Published on 11-Feb-2021
Khushboo Razdan
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala attending a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, February 15, 2020. /VCG
"She is going to rock the place." That's how Christine Lagarde, the first woman president of the European Central Bank, prognosticated the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO) under Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a few months back in an interview.
Come February 15, Nigeria-born Okonjo-Iweala will create history by becoming the first woman and the first African to lead the Geneva-based global trade governing body founded in 1995. All of her five predecessors are men.
"Huge congratulations to my wonderful friend and co-author Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on becoming the leader of the World Trade Organization. Ngozi, thank you for making history again! @NOIweala," tweeted Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia who co-penned the book "Women and Leadership. Real Lives, Real Lessons" with the incoming director-general of the WTO.
For months, Okonjo-Iweala's candidacy caught heat from the Trump administration, with the United States employing its veto powers to buck her appointment and back South Korea's first female trade minister Yoo Myung-hee for the top post. The multilateral organization requires all its 164 members to endorse a choice.
The General Council Chair David Walker said in a WTO statement released in October, "She clearly carried the largest support by members in the final round," adding, "The assessment was challenged by the United States which said it would continue to support Minister Yoo."
On Friday, Yoo Myung-hee said she was withdrawing from the race. This was followed by the newly inaugurated Biden administration breaking the months-long deadlock by extending its "strong support" for Okonjo-Iweala, paving the way for her to become the world's most senior trade official.