Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Business
  • Automotive
  • Economy
  • Energy
  • Finance
  • Tourism
  • Tech
  • Defense
  • Transportation
  • News Analysis

Nigerian, South Korean women final candidates for WTO leadership

by REUTERS

GENEVA Oct 08, 2020 - 5:07 pm GMT+3
This combination of file photos created on Oct. 7, 2020, shows South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee (L) in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 16, 2020; and Nigerian former Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (R) in Geneva, Switzerland, July 15, 2020, as they give news conferences as part of their application process to head the World Trade Organization as director general. (AFP Photo)
This combination of file photos created on Oct. 7, 2020, shows South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee (L) in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 16, 2020; and Nigerian former Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (R) in Geneva, Switzerland, July 15, 2020, as they give news conferences as part of their application process to head the World Trade Organization as director general. (AFP Photo)
by REUTERS Oct 08, 2020 5:07 pm
RECOMMENDED
The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. (Reuters Photo)

OPEC excludes Reuters, Bloomberg, WSJ from weekend policy meets

energy-market

Former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee are the final candidates to head the World Trade Organization (WTO), ensuring the 25-year-old WTO will have its first female leader.

The WTO said Thursday that the two women were the remaining candidates for director-general after the field was cut from five to two, confirming what Reuters reported Wednesday.

The winner will replace Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down a year earlier than expected at the end of August. The WTO aims to find a successor by early November.

"Both of the women that are in the final round are remarkably well qualified. This is something on which everyone has agreed," WTO spokesperson Keith Rockwell told reporters, making the announcement at WTO headquarters in Geneva.

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, a former Nigerian finance and foreign minister, is an economist and development specialist now serving as board chair of global vaccine alliance Gavi. She has said the WTO should play a role in helping poorer countries access COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.

Yoo, 53, South Korea's trade minister, is pitching herself as an experienced operator on trade in challenging times after clinching deals with the U.S., China and others, while supporting global rules.

Kenyan sports minister Amina Mohamed, Saudi royal court adviser Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri and British ex-international trade minister Liam Fox dropped out of the race after failing to get sufficient backing from the WTO's 164 members.

The WTO will hold a third and final selection round on Oct. 19-27, with a view to having a director-general in place by early November, when the U.S. presidential election also takes place.

"I don't think the domestic political situation of any country has really entered into this at all, as far as I can tell," Rockwell said, when asked if the election had had an impact.

The winning candidate will face formidable challenges with rising global tensions and protectionism during a COVID-induced slowdown, most obviously between China and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, as well as pressure to drive reforms.

RECOMMENDED
The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016. (Reuters Photo)

OPEC excludes Reuters, Bloomberg, WSJ from weekend policy meets

energy-market
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    world trade organization nigeria ngozi okonjo-iweala south korea yoo myung-hee
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    U.S. President Joe Biden (C) gestures as he and Hunter Biden (L) watch fireworks from the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2022. (EPA Photo)

    Hunter Biden's alleged iCloud leak exposes inappropriate content

    hunter-biden
    A general view of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Purple Mountai, Nanjing, China. (Photo courtesy by Ahmet Faruk Işık)

    Seed of modern Turkish diplomacy in China: Nanjing city

    Nanjing

    Dani Alves remains in jail as new rape case's harrowing details unfold

    DANI-ALVES

    Armenia's Pashinian to attend President Erdoğan's inauguration

    türkiye-armenia-relations
    No Image
    5,000-year-old artifacts unearthed in Sumerian city of Girsu in Iraq
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021