GENEVA, Switzerland – Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, chair of the general council, informed World Trade Organisation (WTO) members on 9 November that no further nominations for the position of director-general had been received by the deadline of 8 November and that the incumbent director-general, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is therefore the only candidate for the role.
Director-General Okonjo-Iweala confirmed her willingness to serve a second four-year term in the role in a letter to the chair on 16 September.
On 8 October, the WTO formally commenced the process for appointing its next director-general, with members given until 8 November to submit nominations.
Ambassador Ølberg’s communication to WTO members is available here.
The chair of the General Council will communicate the next steps in this process in the coming days. The process was led by the General Council Chair in accordance with the WTO’s “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General” (WT/L/509).
DG Okonjo-Iweala’s current term comes to an end on 31 August 2025.