Not Business as Usual at WTO - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The world has seen huge challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic since 2019. The election of the new director general of the World Trade Organization, the body that is concerned with the international trade between nations, took a few twists and turns with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerging a firm favourite amongst the majority of the WTO member states. Her appointment was delayed when U.S. President Donald Trump rejected her appointment. On February 15, 2021, she was formally announced as the director general, soon after the U.S. gave her the thumbs up. In her maiden interview Okonjo-Iweala said: " We have the twin shocks of the pandemic- the health side and the economic side - which is challenging for many including challenging for livelihoods in many parts of the world and it has formed deep economic devastation in parts of the world. So, the WTO at this time is also facing some of the challenges and it's clear to me that deep and wide-ranging reforms are needed- and as I said before, it cannot be business as usual at the WTO".