Biden ends deadlock over first African and first woman to lead WTO

The Joe Biden-led administration has ended months of deadlock over the next head of World Trade Centre (WTO) by expressing its "strong support" for Nigeria’s ex-Finance minister. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was leading the race till Donald Trump said it wanted Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s finance minister as the head of the global organisation. However, with Myung Hee withdrawing he candidacy now, experts believe that Okonjo-Iweala could be the next WTO Chief.

The World Trade Organisation elects its Director general after every four years. In October 2020, the global lender had asked all its 164 members to appoint Okonjo-Iweala as a replacement to outgoing chief Roberto Azevedo. However, all “except one” had agreed to it, BBC reported citing WTO spokesperson. US lead by the then-president Donald Trump has expressed support for the South Korean lawmaker.

'Grateful for support' 

Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian-American economist and international development, expert. If elected Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala could become the first woman and first African to lead the organisation. Opining on the same, Okonjo-Iweala, in a Twitter post, thanked the US for their support and also congratulated Myung-hee for "a hard-fought campaign".

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Meanwhile, undoing another nomination by his predecessor, Biden withdrew the nomination of Indian-American Attorney Vijay Shanker to be an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Former President Donald Trump on January 2 had renominated Shanker for this top judiciary position, two months after he lost the presidential elections.

Shanker's nomination was first announced in last June by Trump. At present, he was serving as Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section, and as Senior Litigation Counsel in the Department of Justice, Criminal Division. Along with the 30 names, the withdrawal notification was sent to the Senate. Mostly, judicial were appointed during the last months of Trump's administration. Shanker was in private practice with the Washington, DC, offices of Mayer Brown, LLC and Covington & Burling, LLP, before joining the Department of Justice in 2012. 

Read: WTO Members Laud India's 'active Efforts' To Improve Trade And Economic Environment

Read: South Korea's Trade Minister Drops Bid To Become WTO Chief