The appointment came after U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy, which had been blocked by former President Donald Trump.
The World Trade Organization’s incoming chief on Monday warned against “vaccine nationalism’ that would slow progress in ending the COVID-19 pandemic and could erode economic growth for all countries – rich and poor.
Ms. Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters her top priority was to ensure the WTO does more to address the pandemic, saying members should accelerate efforts to lift export restrictions slowing trade in needed medicines and supplies.
The former Nigerian finance minister and senior World Bank executive was appointed on Monday in a consensus process and starts her new job on March 1.
“The WTO can contribute so much more to helping stop the pandemic,” Ms. Okonjo-Iweala said in an interview at her home in a suburb of Washington.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe. Vaccine nationalism at this time just will not pay, because the variants are…