WTO. Photo: VCG

Key WTO ambassadors tapped Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Wednesday as the best pick to lead the organization on Wednesday, but she was opposed by Washington, who said it supported South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee instead.

The so-called troika of ambassadors heading the WTO's three main branches determined after four months of consultations with member states that Okonjo-Iweala was the most likely to obtain the consensus needed to take the top job, WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said.

The initial pool of eight candidates for the WTO's top post had been whittled down to just two over two previous rounds of consultations, with only Okonjo-Iweala and South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee still in the race.

The global trade body is thus set to be led by a woman for the first time no matter which of the two final candidates succeeds in their bid to follow Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down as WTO director-general in August.

The troika, led by New Zealand's Ambassador David Walker, concluded a third round of consultations on Tuesday.

Its decision marks an important step paving the way for Okonjo-Iweala to become both the first woman and the first African to head the organization.

But the WTO's 164 member states still need to determine whether they will support her before their next General Council meeting on November 9.

Washington already said it was opposed to her candidacy, casting doubt on whether she can obtain the necessary full backing from member states.

In a statement late Wednesday, the US Trade Representative's office expressed support for Yoo, calling her a bona fide trade expert who has distinguished herself during a 25-year career as a successful trade negotiator and trade policy maker.

"She has all the skills necessary to be an effective leader of the organization," the statement said. "The WTO is badly in need of major reform. It must be led by someone with real, hands-on experience in the field."

Rockwell said that 27 delegations had taken the floor during Wednesday's meeting and only the US "could not support the candidacy of Dr Ngozi."

AFP