UNCTAD16 ministerial roundtable: Reimagining trade – a broader path to development

Kamina Johnson Smith is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. Concurrently, she is Leader of Government Business in the Senate. Notably, Senator Johnson Smith is Jamaica's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the first born after the nation's independence.

Minister Johnson Smith has, among other initiatives, chaired the CARIFORUM group in 2016-17, and in that capacity led the opening of discussions with the UK regarding post-Brexit trade arrangements. In 2018, she served as President of the ACP Council of Ministers and chaired the CARICOM Council of Foreign Ministers and was the first Jamaican Foreign Minister to attend G7 and G20 meetings. In 2019 she was appointed as President of Council of the International Seabed Authority.

Minister Johnson Smith has also worked with a wide range of bilateral and international development partners, supporting the attainment of Jamaica's sustainable development goals, as well as strengthening Jamaica's contribution to important global efforts to build peace and security, foster respect for human rights, and promote a strong and fair multilateral trading system.

Senator Johnson Smith is an Attorney-at-Law who worked previously in private practice and as corporate in-house counsel. She holds degrees from The University of the West Indies and the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a graduate of the Norman Manley Law School.

Minister Johnson Smith was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica and is married. She enjoys reading, yoga and jogging.

Julien Paluku Kahongya is a Congolese politician, currently serving as Minister of International Trade of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a position he has held since May 2024.

Prior to his current position, he served as Minister of Industry from 2019 to 2024, during which time he promoted the country's industrial revival through ambitious policies such as the creation of Special Economic Zones.

From 2007 to 2018, he led the province of North Kivu as governor, in a particularly complex context marked by security and economic challenges. He also served in the National Assembly in 2011, 2018 and 2023, and in the Provincial Assembly from 2006 onwards.

His career began in local government: he was administrator of the Lubero territory, then successively mayor of the cities of Butembo and Beni between 2003 and 2006.

Julien Paluku holds a Master's degree in Political and Administrative Sciences from the University of Kinshasa. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Health and Community Development from the Free University of the Great Lakes, a background that reflects his commitment to human and institutional development.

Basílio Zefanias Muhate is a Mozambican national who assumed office as Minister of Economy in January 2025.

Prior to his current appointment, he built a diverse professional career across several sectors, with notable experience in Economics, Trade, Accounting and Auditing, Marketing, Risk Management, Business Negotiation and Strategy,and Project Management. His expertise spans both public institutions and private enterprises, particularly in the areas of industrial production, consultancy, and financial auditing.

Throughout his career, he has held key leadership and advisory roles, including Member of the Board of Directors, Member of the Executive Council, and Economic and Financial Advisor to the Board. He has also served as an Economic and Financial Consultant and Tutor in Economics, Trade, Risk Management, and Regulatory Studies.

Minister Muhate is an active member of several professional associations in Mozambique, where he has played an important role. These include the Mozambican Association of Economists (AMECON), the Mozambican Association of Young Bankers (AMJB), the National Union of Journalists (SNJ), and the Institute of Directors of Mozambique (IoDMz).

He holds a degree in Economics from Eduardo Mondlane University, and a certificate in Investment and Financingfrom the Center for Financial, Economic and Banking Studies (CEFEB).

Justice Anil Kumar Sinha currently holds the position of Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

A Law graduate from Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, he secured Advocate license in 1982. Considering his contribution in the law and justice field, the Supreme Court of Nepal honored him as Senior Advocate in 2013. During over 34 years of independent Law practice mostly in Developmental aspects, Business and Taxation Laws and Arbitration, he was also involved in works for preparation of Policy Documents for Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment for the Government of Nepal, Early-state Hydro Power Equity Fund for local Development Banks, Survey for harmonization of hydropower laws of Nepal, Study of requisite changes in Customs Act in compliance with International Conventions, Revision of Manual for Foreign Investment in Nepal and on Land Acquisition for infrastructure projects.

