During the closing session of the 52nd session of the Trade and Development Board, UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi announced he was establishing a Panel of Eminent Persons to propose new strategies to heighten the organization´s impact.
The seven individuals are internationally renowned for their expertise on development issues:
- Jagdish Bhagwati, Eminent Professor of Economics at Columbia University
- Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the World Health Organization
- Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil
- Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique and former Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on the 2005 World Summit
- Tarja Halonen, President of Finland and Co-Chair of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization
- Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University and former US Treasury Secretary
- Long Yongtu, Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia and former Trade Representative of China.
The Panel will be chaired by Mr. Cardoso, former chairman of the UN Secretary-General´s Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations.
The Panel is expected to produce a report for the Secretary-General of UNCTAD by late April 2006.