The World Trade Organisation which was slated to hold a meeting where a new director general would be picked this week has postponed the meeting as scheduled.
This comes on the heels of United States not giving a nod of approval to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as consensus candidate to lead the WTO
A communication seen by AFP showed that the meeting has been postponed indefinitely.
“It has come to my attention that for reasons including the health situation and current events, delegations will not be in a position to take a formal decision on 9 November,” the head of the selection committee told member states.
“I am therefore postponing this meeting until further notice during which period I will continue to undertake consultations with delegations,” he added.
The United States explaining its decision to support South Korean trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee, to become the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation had said the body needs a “trade expert”.
US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, while giving reasons for opposing Okonjo-Iweala, who gained American citizenship in 2019, said WTO needs “someone with real, hands-on experience in the field”.
If Okonjo-Iweala lands majority backing, she would be the first woman and the first African to lead the global trade body in its 25-year history.
