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It has been noted that the election of the new secretary general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) could be delayed by more than a month.
Bloomberg News predicted on the 2nd (local time) that Geneva, Switzerland, where the WTO headquarters is located, will completely ban events with more than 5 people from the day until the 29th due to the rapid spread of the new infection by coronavirus (Corona 19).
Myung-hee Myung-hee (left), head of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, and former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngoji Okonjoywella, who are in the final elections for the Secretary-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO ). AFP = Yonhap News
Bloomberg reported that due to Geneva’s actions, senior WTO officials are discussing a plan to postpone a plan to make a formal decision regarding the election of the new secretary general. According to the global statistics website World Omometer, there are around 10,000 new confirmed cases of corona19 in Switzerland every day.
The WTO was scheduled to hold a general board of directors at its headquarters on the 9th to determine the new secretary general.
Bloomberg predicted that “this could impede the WTO’s ability to affirm the Nigerian candidate, Okonjoyweala, as the first female boss born in Africa and the first woman in 25 years of history.” There is also the possibility that face-to-face meetings can be turned into video conferences. Currently, the WTO is not making any official comment on this.
Candidate Okonjoyweala garnered an overwhelming majority of support, beating the headquarters of the Korean Director of Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy in the final preference survey of 164 member states. Consequently, the WTO recommended that member states nominate candidate Okonjoyweala as the next secretary general. The Secretary General of the WTO is elected by unanimous agreement of the member states.
Meanwhile, given that the US administration of Donald Trump openly supports General Manager Yoo, there is a possibility that a unanimous agreement will be difficult. In this case, as a last resort, the elected candidate must be put to the vote, which is unprecedented in the history of the WTO.
Bloomberg News predicted that even if Democratic candidate Joe Biden is elected in the US presidential election on the 3rd, the election process for the WTO secretary-general may not accelerate.
Reporter Moon Byungjoo [email protected]
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