All 79-member nations of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) endorse Okonjo-Iweala as candidate for WTO job.
OACPS Secretary-General, Georges Chikoti, announced the endorsement after she was published as a finalist for position of WTO director-general.
“If elected, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala will create history as the first female and first national of the OACPS to lead the WTO…” he said.
The trio of headhunters for the WTO position announced on 8 October that Okonjo-Iweala is one of two finalists.
The selection process is overseen by Amb. David Walker, Amb. Castillo (chair, Dispute Settlement), and Amb. Aspelund (chair, Trade Policy Review).
The other finalist is South Korea’s Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee, both of who made it an all-female choice and outcome.
The OACPS statement read, “On behalf of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), it is my honour to endorse the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“A global finance expert, economist and international development expert with over 30 years of experience working in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin and North America, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala brings to the post a wealth of experience and a well-earned reputation as a reformer. A citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the OACPS, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is Nigeria’s longest-serving Minister of Finance and a former Managing Director of the World Bank. A skilled negotiator, she has brokered numerous agreements which have produced win-win outcomes and is regarded as an effective consensus builder and an honest broker who enjoys the trust of governments and stakeholders.
“More pertinently, as the world seeks to put COVID-19 behind it, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and was recently appointed as the African Union (AU) Special Envoy to mobilise international financial support for the fight against COVID-19 and WHO Special Envoy for Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.
“Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a member of the Board of Directors of a number of national, regional and international organisations and has received numerous accolades from international organizations and institutions for her noteworthy contributions to development in various disciplines. If elected, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala will create history as the first female and first national of the OACPS to lead the WTO in its 25-year history.
“The OACPS congratulates Dr. Okonjo-Iweala on her progress thus far and reaffirms its unreserved support for her candidacy for this position.”