The World Trade Organization, WTO, is saying it would convey a special meeting of its General Council to advance the process for selecting the next Director -General.

A statement issued by the Chair of the General Council, Ambassador Petter Olberg of Norway, says the meeting will held on November 28-29, 2024.

The meeting follows the announcement by the Chair on the 9th of November that no candidates for the position of the Director-General had emerged as at 8th November nomination dateline other than the incumbent Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

In his communication to members, Ambassador Olberg says based on his contacts with delegations over the past days, and has been done in past instances where the incumbent Director-General was the only candidate adding that he intends to convene a special formal meeting of the General Council on 28th and 29th November 2024.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian is the seventh Director-General of the WTO. She took office on 1st March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General.

Her term of office will expire on 31st August 2025.