JOB/GC/24 7 
 
28 October  2020 
(20-7567) Page: 1/3 
General Council    
 
APPOINTMENT OF THE NEXT DIRECTOR -GENERAL  
INFORMAL MEETING AT THE LEVEL OF HEADS OF DELEGATIONS  
WEDNESDAY , 28 OCTOBER  2020 
Statement by the General Council Chair, H.E. Dr David Walker  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  Good afternoon . Welcome to this informal meeting of Heads of Delegation, and thank you once 
again for attending at short notice.  Before we start, a kind reminder that, further to the latest 
recommendations from the Host Country , delegates  "are required to wear facial ma sk all the time 
throughout meetings, except when you address the meeting. According to current knowledge the 
mask gives you effective protection. By wearing it you also protect others and show that you care."  
1.2.  The purpose of this meeting is to allow me, ass isted by the Facilitators – the Chair of the 
Dispute Settlement Body, Amb. Castillo , and the Chair of the Trade Policy Review Body, Amb. 
Aspelund  – to report to the whole membership the outcome of the third and final round of 
consultations in the process o f appointment of  the next Director -General. In this respect, let me 
highlight that  paragraph 19 of the Procedures in WT/L/509 provides that "at the end of the final 
stage of the consultative process, the Chair, with the support of the facilitators, shall s ubmit the 
name of the candidate most likely to attract consensus and recommend his or her appointment by 
the General Council".  
1.3.  We are therefore making t his report in accordance with the Procedures for the Appointment of 
Directors -General in WT/L/509, and i n line with  our commitment to transparency, inclusiveness and 
full participation, as we set out in the modalities for Phase 3 of the process in  JOB/GC/ 243, and as 
also indicated in my statement to the meeting of Heads of Delegation on 8 October, contained in 
JOB/GC/245 .  
1.4.  Before I report on the outcome of this final round of consultations, the Facilitators and I  wish 
to pay tribute to all eight candidates in this  appointment  process and  to the Members who nominated 
them. We have been very fortunate to have had such outstanding candidates for this position , and 
their vast experience and outstanding  qualifications have been greatly valued by all Members. They 
all have, throughout this process , conducted themselves in a n exemplary  manner and demonstrated 
their high regard for and commitment to the multilateral trading system  – and for that, we are very 
grateful.  
2  ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONSULTATIONS  
2.1.  As indicated in JOB/GC/245, the Facilitators and I c onducted the consultations on the revised 
slate of the two final candidates. These are, in the order in which nominations were received:  
Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala  (Nigeria)  
H.E. Yoo Myung -hee    (Republic of Korea)  JOB/GC/24 7 
 
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  2.2.  We conducted the consultations over six working days, in the period from 19 October to 
yesterday 27 October. As indicated in JOB/GC/245, the logistical and technical arrangements for this 
final round of consultations were the same as for the previous two rounds, including with respect to 
non-resident delegations.  
2.3.  And as was also the case for the previous two rounds, the entire membership remained fully 
engaged in and committed to this process.  The Facilitators and I are grateful for this consistently 
very positive response .  Throughout the process, it has been clear that all Members have attached 
the greatest importance to this appointment.  
3  SUBSTANCE AND RESULTS OF THE CONSULTATIONS  
3.1.  Consistent with JOB/GC/245, each Member, whether Geneva -based or non -resident, was asked 
the same question, i.e. "What is your preference?". As for the previous two rounds, we informed 
Members that we would not accept any negative preference, and that the information provided to 
us would be treated by us in the strictest confidence. In this final  round Members recognised that 
both candidates are exceptionally qualified individuals and they both are held in very high respect.  
3.2.  As set out in paragraph 18 of the Procedures, allow me now to report on the outcome of this 
third round of consultations.  
3.3.  As for the previous two rounds, the outcome of this round is the result of the preference 
expressed by you, the Members, and our assessment was guided strictly by the elements set out in 
paragraph 17 of the Procedures. In this respect, I again refer to my s tatement in JOB/GC/244.  
3.4.  And allow me to also recall that, in line with paragraph 6 of the Procedures, our role has always 
been "to encourage and facilitate the building of consensus among Members, and assist them in 
moving from the initial field of candida tes to a final decision on appointment".  
3.5.  The results of your preference were communicated this morning to the two nominating 
Members, along with the relevant procedures.  
3.6.  On the basis of all of the above, and in keeping with the Procedures, our assessment of the 
preference provided to us by you during this third round of consultations is that the candidate from 
Nigeria, Dr.  Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala  is the candidate most likely of the two to attract consensus, on the 
following basis:  
- Dr Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala clearly carried the largest support by Members in the final round; 
and, 
- She clearly enjoyed broad support from Members from all levels of development and 
from all geographic regions and has done so throughout the process.  
3.7.  In accordance with the provisions of  paragraph 19 of the  Procedures, I, supported by the 
Facilitators, am therefore submitting the name of Dr Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala as the candidate most 
likely to attract consensus and recommending her appointment by the General Council as the next 
Director -General of the WTO until 31 August 2024.  
3.8.  Allowing for the Rules of Procedure of the General Council, in particular the ten -day period in 
Rule 2, I intend to convene a special meeting of the General Council on Monday, 9 November at 
10am, where the sole item on  the agenda will be the appointment of the next Director -General of 
the WTO. I trust that this is acceptable to delegations. Let me again reiterate, as I have done since 
the start, that the decision to appoint the new Director -General at that Special Gener al Council 
meeting will be for you and only you, the Members, to make.  
3.9.  I will ask the Secretariat to issue the convening Airgram for the special meeting shortly after 
this meeting.  JOB/GC/24 7 
 
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  4  TRIBUTE TO CANDIDATES  AND TO MEMBERS  
4.1.  Before I conclude, I would like to ack nowledge H.E. Yoo Myung -hee for her participation in this 
selection process.   
4.2.  As I said at the start, Members consider her a highly qualified individual.  H.E. Yoo Myung -hee 
has vast experience, which she has acquired in a number of leading positions, and  her outstanding 
qualifications are highly valued and respected by all Members. In her distinguished career, H.E. Yoo 
Myung -hee  has always been a tireless promoter of the multilateral trading system, and I am certain 
that the WTO can continue to count on that commitment.  
4.3.  We would also like to acknowledge the Government of the Republic of Korea and its Geneva 
Representative Ambassador PAIK Ji -ah for their commitment to this institution and to the multilateral 
trading system.  
4.4.  The Facilitators and I wish to m ost sincerely thank Members for participating in the consultation 
process with an exceptionally high level of engagement and a constructive spirit, despite the current 
challenging times. We have been impressed by the constructive approach, which has greatl y 
facilitated this process. This very constructive approach will be equally important as Members move 
to a formal decision on appointment at the General Council on Monday, 9 November.  
4.5.  Finally, let me sincerely thank the two Facilitators in this process, Am bassador Castillo and 
Ambassador Aspelund. Their firm commitment, engagement, and support throughout the 
consultative process has been invaluable.  They have been key in the smooth running of this process, 
and for this I am forever in their debt.  
4.6.  This conc ludes my statement, which will be circulated shortly in a JOB document.  
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