Embedded within the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) foundational objectives is a commitment to inclusive pursuits in global trade; yet, prevailing disparities among member states challenge these visions. The WTO is an international organization that upholds the principles of inclusivity, which is shown in its implementation and formation of trade policies. The WTO ventures to establish a comprehensive platform for the regulation of international trade. This is rooted in the belief that all participating nations, regardless of their economic or developmental status, should have equal access and opportunities within the global trade system. Central to the concept of inclusivity is the notion of non-discrimination, whereby preferential treatment should not be given to any specific member state. Unfortunately, the reality of international treatment could not be farther from the truth.

In terms of engagement, developing countries continue to face discrimination and poor representation in numerous WTO negotiations. Due to the growing concern of the lack of equal treatment within WTO signatories, critics have targeted calls for change and more democratic governance and decision-making. The pressure coming from the Global South has become a milestone in advocating for the current Director-General being the first black woman from a developing country.

WTO Director-General selection process

The WTO Director-General selection process or commonly known as the WTO Leadership Race, is done with a strict procedure. It contains processes that highly value the principles of consensus, containing inclusivity and transparency in the decision-making process, aiming to find a solution all members agree to adopt. The system starts from candidate nomination, campaign, winnowing which involves the Troika, the membership will then ratify, and in case of no objection, a new Director-General will be elected (CSIS, 2021).

The Significance of the Global South in the WTO

The Global South is significantly important to the WTO because it represents a major part of the world’s population with geographic diversity, with many emerging markets with economic potential and an abundance of natural resources for commodity exports. In addition to that, South-South cooperation is critical to long-term growth, and it accounts for a growing share of world trade. The WTO has underlined the necessity of using the strengths of South-South partners to produce trade growth and achieve development goals.

The Call for Change

There are three factors that can be analyzed to shape the WTO Leadership Race: geography, gender, and status. The past Director-Generals of the WTO have all been men, and none have been from Africa. According to Douglas Becker (2021), an international relations expert, there are just more Global South votes at the WTO due to the larger number of developing country members. Collective pressure in electing a president from a developing country projects the shifting balance of power in the WTO, therefore, the fact that the WTO has a Global South president is a reflection of the institution.

The Global South’s visions for the future of the WTO emphasize sustainable development, South-South cooperation, and inclusivity within the prosperous global trade system. The selection of a female African Director-General thus aligns with the Global South’s vision for a more inclusive and representative WTO leadership, and hence, on March 1st 2021, after the whole leadership race process, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became WTO’s Director-General.

Implications on African Nations

During the leadership term of Okonjo-Iweala, several advancements have been felt by African nations, one of which enhances the aid in progressing participation, strategies, and initiatives in digital trade. In a Joint WTO-World Bank policy note on “Turning digital trade into a catalyst for African development”, the WTO Director General stated that the international community must work more forcefully to help African nations’ efforts to gain from digital trade, acknowledging the difficulties that these nations face in this area. The document lays out a specific plan of action for how the World Bank Group and WTO can assist African nations in maximizing the opportunities brought about by the transition to trade that is allowed by digital technology (WTO, 2023). This shows how the more challenges are addressed by Okonjo-Iweala, more recognition and efforts to tackle these issues will be handled.

Conclusion

In the process of achieving fair treatment within WTO’s framework that puts forward inclusivity and non-discrimination, the Global South–which holds a significant role in the practice of international trade–needs to use extra efforts to demand for more representation in the WTO leadership race as the organization tends to fall short on providing equal treatment in negotiations. As Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria took office in the WTO, initiatives have been undertaken to boost digital trade among African nations in response to the recognized obstacles. As the WTO develops, resolving these issues is essential to guarantee support and inclusivity for all member nations.