This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
Published on July 16, 2020, the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Director-General's seat is up for grabs, with eight candidates vying for the top position.
Among the contenders are three Africans: Kenya's former Foreign Minister and current Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, ex-Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Egyptian commercial law academic Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh.
The other five candidates include former UK Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox, Mexican Jesús Seade Kuri, Moldovan Tudor Ulianovschi, Saudi Arabian Mohammad Mazia al-Tualjri, and South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.
The eight candidates are seeking to replace Brazilian Roberto de Azevedo, who has served as Director-General since 2013.
Traditionally, the nomination process would have started in December, but the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the timeline to a month.
On Thursday, the eight candidates will begin their submissions by addressing the media individually.
Global trade experts have emphasized the need for the new Director-General to have the necessary stature to generate broad consensus and address systemic issues at the WTO.
"The time for talking without walking is over," said Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary-General of trade think-tank CUTS International. "The WTO needs a leader who can take a pause, evaluate the organisation's journey over the last quarter of a century, and have the political maturity to run an organisation dealing with 21st-century trade issues."
