Envoy seeks support in bid to head WTO

The Kenyan envoy seeking the World Trade Organisation director-general position has started lobbying other member states to support her bid.

Ambassador Amina Mohamed, who declared her candidature in January, is currently in Geneva, Switzerland to seek support.

Ms Mohamed, a former Justice permanent secretary was nominated by the government to vie for the position.

She said she was basing her bid on the platform of open competition, rational debate, fairness and a fair hearing for all candidates.

“I ask for nothing else,” she said.

She said she would work to ensure the consolidation and preservation of the current acquis of the rules-based Multilateral Trading System, if appointed.

“It is of high value. We must work to protect it from the constant assault and contagion of protectionism,” she said.

Ms Mohamed said all institutions should periodically re-set and adjust to the challenges of an ever-changing global environment.

She said adaptations, adjustments and technical improvements were required “even in an organisation like the WTO that is fundamentally in good health.”

“The weaknesses of leadership in new rule-making and multilaterally-driven market opening are far from fatal and the responsibilities are collective. The WTO needs to adapt and upgrade to overcome these weaknesses to ensure relevance and capacity to respond to challenges,” she said.