Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s Appointment at the WTO Breaks Glass Ceilings and Brings Questions About the WTO

On March 1, World Trade Organization’s new director-general Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala began her term at the institution. Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment as the seventh Director General of the WTO is monumental, as she is the first Nigerian (and African) as well as the first woman to be in this position. However, her delayed appointment also draws attention to the amount of power one country can hold over the entire, international WTO body.

Okonjo-Iweala holds an A.B. in Economics (Harvard University), a PhD in Regional Economics and Development (MIT) and over 10 honorary degrees from Yale, UPenn, Brown and Trinity College. She has served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister (2003-2006, 2011-2015), and once as Foreign Minister (2006). In addition to this, she also has 25 years of experience working in the World Bank, as a development economist then a Managing Director.

Here are other positions she currently holds:

• Chair of the Local Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
• Chair of the Board of the African Union’s African Risk Capacity (ARC))
• Co-Chair of the Commission on the New Climate Economy
• (Scroll to the very bottom of the article to see the (many) awards holds.)

Despite these credentials, Okonjo-Iweala faced resistance against her candidacy. After a meeting with WTO delegates near the end of October, it was concluded that all delegates supported Okonjo-Iweala except the U.S., which supported the other shortlisted candidate Yoo Myung-Hee. The U.S.’s insistence meant that despite the leadership void since previous director-general’s step-down in August, as well as a general consensus in support of Okonjo-Iweala, no leader was chosen until recently. This brings to light a concern about the WTO: how much power should one country be able to yield over this international organization?

Other common criticisms of the WTO

• Free trade, as promoted by the WTO, is more beneficial to economically more developed countries (EMDCs) than economically less developed countries (ELDCs), because the latter need to have more trade protection and regulated diversification. Also, the WTO has not succeeded in lowering tariffs on agriculture, which hurts ELDC more than EMDCs
• Prioritization of country and multinational companies over local businesses, reducing cultural diversity
• Free trade enables (and encourages) imports from countries that have the weakest environmental controls (and hence lowest costs), meaning that the global economy is not sustainable

Future

Although he acknowledges truth most criticisms of the WTO, IB Economics teacher Mr. Cheung believes that, regardless, the WTO is a good platform for countries to bring up economic concerns and to promote free trade. He thinks that while countries by themselves are capable of forming their own, free-trade-promoting and effective trade blocs, as seen in the EU, the WTO sets the basis for fundamental policies and negotiations regarding free trade.

The WTO itself also addresses these concerns, and their detailed responses can be seen here.

The criticisms of the WTO cannot be fixed in a day. For now, Okonjo-Iweala-Iweala has stepped up to her new position at the WTO,

 

 

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Okonjo-Iweala’s internationally famous award wins according to the Center for Global Development:

• 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015)
• Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014)
• Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012)
• Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011)
• Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012)
• Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award (2011)
• David Rockerfeller Bridging Leadership Award (2014)
• Devex Power with Purpose Award (2016)
• Global Fairness Award (2016)
• Columbia University Global Leadership Award (2011)
• Top 100 Women in the World (The Guardian, 2011)
• Top 150 Women in the World (Newsweek, 2011)
• Top 100 most inspiring people in the World Delivering for Girls and Women (Women Deliver, 2011)