Former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been named in the final shortlist of candidates for the Director General position of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

However, three candidates were dropped from the contest.

It also plans to reduce the contestants to two final candidates in the next few weeks.

WTO said Mexico’s Jesus Seade, Egypt’s Hamid Mamdouh and Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi didn’t secure enough support in a first of three rounds of voting.

“Their expertise and high professional and personal qualities are highly valued and respected by all members,” WTO General Council Chairman, David Walker, said in a statement on Friday.

The second phase of consultations would begin on September 24 and run until October 6 after which the WTO would announce two final candidates.

The goal was to name a new leader by November 7.

Those left in the race are: Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri, Saudi Arabia’s former minister of economy and planning; Liam Fox, the UK’s former secretary of state for international trade; Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s trade minister; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril, Kenya’s former international trade minister.

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