Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Reappointed as WTO Director-General: A New Chapter in Global Trade Leadership

In a significant affirmation of her leadership, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been reappointed as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a second term, effective September 1, 2025, through August 2029. The announcement was made by Amb. Petter Ølberg, Chair of the WTO General Council, who commended her exceptional leadership during her first term, amid significant global economic challenges. She strengthened the WTO’s ability to support its members and set a forward-looking agenda for the organization.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO, has been at the forefront of navigating the organization through turbulent waters since her initial appointment in March 2021. Her tenure has been characterized by a commitment to reforming global trade practices, enhancing the WTO’s relevance in a rapidly changing economic landscape, and fostering collaboration among member nations.

In a response to her reappointment, she expressed profound gratitude to the WTO’s member countries for their trust and support.

“Today, it is with humility and a great sense of honor that I thank each and every one of the
166 WTO members for the consensus they achieved in supporting my reappointment!
Thank you for the wonderful words of recognition and support. I don’t take this lightly. I also want to thank my colleagues in the Secretariat Staff for their dedication and hard work.
This is an enormous responsibility, and I will redouble my efforts to work with each and every member to try and deliver the results this organization needs, including the necessary reforms to make it fit for 21st century challenges. We’ve done it before; we can do it again! I am also grateful to my family, my country, to the Africa Region, and to all my friends and colleagues from all over the world who have reached out with hundreds of congratulatory messages.

In readiness to embark on her second term, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala remarked;

We have a full agenda to deliver for the people of this world, that we are here working for, and the planet. It will be up to members to decide what they want to focus on. In my suggestions, I think that we should, in Geneva, try to deal with the legacy issues. Let us try to conclude on those negotiations that have been pending for some time and leave only one or two files for the Ministerial. The dispute settlement system, if we’ve not completed. Agriculture, definitely, we need to make a breakthrough there because we are talking food security, we are talking livelihoods in many developing countries. Those are certainly two I would like to see. She said.

As the world grapples with ongoing economic uncertainties, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership will be crucial in steering the WTO towards a more resilient and inclusive future, ensuring that the organization remains a cornerstone of international trade and cooperation.