over Okonjo-Iweala because WTO is in dire need of reform and must be “led by someone with real, hands-on experience in the field”.