CAPE TOWN, September 3 (ANA) - Three Africans are among the eight candidates lined up to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to replace Roberto Azevedo, whose tenure expires at the end of August.
The Brazilian career diplomat announced he was ending his second four-year term 12 months early at the end of August for personal reasons, according to news broadcaster Al Jazeera.
According to a report by CGTN Africa, the candidates only have until September 7 to campaign.
Under normal circumstances this would involve trips to national capitals, but with the Covid-19 pandemic much of that is being done in a virtual format.
The report further revealed that the next phase involved narrowing down the field, initially to five then two, before a final decision was taken.
The WTO is a members-driven organisation with decisions reached by consensus among 164 countries, writes CGTN Africa.
According to news broadcaster Al Jazeera, Africa's trio are former Nigerian foreign and finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Egyptian former diplomat Hamid Mamdouh; and Kenya's former WTO General Council chair, Amina Mohamed.
Since the WTO was created in 1995, three of its directors-general have been from Europe, while one each came from Oceania, Asia and South America, but there has never been a successful candidate from the African continent.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said that it was time that Africa took up her responsibility of serving at the helm of WTO, as reported by Al Jazeera.
According to Africa News, the WTO has two main roles. It negotiates trade deals between its 164 members and also acts as a mediator for any disputes between countries.
- African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay
