H.E. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti took up his position as Secretary-General (SG) of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on 2 March 2020. A citizen of Angola, Mr. Chikoti has devoted almost 30 years of his professional career to diplomacy and international relations.

Prior to his appointment as Secretary-General, Mr. Chikoti served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Head of Mission to the European Union. Before this, he held several high-level posts within the government of the Republic of Angola, which included Minister of Foreign Affairs, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in charge of Co-operation, and Vice-Minister of External Relations in Charge of International Organisations. 

Having the distinction of being the first Lusophone Secretary-General of the OACPS, Mr. Chikoti is also fluent in English and French.

Marcos Chiliatto, a Brazilian national, is the World Bank Group Executive Director representing Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Philippines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, since February 2024.

Mr. Chiliatto brings with him his experience in international development, working on a wide range of areas from economic research to public policy. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) serving as Adviser in the Strategic Planning and Development Effectiveness department. At the IDB he has held roles as a Member of the Board of Executive Directors, Country Coordinator in the Southern Cone department, and Secretariat Coordinator.

Mr. Chiliatto has also worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-CEPAL) as Economic Affairs Officer, the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), and in Academia.

He holds a PhD in Economics from State University of Campinas (Unicamp), a Master's Degree in Economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Unicamp, Brazil.

Cosmin Chivu graduated with a BA in International Relations (with Honours) and an MA in Ocean Governance from the University of Malta.

Since 2018, Cosmin has been working with the International Ocean Institute as a Project Officer to conduct day-to-day project planning and coordination across the global network of IOI Centres and Focal Points. Cosmin also actively implements and coordinates practical exercises and lectures on Sustainability and Ocean Policy for IOI’s Ocean Governance capacity-building programmes.

Cosmin Chivu works with the International Ocean Institute with responsibility for project implementation, and holds expertise on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, Ocean Governance, maritime trade, environmental sustainability, policy development, with specific interest in fostering sustainable growth in Ocean-based sectors.

Based on this, he can contribute to the panel's objective of identifying strategies for decarbonization, policy development, and technology solutions to accelerate the renewable energy transition, particularly in developing countries, while also recognizing the incentives required to balance social, economic, and environmental impacts.

In this respect and on behalf of the International Ocean Institute, since 2018 he has:

• Lectured within the Institute’s programmes on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction and other aspects of contemporary sustainable Ocean Governance,
• Organized and facilitated webinars on current Ocean challenges, fostering global awareness on issues of current importance with regard to contemporary Ocean governance,
• Represented the IOI in international meetings at the UN and UNCTAD, assisting on the hybridization of meetings and events,
• Developed and implemented functional and technical applications to address evolving needs while promoting sustainability,
• Is responsible for the day-to-day project coordination, planning, and execution across the international network of the IOI.

Hanotu Chizi Weli is a Tech entrepreneur and Co-founder of Spry Software Solutions & The 36 Youth Forum which focuses on improving the socio-economic welfare of Nigerian youths by inspiring and motivating them to embrace Information and communication technology. He is an activist towards the movement of more technological awareness and involvement of the Nigerian youth in today's technological advancement. 

With a background in Computer Science and Cyber Security from Harvard Vpal onli school, his passion for youth development led him to create youth activities/projects in collaboration with other stakeholders through IT and skills acquisition training and job creation workshops.

Sung Hwan Cho has been elected ISO President for a two-year term starting from 1 January 2024 and served as President-elect in 2023. Dr. Cho brings 30 years of experience from the automotive industry as top executive and research engineer. As the Advisor of Hyundai Mobis, he previously held the position of President and CEO for the company, which is the 6th largest auto parts supplier of the world.

Prior to taking up his role as President and CEO of Hyundai Mobis, he served as Executive Vice President of R&D Planning and Coordination and President of Hyundai America Technical Center with Hyundai Motor Company. He also was the CEO of Hyundai Autron, an automotive semiconductor and software affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group.

Dr. Cho has accumulated extensive expertise in technology and related standards through his previous roles as engineering manager. He also serves as Chairman of the Korea Automated Vehicle Standardization Forum and is a Council Board member in the Korean Standards Committee. He has been an elected member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering of Korea.

Dr. Cho holds a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, CA, USA and has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Sam Cho was elected to the Port Commission in 2019 and Commission President in 2023. He is the youngest and first person of color to become Commission President since the founding of the Port in 1911.

Additionally, Commissioner Cho is Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. He also held positions at the US Department of State as a Legislative Assistant and served as a political appointee under President Barack Obama. Prior to his election to the Port, Commissioner Cho was the founder and CEO of Seven Seas Export, an international trading company that exported throughout Asian-Pacific countries.

He earned his Master of Science in International Political Economy from The London School of Economics and his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from American University.

His priorities as a commissioner include creating economic opportunity; promoting environmental sustainability; equity, diversity, and inclusion; and ending human trafficking.

Svetlana Chobanova is a Trade Policy Analyst in the WTO's Trade and Environment Division. In this role, she supports WTO members by conducting in-depth analysis on critical issues at the intersection of trade and the environment, such as the just and sustainable energy transition, carbon pricing, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and biodiversity conservation. She also advises dispute settlement panels and delivers training to government officials and students.

Before joining the Trade and Environment Division, Svetlana served as a dispute settlement lawyer at the WTO Appellate Body, where she advised Members in complex legal proceedings.

Her previous experience includes consulting on international economic law, competition law, and regulatory matters at Brussels-based law firms, as well as teaching at the College of Europe in Bruges.

Sung-yo Choi, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea Mission to the World Trade Organization, is Co-coordinator of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement. She currently also serves as Chair of the WTO Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan. She is a career diplomat with extensive expertise in international trade negotiations and multilateral affairs and has been involved in WTO negotiations for over 15 years, as well as the Republic of Korea’s free trade area negotiations. Prior to returning to Geneva, she was Minister at the Delegation of the Republic Korea to the OECD in Paris. She holds an M.B.A. from Yale University and a B.A. in Communications from Seoul National University.