Former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Nigeria’s contender for the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, has made the final shortlist of candidates
It also plans to reduce the contestants to two final candidates in the next few weeks.
According to WTO, Mexico’s Jesus Seade, Egypt’s Hamid Mamdouh and Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi could not secure enough support in a first of three rounds of voting.
The goal was to name a new leader by November 7.
The remaining contenders in the race include former Saudi Arabia’s former minister of economy and planning Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijr; the UK’s former secretary of state for international trade, Liam Fox; South Korea’s trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee; former Nigeria’s Finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and Kenya’s former international trade minister, Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril.
“Their expertise and high professional and personal qualities are highly valued and respected by all members,” WTO General Council Chairman, David Walker, said in a statement on Friday.
The second phase of consultations would begin on September 24 and run until October 6 after which the WTO would announce two final candidates.
