WTO Director-General Candidate Says Body Should Tackle COVID-19 Issues

One of the two finalists for the director-general position at the World Trade Organization said Oct. 20 that when trade ministers gather for the next ministerial -- which may happen in June next year -- they should agree on a process for reforming the dispute settlement system. That suggests there will be no binding dispute resolution for at least two years at the WTO, if not longer.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who avoided answering the Economist webinar host's question on what needs to be included in that reform, did say that when it's not working, it undermines credibility at the WTO. She said a “large majority” of members want an appellate body restored.

She said she wants the fisheries negotiation to conclude before the ministerial so that implementation can be discussed there. She also thinks COVID-19-related topics, such as access to vaccines, medical supplies and equipment for poor countries, should be on the table. “Under the TRIPS agreement there’s a clause that can be triggered in a public health emergency for poor countries to have access,” Okonjo-Iweala said, referring to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The former finance minister for Nigeria did not acknowledge that such a proposal was rejected by several countries earlier in the week.

She said she would like to see movement on e-commerce, which is currently a plurilateral negotiation at the WTO, though she said she far prefers multilateral agreements to plurilaterals. She said she would bring a fresh pair of eyes to the WTO, and that she has the political heft to move reforms. “I’m the only candidate working at the intersection of public health and trade,” she said, as she's on the board of GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.