Mario Castillo is the director of the International Trade and Integration Division at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations. Previously, he has served as officer in charge of the Gender Affairs Division, head of the Innovation and New Technologies Unit and coordinator of the ECLAC/European Commission initiative on the Information Society Dialogue in Latin America.
Francisco’s experience ranges across the fisheries sector since the 1980s, starting the deck of a fishing vessel he worked his way to his present position as an independent fisheries senior advisor for over 30 multilateral organizations, government institutions, NGOs, technology providers and industry groups on a wide range of areas, in more than 55 countries worldwide. Besides his skipper’s ticket, he gained an MSc in Fisheries Science and then another in Food Science along the way.
Based in the South pacific since 1991, he is comfortable in fishing boats, factories and boardrooms (mostly in that order). He maintains a fisheries blog and photographic gallery on his website www.franciscoblaha.info, and was presented the 2019 Seafood Champion Award for his work on capacity building and fisherman labour rights.
Mathieu Lamolle has over 15 years of experience in international trade, market access and sustainable development issues.
He holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and Management from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS) and speaks fluently English, French and Spanish. Mathieu works at the International Trade Centre (ITC) as Senior Advisor, Sustainable Global Value Chains. He leads ITC’s work on sustainability standards and multi-stakeholder initiatives, and he leads ITC’s work on deforestation-free global value chains.
He is also ITC focal point for MSME technical assistance in the context of the new EU Deforestation-free products Regulation (EUDR). Mathieu coordinates partnerships with private industry groups, companies and civil society organizations and he delivers high-level keynote contributions to sustainability global events, he also delivers technical assistance and advisory services to MSMEs to develop sustainable business strategies, helping companies to integrate sustainability in their supply chains and access international markets.
H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, H.E. Mene served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. He also acted as Chief Trade Negotiator for South Africa in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as Chief Negotiator, South Africa ratified the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA agreements.
Before assuming this position, H.E. Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.
From 2010 until 2015, H.E. the Secretary-General represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.
He worked for Wall Street-based law firms in their London and Hong Kong offices, before joining the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa.
H.E. Mene has also written and lectured internationally in the areas of international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa and a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialisation in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and an LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).
In 2020, H.E. Mene received an award as one of the top 100 most influential people of African descent in support of the United Nations International Decade of African Descent (2015-2024).
Willard Mwemba is the Chief Executive Officer at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission. He continues to play a key role in the development of competition and consumer protection laws, guidelines and operational manuals in different countries. He also advises governments on the significance of preserving competitive markets and the consequences of its absence.
He is a member of the Advisory Board of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Competition Training Centre for Middle East and Africa. Willard is also a member of a Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, looking at the state of competition laws in small and insular economies.
Willard has written extensively on the subject of competition law and has spoken at several high-profile events. He is usually invited as a guest lecturer on the subject at Universities and Colleges at global level. He has written and contributed to scholarly articles for the Institute of European & Comparative Law/Centre for Competition Law & Policy University of Oxford, International Bar Association, Concurrences, Global Competition Review and Afronomics among others.
He holds several qualifications among them, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and an LLB from the University of Zambia. Willard also holds a Masters degree in European Union Competition Law from University of London; Kings College and a PhD in Competition Law from the University of Cape Town.
H.E. Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed is Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the UN, and formerly Ambassador to the United States and Chair of AOSIS.
A diplomat with 35 years of experience, Ambassador Naseer is a leader in crafting solutions on key issues at the United Nations General Assembly, the G77, and SIDS Conferences.
As Maldives Foreign Secretary from 2013-17, he coordinated and supervised the implementation of Maldives foreign policy.
Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi, SAN is a Professor and UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. He is also Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights. A prolific and highly regarded scholar, Professor Olawuyi has published several articles and books on energy, environment, and natural resources law, including Environmental Law in Arab States (Oxford University Press, 2022), which received the 2023 American Society of International Law (ASIL) Certificate of Merit. Professor Olawuyi holds a doctorate (DPhil) in energy and environmental law from the University of Oxford; a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard University; and another LLM from the University of Calgary. He has been admitted as Barrister and Solicitor in Alberta, Canada; Ontario, Canada; and Nigeria.He is a regular media commentator on all aspects of natural resources, energy and environmental law.
Courtenay Rattray began his tenure as High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States in July, 2021.
Mr. Rattray joined OHRLLS from his role as Jamaica’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. He also served as Co-chair of the Group of Friends of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Financing; Children and the SDGs; as well as the Group of Friends of Decent Work.
Prior to his work at the United Nations, Mr. Rattray served as Jamaica’s Ambassador to China (2008-2013); Director of the Bilateral Relations Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Kingston (2005 -2008); Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C., (2001-2005); Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (2000-2001); and Special Adviser to the Minister for Industry and Investment (1999-2000).