WTO boss too busy — for now — to think about 2nd term

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says she has too much on her hands to consider a possible second term in charge of the World Trade Organization — for now, at least.

“I still have so much to deliver in the short term. This thought hasn’t even crossed my mind,” the WTO director-general told POLITICO in an interview on Monday.

“There is so much before us. We need to get through a successful MC13,” she said on a video call, referring to the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO — an international gathering of trade ministers next week in the United Arab Emirates. 

The Nigerian national said that she first wanted to focus on how the Geneva-based trade body can deliver on things "that matter" before thinking of running again. "Maybe when we finish all of that, that will cross my mind," she said.

The former finance minister and World Bank No. 2 took charge of the WTO in 2021 for a four-year mandate. The process of appointing a new director general is due to start at the end of this year, according to the WTO’s internal rules. 

A second term would offer Okonjo-Iweala a realistic chance to complete some unfinished business at the beleaguered institution — whose highest appeals court has been out of action since the United States vetoed the appointment of judges back in 2019.

Clearing the path

Lingering disputes between members will make it hard for the 164-member trade club to deliver concrete outcomes in Abu Dhabi, with no clear path either to restoring its Appellate Body or to extending a 26-year-old freeze on taxing cross-border e-commerce. 

India in particular has escalated its confrontational rhetoric in recent weeks, threatening to block progress on files as it demands concessions on agriculture. 

“Every country is trying to negotiate their corner at the WTO. That's why it's a very challenging organization and challenging environment,” the WTO chief said, asked whether she was worried that New Delhi would stand in the way of compromises with decisions made by consensus.

But “members are willing to negotiate on the agricultural file for the first time in a long time. We tried at MC12 and we didn't succeed,” she said, adding that there was a text this time around that would serve as the basis of negotiations between ministers. 

Despite a formal deadline to reform the appeal body by the end of this year, it’s looking unlikely that there will be a deal in Abu Dhabi — with attention in the U.S. increasingly turning to the presidential election in November.

However Okonjo-Iweala struck a hopeful note on the dispute settlement reform, saying Washington was engaging in the negotiations. 

“What we need is for the U.S. to engage. For two to three years, the U.S. did not engage. They're fully engaging now in the system, in the reform as all the other members,” the WTO boss said.

“That's a piece of good news, and we'll just keep working until we can deliver.”

Doug Palmer contributed reporting from Washington.