Former Nigerian Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala looks on in Geneva on July 15, 2020  following her hearing before World Trade Organization 164 member states' representatives, as part of the application process to head the WTO as Director General. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

GENEVA - The United States has told a meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Wednesday that it does not back Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next WTO leader, despite cross-regional support for her, two sources at the meeting told Reuters.

The move could undermine the global trade body as it seeks to select a successor to director general Roberto Azevedo. A key group of WTO ambassadors had proposed Okonjo-Iweala as the next chief, but any such decision requires a consensus among the 164 WTO members, meaning any of them could block her appointment.

The European Union endorsed Okonjo-Iweala on Oct 26. However, three sources following the contest said that Washington had privately indicated a preference for South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee

The recommendation of Okonjo-Iweala was made by three WTO ambassadors, the so-called “troika”, after consulting with members in a series of closed-door meetings in Geneva as part of an intricate and secretive process that some have compared to a papal succession.

The troika, led by New Zealand’s Ambassador David Walker, is due to make the formal recommendation to a closed-door meeting of heads of delegations at 3 pm (1400 GMT).

The European Union endorsed Okonjo-Iweala on Oct 26. However, three sources following the contest said that Washington had privately indicated a preference for South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee.

The leadership void was created after Azevedo, from Brazil, stepped down a year early in August. The WTO is currently being steered by four deputies.

Okonjo-Iweala, a 66-year-old former finance minister and World Bank managing director, will face considerable challenges with rival economies bickering amid rising tensions and protectionism during a coronavirus-induced trade plunge.

Her inbox will also feature an overhaul of the WTO’s top appeals body - which US President Donald Trump’s administration has brought to its knees by blocking judge appointments - and a major trade conference in 2021.

Okonjo-Iweala, a development expert, has branded herself a “do-er”, saying she has the political clout to command influence in capitals.

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“I feel I can solve the problems. I’m a known reformer, not someone who talks about it. I’ve actually done it both at the World Bank and in my country,” she told Reuters.

Currently chair of the of GAVI vaccine alliance board, Okonjo-Iweala has also said the WTO should play a role in helping poorer countries access COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.