He had also coordinated "National Survey of Public Opinion on the Judiciary in Nepal (2002)". He is a recognized trainer on various Commercial Law, Alternate Dispute Mechanism and Taxation issues at the National Judicial Academy of Nepal. He was appointed as the Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal on 1st August, 2016 and remained in office till 31st October, 2023. During his tenure, he also headed the Information & Technology Committee at the Supreme Court and worked for implementation of e-Court vision of the Judiciary's Strategic Plan and was instrumental in establishment of Data Centre, Data Recovery Centre and Training Lab for the judiciary.

After retirement, he also chaired a High Level Committee for study and recommendation for reform of Aviation Sector of Nepal.

Mahbubur Rahman leads the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh Government as Secretary. He has three decades of experience in international trade, export promotion, trade facilitation and customs administration. 

A veteran trade official, Mr. Rahman is spearheading the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to efficiently manage the international and domestic trade portfolio in the midst of trade turbulences in the global level.

An MBA of the Institute of Business Administration, the premier business school of Bangladesh, he was further educated on international relations at the China Foreign Affairs University.

Éléonore Caroit is France’s Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad. Before her current appointment, she served as a member of the National Assembly, representing the second constituency of French citizens living abroad.

Zhanel Kushukova was appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan in July 2019.

Before that, she worked in the Ministry of Industry and Trade; the Ministry of Economy and Trade; and the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. She was a member of the Kazakhstan negotiating group for accession to the WTO, and participated in the development of the legal and contractual framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Previous positions include:

• Leading expert on domestic market protection at the Anti-Dumping Control Committee of the Ministry of Economy and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2001-2002)
• Leading Specialist, Customs and Tariff Policy Division, Department of Trade, International Cooperation and Export Control, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2002-2004)
• Head of the Customs and Tariff Regulation Division, Deputy Head of the Administration, Head of the Administration of the Department for WTO Accession (2004-2008)
• Director of the Foreign Trade Policy Development Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2008-2010)
• Director of the Foreign Trade Policy Development Department, Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2010-2019)

Ms. Kushukova graduated from the Kozybayev North Kazakhstan State University with a degree in economics.

Mr. Michal Baranowski has served as undersecretary of state in Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology since December 2024. He is a political scientist and author of numerous publications on transatlantic relations, European policies, and the European security order.  

Baranowski began his career as an analyst in GMF’s Brussels office and served the organization in various capacities, focusing on transatlantic cooperation, particularly with Central Europe and the Eastern Partnership countries. Between 2008 and 2011, he worked at GMF’s headquarters in Washington, DC, where he led a project on transatlantic trade. In 2011, he established GMF’s Warsaw office, the city’s first permanent office of a Western think tank. Ten years later, he became managing director of GMF East, overseeing the organization’s work in Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic States, the Visegrád Group, and Romania. His team produced a report on a “Marshall Plan” for Ukraine.

Baranowski is a frequent contributor to Polish and international media, offering analysis of economic and international affairs. He studied economics and political science at Mercer University in the United States, the University of Oxford, and Maastricht University. He holds a master’s degree in European public affairs from Maastricht University.

Tatiana Molcean is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), appointed by the UN Secretary-General on 26 July 2023.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Molcean was the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the United Nations Office, World Trade Organization and other international organizations in Geneva (since 2020).  

Ms. Molcean served as State Secretary and Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Bilateral Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (2017-2020), Deputy Director General for European Integration and Head of the Division for Economic and Sector Cooperation with the European Union (2012-2017) and Head of the Division for Economic Cooperation and Sectorial Coordination at the General Directorate for European Integration (2004-2008).  A career diplomat, she has also served as Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova to Sweden (2008-2011).    

Ms. Molcean holds a LLM Degree in Law from the Faculty of International Law at Moldova State University and completed the Multilateral Diplomacy Program from the Graduate Institute of Geneva, Switzerland. 

A BBC-trained journalist and broadcaster, Damon Embling has 25 years of professional media and communications experience. 
 
He has worked as a TV correspondent and presenter, video journalist, radio reporter and digital content producer in the UK and globally for a range of media outlets, including BBC News, BBC World News, Euronews and The Associated Press Television News (APTN), among others.  

Mr. Embling currently divides his time between producing TV programmes and leading Headline Media UK, a company specialising in spokesperson media training, communications consultancy and video production.

He also moderates debates and discussions, both online and at international conferences/events.