Yuonov Frederick Agah Reappointed WTO Deputy Director-General [2017]

Recently updated on May 1st, 2018 at 02:10 pm

Yuonov Frederick Agah has been reappointed as Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for another four-year term; resuming his second term at the WTO headquarters in Geneva on October 1 till September 30, 2021. Mr. Agah was first appointed as Deputy Director-General of WTO in 2013 for a four-year term, which he assumed on October 1 that year.

The 164-member countries’ organisation is the only global international body that deals with the rules of trade between nations to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers to conduct their business.

Mr. Agah was appointed as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the WTO in 2005.

In that capacity, he served as the Alternate Chief Negotiator for the Doha Round and Head of Nigeria’s Trade Office to the WTO in the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

The Trade Office is responsible for Nigeria’s participation in Geneva-based trade-related international organisations,, particularly the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the International Trade Centre and the WTO.

The WTO deputy chief served as Chair to WTO’s General Council in 2011.

He was responsible for organising the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference, which was acknowledged to be successful in spite of prevailing stalemate in the Doha Round.

He also served as Chair of the Dispute Settlement Body in 2010 and the Council for Trade in Services in 2009.

He was also the chair of the Trade Policy Review Body in 2008, the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in 2007, and the Council for Trade in Goods in 2006.

He chaired the Council for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights – an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the – Special Session, in 2013.

Mr. Yuonov Frederick Agah had previously worked as a lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State from 1979 to 1981 and Senior Features Writer/Circulation Manager, Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation from 1982 to 1984.