Former EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström has been nominated as a candidate for the position of the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by the Swedish government.

The OECD has 37 member states who will elect a new Secretary General for a five-year term starting on June 2021, replacing the current Secretary General Angel Gurria who is not looking for a renewed mandate.

In a reaction to her nomination, Malmström emphasized that she has the right mix of experience, connections and a strong commitment to international cooperation.

“I’ve had a lot of experience on the multilateral scene both when it comes to trade but also other areas when it comes to the core competencies of the OECD. It is a forum that can really show how important multilateral cooperation is,” Malmström said.

Malmström was a member of the European Parliament for seven years before becoming Minister for European Affairs in Sweden. After that, she was part of the Barroso and Juncker Commissions as Commissioner for Home Affairs and Trade.

ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen who has worked closely with Malmström at the European level supports her candidacy for the role, praising her international reputation.

I strongly support Cecilia Malmström's nomination for the position of Sec-Gen of @OECD. She has an impressive track record as EU Trade Commissioner and is the right person for the job! @liberalerna @ALDEParty https://t.co/kNlj0iQ8kN

— Hans van Baalen (@hansvanbaalen) September 1, 2020

Very honoured to be nominated as Sweden’s candidate for the post of Secretary General of the @OECD . Follow my campaign at @Malmstrom4OECD

— Cecilia Malmström (@MalmstromEU) September 1, 2020

You can follow Malmström’s campaign online on Twitter at @Malmstrom4OECD