Iweala First day in the office as WTO Director General
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala the new head of the World Trade Organization backed member countries’ long unsuccessful attempts to negotiate fisheries subsidies that could reduce overfishing, calling those efforts a top priority when taking office on Monday.
WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, a Nigerian economist and former government minister, donned a mask and got rid of elbow bumps – COVID-19 obliges – when she began work at the WTO headquarters on the shores of Lake Geneva.“I am moving into one of the most important institutions in the world and we have a lot of work to do,” said 66-year-old Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, who is the first woman and first African to get the job. “I feel like I’m ready to go.”The negotiators were tasked with concluding an agreement that could help remove subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, as well as ban some fishing subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing.
Members of the WTO, which is working to negotiate agreements that can ensure smooth international trade, have struggled to reach an agreement on fisheries after about two decades of work. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala called for the negotiations to be completed “as soon as possible” and thanked Colombian Ambassador Santiago Wills, who is chairing the fisheries subsidies negotiations, for his “really hard” work.“My presence is to try and actively support him to try and unblock the situation so he can complete the fantastic job he has been doing,” she said with Wills when they met with various advocacy groups outside the WTO. “20 years have passed – and 20 years is enough.”“Things are not easy when members are negotiating and there are still many critical issues that need to be addressed,” she said.
“But we hope.” Wills said it was “music to me when I see the first day (the CEO) comes here and makes a statement about the fisheries negotiations.”Ngozi Okonjo Iweala’s race victory last fall was delayed in large part because the U.S. administration under Donald Trump backed another candidate. Her appointment came last month when the Biden administration cleared the way for her choice in a trade body whose rules require consensus.Ngozi Okonjo Iweala said last month that “sweeping reforms” are needed, pledging that addressing the economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will be a top priority, such as lifting export restrictions on supplies and vaccines to distribute to countries in need.
Some tips about Ngozi Okonjo Iweala appointment and Africa
*On February 15, 2021, Nigerian Doctor Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was formally appointed as Director General of the World Trade
*She will not help you if you are not productive, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala will not help you unless you have something to sell because its role as CEO of the World Trade Organization, the World Trade Organization is the organization that regulates global trade and, besides you, there is something “to sell and bring to the world market,” he said.
* But where you don’t trade, where you have nothing to trade, where you don’t do anything, be it e-commerce or another side of it, the most important thing is that if we want to benefit from the fact that she is the director of the WTO – B in general, we need to improve our game in terms of productivity. When we get productive and we have a lot to sell, and I think that is why her role will certainly benefit not only women, but all those involved in global trade
.* There is also an urgent need to address trade facilitation issues, especially with regard to port processes, port infrastructure, international trade documents, monetary policy, trade policy and industrial policy. We must reform our tariff policy in accordance with the principles of comparative advantage, which will enable the country to optimize opportunities in the global trade arena and improve the well-being of its citizens.
