UNCTAD16 ministerial roundtable: Towards resilient, sustainable and inclusive supply chains and trade logistics

Kamel Rezig has held the position of Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion of Algeria, since April 2025. 

Prior to his current position, he held the same ministerial position from January 2020 to March 2023, during which he implemented a series of key reforms in the trade sector — notably in combating speculation and organizing market structures. After completing his term in 2023, he was appointed as an advisor to the President on foreign trade and export matters. 

An economist and Doctor of Economic Sciences (University of Algiers 3), Professor Kamel Rezig also served as Chief Tax Inspector and a lecturer at the University of Blida since 1997. From 1999 to 2004, he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the same university.

The Hon. Ricardo Viegas d'Abreu currently serves as Minister of Transport of Angola.  A position he has held since June 2018.

In early 2017, he was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Banco de Poupança e Crédito, the largest Angolan public bank, and in November of that same year was appointed Secretary to the President of the Republic for Economic Affairs.

He holds a degree in Economics from Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, Portugal. In 1996, he obtained an MBA from the University of Bath in the UK.

H.E. Moustoifa Hassani Mohamed currently serves as Minister of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration of the Union of the Comoros, with responsibility for trade, industry, investment policy and regional economic integration.

He began his career in customs administration after graduating from the Senegal Customs School in 1992. Between 1995 and 2017, he worked with the inspection company Cotecna, including a posting in Iraq from 1999 to 2001 as an expert for the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme. Upon his return to the Comoros, he was appointed Head of the Customs Office in 2017 and later Director General of Customs in 2021, where he led institutional reforms to modernize the administration and represented the country in international customs and trade forums.

Since joining the Government in 2024, Minister Hassani Mohamed has been a strong advocate for economic transformation, customs modernization and digital trade integration. He has represented the Comoros at high-level events, including the WTO Public Forum, the World Economic Forum and Investopia, where he has presented the country’s investment and trade strategies under the Emerging Comoros 2030 Plan.

He possesses extensive expertise in customs modernization and regional economic integration, particularly within the frameworks of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union. He is recognized for his leadership in advancing regulatory reform and promoting the digital transformation of trade systems. His technical knowledge, institutional experience and active engagement in international policy dialogues make him a prominent voice in global discussions on trade facilitation and inclusive economic development, especially for developing and small island economies.

Shri Piyush Vedprakash Goyal is the Minister of Railways; Commerce & Industry; Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. Deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha.

He was earlier the Minister of Railways and Coal (2017-19). He has also held additional charge of Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs twice in 2018 and 2019. Earlier he was Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy (2014-2017), and Mines (2016-17). Mr Goyal’s tenure has seen Indian Railways achieve its best ever safety record in 2018-19. This was achieved through holistic measures such as elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) from the broad gauge network, production of safer coaches etc. Additionally, Mr. Goyal oversaw the launch of the first indigenous semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Varanasi.

The Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy ministries led transformational changes in India’s power sector including the fast tracking of electrification of the nearly 18,000 unelectrified villages in some of the remotest and inaccessible parts of the country, the roll out of the most comprehensive power sector reform ever (UDAY), the success of the world’s largest LED bulb distribution programme (UJALA) for energy efficiency, and massive proliferation of renewable energy through the world’s largest renewable energy expansion programme. Other achievements include the elimination of coal shortages to improve the energy security of India and successful conduct of transparent e-auctions of coal blocks. He also received the 4th Annual Carnot Prize in 2018 recognising the pathbreaking transformations in India’s energy sector. During his 35 year long political career, Mr Goyal has held several important positions at different levels in the world’s largest political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is in its National Executive. He has been the National Treasurer of the Party. In the 2019 Indian General Elections, he was a member of the Manifesto and Publicity Committees. He also headed the BJP’s Information Communication Campaign Committee for the Indian General Elections 2014.

Mr Goyal has had a brilliant academic record – all-India second rank holder Chartered Accountant and second rank holder in Law in Mumbai University. He was a well-known investment banker and has advised top corporates on management strategy and growth. He also served on the Board of India’s largest commercial bank, the State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda. He was also nominated by the Government of India to the Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers in 2002. His father, Late Vedprakash Goyal was Union Minister of Shipping, and the National Treasurer of the BJP for over two decades. His mother Chandrakanta Goyal was elected thrice to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Mumbai. He is married to Seema, an active social worker, and has two children – Dhruv and Radhika, who have both graduated from Harvard University, USA.

Mr. Mokhethi Shelile was appointed as the Minister of Trade, Industry and Business Development on 30th October 2022. He is committed to leveraging his 20 years of experience in the trade fraternity, along with his leadership and management skills, to steer the Ministry toward achieving its mandate.

