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Great stuff by the good bro @ea_akin.
Basically, the job was NOI's to lose once the Europeans formed a consensus early last year on backing an African candidate & ECOWAS lined up behind her candidacy. The only question was for how long
would hold out. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/15/wto-ngozi-okonjo-iweala-first-african-first-woman-new-head
Basically, the job was NOI's to lose once the Europeans formed a consensus early last year on backing an African candidate & ECOWAS lined up behind her candidacy. The only question was for how long
would hold out. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/15/wto-ngozi-okonjo-iweala-first-african-first-woman-new-head
Some of the scrutiny she's faced is ridiculous, but NOI's lack of trade credentials & knowledge of the WTO system - she's a development economist by specialty - was raised, at least implicitly, by her rivals for the job, most of whom had trade experience. https://twitter.com/lukusem/status/1361279577205731330?s=19
That argument obscures the nature of the D-G's role within the WTO or what it should be. The D-G has few formal powers within the WTO. Decisionmaking authority rests with the Ministerial Conference and the WTO General Council; powerful member states drive the organization's work.
The D-G's role is largely managerial and advisory i.e. supervising the work of the Secretariat staff and acting as an honest broker between member states. The WTO D-G needs to be someone who can get on the phone with trade ministers, presidents and prime ministers to cut deals.
And that was basically NOI's reason for seeking the job. If you're reading this, presumably you know her resume so I don't need to restate it. She's also an incredible networker for someone who's fairly low-key. She's the type who can make those calls and cut those deals.
Whether she can resolve the US-Europe-China tensions, get the WTO's Appellate Body to work again and fix broader problems in the multilateral trading system in four years remains to be seen. Whatever her issues w/ the previous US administration, the issues at the WTO predate 45.
And as for the "this is great for Nigerians/Africans" takes, it's not my place to tell folks how to feel. But an African at the helm of the WTO will not change a structure of global trade that disfavors Africans.
All the #BeLikeNgozi and #NOIChallenge content is really cool tho.
All the #BeLikeNgozi and #NOIChallenge content is really cool tho.
