Nigerian former Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala smiling during a hearing as part of the application process to head the World Trade Organisation as Director General, July 15, 2020. File photo / AFP
Nigerian former Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala smiling during a hearing as part of the application process to head the World Trade Organisation as Director General, July 15, 2020. File photo / AFP
Nigerian former Foreign and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala smiling during a hearing as part of the application process to head the World Trade Organisation as Director General, July 15, 2020. Fi
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) appears set to appoint Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its new leader.
She will be the first woman, as well as the first African, to head the organisation. Ms Okonjo-Iweala brings years of experience to the institution, having spent two terms as Nigeria's finance minister and decades in global trade and development.
The WTO appoints leaders through a process of consensus, not elections. The new Biden administration has now approved Ms Okonjo-Iweala's bid, a change from former president Donald Trump's opposition to her candidacy. South Korea's Yoo Myung-hee, the only remaining candidate, has also withdrawn from the contest, effectively sealing the victory of the former development economist at the World Bank.
The WTO, an organisation that oversees the rules that govern global commerce, has not been having an easy time of late. A new leader could mark the moment it begins addressing issues that have recently come to light.
We still cannot be sure of a rosy future. Bloomberg
With dysfunctional internal politics and division among its members, some were starting to question whether the organisation had a future
Relations between the body and the US – one of its most important members – have been strained over the past four years. Mr Trump frequently criticised the institution for failing to curb the allegedly unfair trade practices of certain nations. He particularly singled out China.
The WTO's mission is to oversee the constructive resolution of issues of this kind, within the confines of a multilateral body. If it is working properly, it can prevent issues of trade spiralling into open geopolitical dispute.
Facing a series of structural issues, the WTO is struggling to fulfil this objective. There has been a crippling impasse preventing the appointment of new judges for the organisation's most important court, the Appellate Body. This has limited the WTO's ability to settle trade disputes.
With dysfunctional internal politics and division among its members, some were starting to question whether the organisation had a future. Ms Okonjo-Iweala's appointment raises hopes that the WTO will now be able to carry out its work.
As we tentatively approach a recovery from the pandemic, the organisation's role is crucial. Recent estimates for a global economic recovery project a quicker bounce back than expected. January's IMF forecast predicted a global growth rate this year of 5.5 per cent, 0.3 per cent higher than its October 2020 estimate.
The fund stressed that the prospect of poorer nations was less positive. Growth rates in low-income nations were consistently smaller than those in richer countries.
Ms Okonjo-Iweala's tenure must focus on rebuilding the fortunes, as well as projecting the voices, of those who struggle most under the economic consequences of the virus. She has the right experience for this task, being the current chairwoman of the Centre for Global Development.
The smooth flow of goods and capital impacts all nations. Reviving multilateralism at the WTO, the world's most important trade body, is good news for all countries, rich and poor.
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
Drones
Animals
Fireworks/ flares
Radios or power banks
Laser pointers
Glass
Selfie sticks/ umbrellas
Sharp objects
Political flags or banners
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
