FINAL ROUND: 79 Countries Rally Round Okonjo-Iweala For WTO DG Position

FINAL ROUND: 79 Countries Rally Round Okonjo-Iweala For WTO DG Position—-As the World Trade Organization(WTO) set to have a female Director General for the first time since its inception, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has claimed that 79 countries have promised her their support in the race.

During a virtual press conference on Friday, Okonjo-Iweala said the 55-man African Union (AU) has officially endorsed her over her only opponent, Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea.

She also added that a group of Caribbean and Pacific states have also said they would back her, bringing the number of countries backing her candidacy to 79.

The former Nigerians minister said she remained “optimistic” about support from Latin America and said she felt she had gotten “very good traction and good support” in Asia so far.

The European Union (EU) are due to announce its preference “soon”.

“I feel the wind behind my back.

“I feel quite confident that across the regions, we will be able to attract support,” Okonjo-Iweala added.