Since 2012, UNCTAD has led global efforts in collecting, classifying and analysing trade-related regulations, particularly non-tariff measures. Its comprehensive non- tariff measures database covers 150 countries and reflects evolving regulatory policies.
In addition, UNCTAD research shows that non-tariff measures are three times more costly than tariffs, yet they are important for health, security and the environment.
Discussions at this event will explore how data-driven policymaking can enhance trade, support economic integration and strengthen supply chains for sustainable development; and address how transparent and harmonized non-tariff measures can align public policy objectives with private sector needs, facilitate international trade and contribute to sustainable development, taking into account, in particular, recent global challenges.
Updated non-tariff measures data for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea will be launched, collected with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. In addition, the non-tariff measures cost-effectiveness toolkit developed by UNCTAD will be presented.
Programme
Opening remarks:
- Ralf Peters, Head of the Trade Analysis Branch
High-level panel and interactive discussion
Questions
- How relevant are non-tariff measures to global trade and to regional economic integration?
- How important is transparency and market intelligence for companies, particularly when exporting to new markets? How can transparency be improved?
- With several countries adopting unilateral measures, causing uncertainty in global trade, how can countries return to the negotiation table? Does the World Trade Organization framework provide sufficient regulatory flexibility?
Speakers
- Sofia Boza Martinez, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Chile to the World Trade Organization
- Syahril Syazli Ghazali, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the World Trade Organization
- Clare Kelly, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of New Zealand to the World Trade Organization
- Trudi Hartzenberg, Executive Director, tralac (Trade Law Centre)
Moderator:
- Marcelo Olarreaga, Professor of Economics, University of Geneva
Closing remarks:
- Luz María de la Mora, Director, Division on International Trade and Commodities
Ms. Sofia Boza is the Ambassador of Chile to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Prior to becoming Ambassador of Chile to the WTO, Ambassador Boza was associate professor and director of the Department of Rural Management and Innovation of the University of Chile and professor of the Institute of International Studies of the same university, as well as external evaluator of public policies of the Directorate of Budgets of the Ministry of Finance of Chile.
Ambassador Boza holds a PhD in Economics from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Her areas of research include agri-food governance, rural development, food markets and international agricultural trade.
Ambassador Syahril Syazli Ghazali is the current Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) upon his appointment on
1 November 2022. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. Syahril joined the Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry (MITI) in 2001, and has since served in various divisions, among others, the Industry Development, Sectoral Policy, Industry & Trade Support and Strategic Negotiations. He was involved directly in various bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreements (FTA), most notably as Malaysia’s Chief Negotiator for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2018. At the WTO, Syahril has served as the Chairperson for the Council for Trade in Services for the period of 2024-2025, and currently he assumes the role of regional coordinator during Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship year.
Clare has served as New Zealand’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade
Organisation since February 2022.
Previously, Clare held the position of Assistant Secretary in the Trade and Economic Group of the
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). She was appointed to the role in April
2017, with responsibility for the Trade Negotiations Division of the Ministry’s Trade and Economic
Group. She also led New Zealand’s trade negotiation with the Pacific Alliance.
From April 2013 to March 2017 she served as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Mexico, with concurrent
accreditations in Central America.
Earlier roles in the Trade and Economic Group of MFAT included as New Zealand’s lead Goods
negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiation.
Clare was posted as Counsellor in the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the World Trade
Organisation in Geneva from 2003 to 2007. Previously, she worked as First Secretary and Consul
General in the New Zealand Embassy in Santiago, Chile.
From 2007 to 2009 Clare worked as a Trade Adviser in the Geneva office of the law firm White & Case
LLP, covering a range of international trade law issues, in particular, trade in services, accessions to
the WTO and WTO disputes.
Luz Maria de la Mora is the Director of UNCTAD's Division on International Trade and Commodities. As a former Vice-Minister for International Trade and decades of government and private sector positions, Ms. de la Mora developed a career in international trade policy, negotiation, operations, and trade promotion.
During her tenure as Vice-Minister for International Trade of Mexico from 2018 to 2022, Ms. de la Mora led Mexico's trade and investment policy, overseeing fourteen free trade agreements with 51 countries. To bolster Mexico's development, she steered discussions in the World Trade Organization, the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and Pacific Alliance, among others. She also coordinated policy dialogues and handled private sector consultations.
Ms. de la Mora holds a PhD in Political Science from Yale University, USA, a Master's degree in International Affairs from Carleton University, Canada, and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from El Colegio de México, Mexico.
She is fluent in English and Spanish, and proficient in French.
Ms. Trudi Hartzenberg is the Executive Director of tralac (Trade Law Centre) based in the Western Cape region of South Africa.
Her research is in the areas of international trade, competition policy, industrial development and Africa's integration agenda. She currently serves on the WTO Chairs Advisory Committee and is a member of the Committee for Development Policy of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Marcelo OLARREAGA
Marcelo Olarreaga is Professor of Economics at the University of Geneva, Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in London and the FERDI in Clermont-Ferrand. He is currently directing a research project on the political economy of trade policy funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Before joining the University of Geneva he worked in the Research Department of the World Bank, as well as in the Economics Research Division of the World Trade Organization. He has also been invited professor at CERDI (France), the Graduate Institute (Switzerland), INSEAD (France), Institute CLAEH (Uruguay), SciencePo-Paris (France), Universidad de la República (Uruguay) and the University of Antwerp (Belgium). He holds an MA from the University of Sussex, and a PhD in Economics from the University of Geneva.
Ralf Peters, UNCTAD
Ralf Peters is the Head of the Trade Analysis Branch, Division on International Trade and Commodities, UN Trade and Development. He leads UNCTAD’s data, research and capacity building efforts on trade policy and trade related regulations, including tariffs and non-tariff measures.
Mr. Peters has over 15 years of experience in supporting developing countries with quantitative trade analysis for well-informed policy making as well as bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. In the International Labour Office he was Chief Technical Advisor for trade and employment. Before joining the UN, he was assistant professor for negotiation analysis and entrepreneurship, and he worked in the Center for European Research on quantitative policy analysis.
Mr. Peters has a master’s degree in economical mathematics and holds a Ph.D. in economics.
