- Egypt objects Okonjo-Iweala’s candidature as it seeks consensus for own national
The month-long race to pick the candidate to replace Roberto Azevêdo as Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) formally kicked off Monday 08 June 2020.
General Council Chair, David Walker of New Zealand, had on May 20 informed members that the appointment process would formally commence on 8 June with nominations accepted from this date until 8 July.
Already, President Muhammadu Buhari had Thursday nominated former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as Nigeria’s candidate to the position.
Okonjo-Iweala commands a global stature as an international civil servant, former Managing Director (Operations) of the World Bank, finance expert, economist and international development professional, with over 30 years’ experience.
But barely 24 hours after the nomination, the Egyptian government filed objections to her candidature, sending a letter to the Ministerial Committee on Candidatures for the elections to reject Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination as the name of Nigerian nominee for the post, Yonov Frederick Agah, was being withdrawn.
Three candidates originally billed to succeed the outgoing WTO Director-General include Eloi Laourou of the Republic of Benin, Abdulhameed Mamdouh of the Arab Republic of Egypt Arab Republic and Mr Agah of Nigeria.
Obviously, the former Finance Minister’s nomination by Nigeria was a product of Nigeria’s “tardiness” from the moment the announcement of the opening of the race in May. She was an afterthought after the chances of the previous Nigerian nominee was not flying.
As President Buhari’s diplomatic communication through the Nigerian Embassy and Permanent Mission to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa was submitted, Egypt issued communication No. 081 /2020- AU of June 5, 2020 to the Permanent Missions of the WTO Member States of the Ministerial Committee on Candidatures, positing that the withdrawal of Mr Agah’s candidature meant Nigeria has forfeited its chance to participate in the race.
The memo sent to the African Union Commission (Commissioner of Political Affairs/Office of Legal Counsel), Egypt said as far as it was concerned, three candidates, representing Benin Republic, Egypt and Nigeria, had already obtained the endorsement of the Executive Council to contest the position of the WTO Director General vide its decision EX.CL/December 1090(XXXVI) of February 2020.
Egypt said that with the withdrawal of Mr Agah’s candidature and substitution with Dr Okonjo-Iweala, it was requesting the Ministerial Committee on Candidatures to officially inform the African Group in Geneva about the development and Nigeria’s disqualification. It officiaaly want the committee to acknowledge that “Abdulhameed Mamdouh of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Eloi Laourou of the Republic of Benin are currently the only two endorsed African candidates” in the race.
“In this context, the Permanent Mission of Egypt would like to highlight that Government of Egypt is undertaking consultations with the Government Benin with the aim of reaching a consensus on one African candidate between the only two currently endorsed African candidates, and will communicate the outcomes of these consultations to the esteemed Ministerial Committee at the soonest possible date,” the memo said.
The race for the position actually began on 14 May when Director-General Azevêdo informed members at an informal Heads of Delegation meeting that he intended to step down on 31 August 2020, a year before his term was to have expired.
Azevêdo, Director General since 2013 and a former Brazilian diplomat, whose term ends in September 2021, instead of appointing a Deputy in an acting capacity, suggested starting the selection process for a full-time replacement begin as soon as possible so a new chief would be in place before he leaves in September, or at least shortly afterward.
The replacement comes at a difficult time for the WTO, which has been caught squarely in the center of U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war especially with China.
Trump regards the WTO as too soft on China and its highest court, the main arbitrator of trade disputes, has ceased to function as because the U.S. is blocking the appointment of new judges.
And the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic compounded the challenges of paralysis on the organization.Despite a plunge in global trade, new trade barriers for medical products and widespread talk about reining in globalization, the WTO has remained conspicuously low key in condemning export restrictions. On top of that, the only negotiation where the WTO hoped to reach an agreement anytime soon, which is on fish subsidies, is on hold.
General Council Chair Walker announced at the same meeting that he would immediately begin consulting with members on an expedited process under the DG appointment guidelines agreed by the General Council in 2002 (WT/L/509).
Under the guidelines, nominations can only be submitted by WTO members and only on behalf of “their own nationals.” The Chair will inform WTO members of nominations as soon as they are received.
After 8 July, Chair Walker will issue to members a consolidated list of all candidates. Shortly after the nomination period has closed, candidates will be invited to meet with members at a special General Council meeting, present their views and take questions from the membership.
The Chair released as well the procedures under which members must formally submit the nominations of their candidates.
But the race to be the next global trade chief promises to be a more geopolitical contest than ever as tensions between the U.S. and China are bound to loom over the appointment.