麻豆约拍

The World Trade Organization has appointed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its new director-general, making her the first woman and first African to hold the role. Dr Okonjo-Iweala served as Nigeria's finance minister and worked for 25 years as a specialist in development economics at the World Bank. She will head the regulatory body of a global trading system which some say faces a make or break moment. Peter Ungphakorn, who worked at the WTO Secretariat, explains why this is such a significant choice, and the priorities of the role.

Photo: Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a WTO hearing, July 2020. Credit: Getty Images