The IndustriALL Global Union Africa has congratulated Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her emergence as the director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and urged her to ensure that global trade agreements promote workers’ rights, eradicate poverty and guarantee sustainable industrial development in the world.
In a congratulatory statement signed by the vice president, IndustriALL Global Union Africa, Mr. Issa Aremu and co-chairman and president of South Africa National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), Mr. Joseph Montisetse, the union said given Okonjo-Iweala’s impeccable credentials as Nigeria’s former finance and foreign minister as well as her record performance at the World Bank, her appointment was earned and deserved beyond gender.
It also stated that it was time for “alternative trade policies that must take into account the needs of working people around the world, inclusive of economic growth and sustainable development.”
The union advised the director general to be guided by the history of WTO in Africa which has “in many respects fostered de-industrialisation and job losses” through “uncritical wholesale dismantling of protection for domestic industries.”
The union noted that the emergence of Okonjo-Iweala was “significant and fullest of time” when the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) involving 54 African countries with a combined population of more than one billion people and combined gross domestic product of more than $3.4 trillion had become a reality.
The global union however added that WTO under the leadership of an African must make a difference by ensuring that trade serves the purpose of wider growth, as well as advance industrialisation and create mass jobs on the basis of respect for workers and their rights.
WTO, it said, must partner International Labour Organisation (ILO) to ensure the dismantling of institutional constraints against workers exercising their fundamental right to freedom of association and collective bargaining in member countries of WTO.
“Trade facilitation must go hand in hand with workers’ rights to form free trade unions to represent labour, to collectively bargain on wages and working conditions,” it added.
Similarly, Nigeria’s organised private sector (OPS) applauded Okonjo-Iweala for the appointment and urged her to initiate reforms that would enhance the participation of third world countries in international trade.
The national president of the National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mrs. Saratu Iya Aliyu, in a signed statement said Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment is affirmation of the confidence of the global community in her ability to deliver.
“We have confidence in the experience and ability of Okonjo-Iweala to achieve the much needed reform at the WTO, especially for developing countries which have been calling for a level playing field in the field of international trade and access for their products to markets in the developed world,” she said.
Also, the director general of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, said it was a delight to have her as the first female and the first African to head the WTO.
Yusuf noted that Okonjo-Iweala emerged at a time the global trading system was faced with numerous challenges including supply chain disruptions that were precipitated by COVID-19 pandemic, rising protectionism and growing economic nationalism among nations and urged Nigeria to build capacity for international competitiveness and undertake reforms of its, “tariff policy in accordance with the principles of comparative advantage, which would enable the country to optimise opportunities in the global trade arena.”
He emphasised the need to manage expectations around the outcomes of her confirmation for the Nigerian economy that grapples with competitiveness’ challenges.
Similarly, the director general of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, described the confirmation of Okonjo-Iweala as a moment of great excitement, a plus for Nigeria in the international community and a welcome development for Africa especially now the continent is launching its own free trade area.
He said having an African at the helm of affairs in the WTO should give some comfort and assuage the noticeable anxieties of African countries in the world trade parlance.
“There is no doubt that the WTO is in need of major reforms. So the experience and expertise Okonjo-Iweala is bringing to the organisation will provide the needed guidance to forge the reforms,” he said.
Ajayi-Kadir tasked Okonjo-Iweala to immediately ensure ease of the flow of goods, particularly protective gear, drugs and vaccines, etc. to fight the COVID-19 pandemic disease.
“So she needs to sort out the so called vaccine nationalism and negotiate the flow of this viral medicament to reach all nations, including the poorer ones,” he said.
With ThisDay report