He is a Member of Parliament representing the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), Lithabaneng Constituency (40). He is also a founding member of the Revolution for Prosperity Party (RFP) and the member of the Executive Committee as the Public Relations Officer of the party.

Before assuming ministerial role, he was the Investment Promotion Officer at Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) and was later appointed as the Head, Investment Promotion within the LNDC. He has earned few accolades during his tenure at LNDC; UNCTAD Investment Promotion agency of the year 2016 winner. He has led International Investment Promotion and had successful promotion missions in SACU region, Kenya, Tanzania, Libya, Egypt, United Kingdom, and Germany, among others.

He studied BA Economics at the National University of Lesotho and graduated in 1995.

Julio Armando Moltó Alain is an engineer by profession, with extensive and varied professional experience in both the public and private sectors. In the government sphere, he has held important positions such as Director of the National Police, Executive Secretary of the Security Council and Executive Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency.

In the private sector, he has worked in the area of social communication and logistics, holding the position of Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the GESE Publishing Group, New Media Manager at Corprensa, Manager of Mi Diario and General Manager of Solo Container Panama. This extensive experience has allowed him to develop strategic and management skills in diverse and dynamic environments.

During the 2009-2014 presidential term, he served as Director of the Panamanian National Police, demonstrating leadership and management skills in the public sphere.

Throughout his professional life, he has accumulated solid experience in public and private service, establishing himself as a recognised and respected figure in his field.

His Excellency Saleh Bin Nasser al-Jasser has been the Minister of Transport and Logistic Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 23 October 2019, and the chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudia.

Prior to that, he held a number positions. From 2014 to 2019, he served as the Director General of Saudia and a member of its board of directors. Before that, from 2010 to 2014, he was the chief executive officer of the Saudi National Shipping Company. For approximately seven years, from 2003 to 2010, he served as the executive general manager for the Lexus division at Abdul Latif Jameel Group and later at Toyota. He also held the position of general manager of media affairs and marketing programs at Saudi Telecommunications Company from 2000 to 2003. From 1995 to 2000, he was the assistant general manager at al-Jomaih Bottling Plants. From 1990 to 1995, he was a project manager at the Industrial Development Fund. Earlier, from 1983 to 1989, he was the branch services supervisor at Bank AlJazira.

He was appointed as the director general of Saudia and a member of its board of directors from 2014 to 2019. In 2015, al-Jasser was elected to the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) during its seventy-first meeting in Miami, USA. Later, he was appointed as the Minister of Transport and Logistic Services by a royal order from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on 23 October 2019. On 23 February 2020, he was also appointed as the chairman of the Board of Saudia.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and a master's degree in Business Administration from King Saud University in Riyadh.

Dr Stéphane Graber has been Director General at FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations since 1 January 2020.

Prior to joining FIATA, Dr Graber was Secretary General at the Swiss Commodity Trading and Shipping Association and led the eGTSA as Chairman and Director General, a company that successfully developed a digital platform used by commodity trading companies and commodity trade-finance banks, which known today as Console.

He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Digital Standard Initiative and a founding member of the Future International Trade, which aims to raise awareness and accelerate the adoption of a standards-based electronic bills of lading across all sectors of the shipping industry. He also participates in Cargo IQ Board, an IATA interest group whose mission is to create and implement quality standards for the global air cargo industry.

Dr Graber previously worked for the Economic Department of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and was President of the Geneva Chapter of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) and a member of the SCCC’s national council.

Alongside his professional activities, Dr Graber also taught for 20 years at the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne on various Executive MBA programmes and was the Academic Director of the EMBA in Commodity Trading and Shipping.

Naledi Moleo is a broadcast journalist and news anchor at eNCA, one of South Africa’s leading news channels for decision-makers across the country and the continent.

She anchors Newslink, a mid-morning bulletin that provides in-depth coverage of national and regional developments, political affairs and economic trends shaping South Africa’s public discourse.

With over two decades in broadcasting, Ms. Moleo's career spans radio and television, including her time as anchor of The Agenda on SABC News and host of Newzfeed PM on Newzroom Afrika – a prime-time debate show that examined the socio-political issues influencing the nation.

Prior to that, she hosted The Talk Shop on SAfm, South Africa’s widest-reaching talk radio station, where she led national discussions on governance, culture and current affairs. Earlier in her career, she produced and presented Youth Expression on SABC News International, which broadcast across the African continent, and hosted Make Your Move on SABC 1, a youth empowerment show.