As of October 2020, who is the Director General of the World Trade Organization?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (B) Roberto Azevêdo

As of October 2020, Roberto Azevêdo, a Brazilian diplomat, was the most recent Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, he officially stepped down on August 31, 2020, nearly a year before the scheduled end of his second term. During October 2020, the WTO was led by four Deputy Directors-General while the selection of a new head was underway.

Current Director-General (as of 2025):
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

• Appointed on: March 1, 2021

• She is the first woman and the first African to hold the position of Director-General of the WTO.

• She is a former Finance Minister of Nigeria and a respected global economist.

Information Booster – About WTO and Other Directors-General

• WTO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

• Established: 1 January 1995, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

• Purpose: To regulate international trade, resolve disputes, and ensure trade flows smoothly, predictably, and freely

Previous Directors-General of WTO:

Additional Information – About International Organizations Mentioned

World Trade Organization (WTO):

• Formed: 1995 (as successor to GATT, established in 1948)

• Members: 164 (as of 2025)

• Main Functions:

  • Facilitate global trade negotiations

  • Enforce trade agreements

  • Resolve trade disputes via its Dispute Settlement Body (DSB)

GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade):

• Established: 1947

• Objective: Promote international trade by reducing tariffs and other trade barriers

• Replaced by: WTO in 1995 after the Uruguay Round of negotiations