Geneva: Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Monday agreed by consensus to appoint Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister of Nigeria, as the next director-general, said the WTO in a press release.
The decision was made at a special meeting of the WTO's General Council at which the World Bank veteran was formally selected.
"Dr. Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to head the WTO. She will take up her duties on March 1, and her term, renewable, will expire on August 31, 2025," WTO said.
"I am honored to have been selected by WTO members as WTO director-general," said Okonjo-Iweala to the General Council, underlining that "a strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic."
"I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organization faces many great challenges but by working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile, and better adapted to the realities of today," she said.
Okonjo-Iweala, 66, is a global finance expert, an economist, and an international development professional with over 30 years of experience working around the world.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
