World Trade Organisation To Be Led By A Woman For The First Time

On Thursday, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) announced the finalists shortlisted to become the next director-general. Ensuring that the top job is held by a woman for the first time ever, the organisation's two finalists from an initial list of eight candidates for the role are Nigeria's former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee.

The two female finalists have political and international experience and both were students at American universities.

"Both of the women that are in the final round are remarkably well qualified. This is something on which everyone has agreed," WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell told reporters. "We've been impressed with them from the very beginning."

Okonjo-Iweala, who also has US nationality, has had two spells as finance minister and a short stint as foreign minister in Nigeria. If finalised, she would be the first African to be director-general of the WTO.

Yoo has been involved in some of South Korea's key trade negotiations, including with China and the US.

The Geneva-based WTO's General Council made up of envoys from the 164-member body, eliminated Amina Mohamed, a former trade minister from Kenya; Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri, a Saudi former economy minister, and British former International Trade Secretary and Brexit proponent Liam Fox.