WTO Postpones Secretary-General Election Schedule... "Ongoing Consultations with Member Countries"

In the final runoff of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General election, Korea's Yoo Myung-hee, Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (left), and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs, are competing. (Image source=AFP Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The World Trade Organization (WTO) has postponed the General Council meeting scheduled for the 9th (local time) to elect the next Director-General.

The WTO Secretariat announced on the 6th in a statement that "the meeting will be postponed until further notice."

David Walker, Chair of the WTO General Council overseeing the Director-General election, informed that he will "continue consultations" with member countries to finalize the election process.

Originally, the WTO planned to hold the General Council meeting at 10 a.m. on the 9th to endorse Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who received more support in the preference survey, as the next head by consensus of the 164 member countries.

However, since the United States supported Yoo Myung-hee, the Director-General for Trade of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, who also advanced to the runoff, the endorsement proposal was expected to be rejected.

Some member countries are inclined to urge Korea to express willingness to concede to prevent a vacancy in the Director-General position, but the government is reportedly unable to make a decision easily, considering the U.S. stance.

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