One of the top candidates for the top position at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Yoo Myung-hee South Korea’s Trade Minister has pulled out from the candidacy race.
The candidate left for the spot is Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Myung-hee said she came to the decision to step down from the race after extended discussions with the US and other stakeholder nations.
She noted that issues were taken into consideration that influenced her decision which includes the revival of organisation.
This was disclosed by the Ministry of Trade in South Korea in a statement issued on Friday.
US President Joe Biden has been advised by former US government officials to endorse Okonjo-Iweala.
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The process was delayed because members would need to have a consensus to endorse a candidate, and that has been a challenge.
Okonjo-Iweala’s win will make her the first African and first female director-general of the organisation.
Currently, she is a member of the board of director of Twitter and Chairman of the GAVI vaccine alliance.
Trump’s Opposition Of Iweala-Okonjo’s Candidacy
Former US President Donald Trump had vetoed the appointment as the director-general of the organisation, despite Okonjo-Iweala being seen as the top candidate.
Officials in the former administration had stated that trade representatives of the country will not support Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy.
They said that they were displeased with the process of selection, as stated by Bloomberg.
