The World Trade Organization has postponed a meeting of its General Council that was to convene on Monday for the election of the global trade body's next chief.

The WTO Secretariat issued a statement Friday saying the meeting will be postponed "until further notice."

General Council chair David Walker, who oversees the director-general election process, said that he will continue to consult with members on the next steps.

The WTO had planned to hold the council meeting Monday morning to appoint Nigerian candidate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its new leader, as she is preferred choice among WTO members over South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee.

However the United States has vetoed the Nigerian candidate and given its support to the Korean finalist, meaning that the WTO either has to call a formal vote to bypass the veto or wait to see if the U.S. position changes after the election.