We welcome the conclusion of the recent Director General selection process at the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the appointment of the Nigerian candidate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who received the strongest support in the process, as the new WTO Director General at the WTO General Council meeting held on February 15, 2021.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala has a rich experience in economy and diplomacy stemming from her previous positions including Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, as well as Vice President of the World Bank. We congratulate Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala and believe that she will demonstrate an outstanding success also in her work at the WTO.

We also find it important that the selection process was concluded within the framework of the principle of consensus that constitutes the basis of the WTO's rules of procedure. In this regard, we would like to thank all candidates who campaigned during the selection process for their contributions to the organization's vision and its pluralist and democratic structure.

On this occasion, we reiterate our support for the rules-based multilateral free trade system. The WTO, as an institution, is in need of reform, and progress in that direction will be in the interests of all members irrespective of their level of development. We see benefit in the swift conclusion of the work on enhancing the Dispute Settlement Body and accelerating negotiations, first and foremost those related to the advancement of development issues, creating fairer conditions in the agriculture sector and fisheries subsidies.