WTO Head visits Indian Mission in Geneva, marks her first bilateral interaction

The newly appointed Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala visited the Indian mission in Geneva, Switzerland on March 3. Her visit marked the first bilateral interaction she had following her appointment as the head of the global body. “We were the first country she decided to meet bilaterally and preferred the meeting at our place,” said the mission in a statement. Apart from meeting the Indian Ambassador Brajendra Navnit, Dr Okonjo-Iweala also held discussions with ambassadors of Colombia, South Africa and Canada. 

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The meeting comes just three days after the Nigerian American economist and a former two-time finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed as director-general of World Trade Organization (WTO). She is the first African and the first Black woman designated as a Chief to lead the WTO which governs trade and commerce internationally. Okonjo-Iweala is expected to tackle the global economic and health crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic across nations, worldwide. ”This is a very significant moment for the WTO," David Walker, the WTO's General Council chair, said in a statement, while the 66-year-old said that she was "honoured" to secure the role. Elected by representatives of the 164 countries as the WTO chief, Okonjo-Iweala stressed that her priority would be to “implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again” in her role, according to her first statement as head of WTO, cited by Associated Press. 

“Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today,” the newly appointed WTO leader Okonjo-Iweala said in a statement. Okonjo-Iweala took office on March 1, and elected 4 more deputies. Her tenure will conclude on August 31, 2025. For decades, the new WTO woman chief served as President of World Bank [for 25 years] and held the position of the finance minister in Nigeria. US relation will WTO bittered since Obama presidency after the country vetoed the appointment of new judges to the Appellate Body, world's main court, to resolve complex trade disputes.