WTO, First African Leader Possible...Strong Candidate from Kenya

Former Kenyan Trade Minister Amina Mohamed [Image source=Amina Mohamed Facebook/www.facebook.com/aminamohamedAUC]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Following Roberto Azevedo's announcement of his early resignation as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speculation has begun regarding the selection of the next WTO Director-General. Amid the intense conflicts of interest between the US and China in the trade dispute, there is a prospect that the first African-born leader may emerge.

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 17th (local time), after Director-General Azevedo announced his resignation at the end of August, one year before his term ended, several candidates have been mentioned within and outside the WTO for his successor. The most prominent candidates are former Kenyan Trade Minister Amina Mohamed and former UK EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, with WTO insiders reportedly expecting former Minister Mohamed to be the frontrunner.

Former Minister Mohamed is classified as a moderate within the WTO and has advocated simplifying trade dispute adjudication and increasing transparency in the adjustment procedures of each country. She is known to have extensive experience within the WTO, including organizing the 2015 WTO Ministerial Conference. Additionally, The Guardian and foreign media reported that her being African-born?a region that has never had a Director-General?and a woman will serve as strengths.

Foreign media predict a high likelihood of Mohamed being elected due to her advantages and international relations interests. In the context of the UK and Brexit issues, former Commissioner Mandelson is unlikely to receive approval from European Union (EU) countries, and candidates from the US and China are expected to be excluded from the start due to the US-China trade dispute. The Guardian analyzed that candidates from Latin America cannot run this time because Director-General Azevedo is from Brazil.

Meanwhile, Director-General Azevedo hopes that his successor will be selected before his resignation at the end of August, but within the WTO, it is expected that the next Director-General selection will only be possible after the US presidential election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.