The World Trade Organization (WTO) has postponed a special meeting of the General Council scheduled for November 9, to consider the appointment of the next director-general for the global trade body.
The WTO, in a statement signed by the Chair of the General Counsel, David Walker, on Friday, said the special meeting has been postponed indefinitely while further consultations with delegations are undertaken during the period.
Walker said in the statement, “As you know, at the meeting of Heads of Delegation on 28 October, by the Procedures for the Appointment of Director-General adopted by the General Council and contained in WT/L/509 and the agreed modalities for Phase 3 of the process in JOB/GC/243, I and the Facilitators – Ambassador Dacio Castillo, Chair of the Dispute Settlement Body and Ambassador Harald Aspelund, Chair of the Trade Policy Review Body – reported the outcome of the third and final round of consultations in the process of appointment of the next Director-General and announced that we were submitting the name of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the candidate most likely to attract consensus and recommending her appointment by the General Council as the next Director-General of the WTO. My statement can be found in JOB/GC/247.
“I also announced that a Special Meeting of the General Council would be convened to take a formal decision on the appointment of the next Director-General and a meeting was subsequently convened for 9 November for this purpose with an Airgram circulated to delegations in WTO/AIR/GC/33 which, as you have seen, contains a single item concerning the Appointment of the next Director-General.
“It has come to my attention that for reasons including the health situation and current events, delegations will not be in a position to take a formal decision on 9 November.
“I am therefore postponing this meeting until further notice during which period I will continue to undertake consultations with delegations.”
The meeting was earlier scheduled to resolve all issues surrounding the rejection of the most favoured candidate and Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for the global trade organisation top job by the United States.
Trade sources said they thought a factor in the delay was that there had been no indication the Trump administration – which will continue to govern trade policy in the weeks ahead irrespective of any U.S. election result – had switched its support to Okonjo-Iweala.
Apart from the impasse over the leadership, Geneva, home to the WTO, implemented COVID-19 restrictions this week including a five-person cap on in-person meetings, although the organisation has held many meetings virtually.
The WTO later confirmed the decision on its website, saying consultations would continue.
The body usually chooses its new leader by consensus, with trade sources saying they would be reluctant to resort to a vote.
A high-powered WTO panel last month recommended Okonjo-Iweala to lead the global trade watchdog, setting her up to become its first African and first woman head.
However, the U.S.-backed South Korean candidate, Yoo Myung-hee, has not withdrawn from the race, despite mounting diplomatic pressure.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office.
U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently criticised the WTO, calling it “horrible” and biased towards China. His administration has already blocked judge appointments, disabling its top appeals panel last year.
Okonjo-Iweala, currently chairing the GAVI vaccine alliance board, has vowed “positivity all the way” on her Twitter feed.
“Dr Ngozi is very grateful for the WTO’s support and she’s ready to get to work as soon as possible,” her spokeswoman, Molly Toomey said.
The Geneva-based body has been run by four deputies since Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo stepped down a year early in August.
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