HE James Baxter PSM is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO Australian Permanent Mission, Geneva.
James Baxter took up his role as Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Australian Permanent Mission to the WTO, Geneva, in April 2024. Prior to taking up his current role, he served as First Assistant Secretary in the Office of Global Trade Negotiations (OTN), in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In this role he was responsible for advising on policy on multilateral trade.
He has also served in a range of roles in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including in the Regional Trade Agreements Division as First Assistant Secretary (2019- 2020) and Special Negotiator (2017-2018); as Assistant Secretary in the World Trade Organization Trade Policy and Services Branch (2016-2017); Deputy Chief Negotiator in the China Free Trade Taskforce (2008- 2009); and Director, WTO Quarantine Disputes Section, OTN (2007-2008).
Overseas, he has served as Deputy Permanent Representative, Australian Permanent Mission to the WTO, Geneva (2012-2016); Counsellor, Australian Embassy, Brussels (2004-2007); First Secretary, Australian Embassy, Tokyo (1998-2002).
Mr Baxter holds a Bachelor of Laws (1990) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) (1988) from the University of Sydney.
Nadira Bayat is a gender specialist she provides technical support to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) cross-regional programme on gender and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA). In her previous position as Gender and Trade Expert with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Nadira led the approach to gender mainstreaming in AFCFTA National Implementation Strategies.
Nadira has a background in international law and over 20 years that combine wide-ranging expertise across key policy areas on the sustainable development agenda, including in gender equality and women economic empowerment.
Nadira has served in various roles in other UN agencies, including at the International Court of Justice, UN Transitional Administration in East Timor and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She has also held senior positions in the South African Government, including as Counsellor: Multilateral at the Embassy of South Africa in Washington, DC.
As one of the world's leading experts working towards digitalization of trade, transport, and logistics, Ms. Hanane Becha is the UNECE – UN/CEFACT Vice Chair of the Transport & Logistics Domain representing the community of members and contributors to UN/CEFACT. She contributes to the development of the Centre and its recognition at the global level as the reference entity for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business. In addition to this role, Hanane has been Project Lead on multiple projects including the Smart Container Project and the Cross Industry Supply Chain Track and Trace Project.
Hanane is an international Standards Developer since 2006 and is an active participant in international Standards Development Organizations including UN/CEFACT, IMO EGDH, SMDG, ISO TC8 & TC 154 and DCSA. Her focus is on driving innovation for logistics. She is author of numerous trade and logistics-related articles, and co-creator of several innovative standards.
Hanane received a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in Computer Sciences from the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Beth Bechdol is Deputy Director-General at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In this role, she continues her service to food and agriculture – now on a global scale. Motivated by building alliances and connecting people, Beth is responsible for FAO’s Partnership and Outreach work, including Partnerships and UN Collaboration, Resource Mobilization and Private Sector Partnerships, South-South and Triangular Cooperation. She also leads programmes in the area of Plant Production and Protection and oversees FAO’s main technical advisory committee on agriculture, the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) as well as the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat.
Before joining FAO, Beth was President and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana, the Midwestern state’s economic development initiative focused on advancing the agbioscience sector and developing 21st century talent.
Beth’s dedication to public service in agriculture and her extensive trade and farm policy experience started in Washington, D.C. where she served in key roles as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and as Economist on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Beth was raised on a multi-generation family grain farm in rural Indiana. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in international law and international affairs and her master’s degree from Purdue University in agricultural economics.
Anneli Becker is the Founding Director of Sustain Consulting and creator of the SustainIAP, a pioneering sustainability assurance platform now accredited by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). With more than 25 years of international experience in sustainable development, sustainability reporting, and integrated management systems and assurance, she has led projects on every continent except Antarctica. Her track record includes ESG due diligences with cumulative values exceeding US$10 billion, alongside a wider portfolio of sustainability projects across mining, energy, and agriculture. Anneli co-developed the world’s first ESG minerals code and in 2019 accepted the UNCTAD ISAR Honours Award on behalf of the SAMESG Committee. A scientist by training and pragmatist at heart, she champions sustainability as measurable, evidence-based practice that delivers impact and long-term value.
Dr. Austin Becker is Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. As an interdisciplinary social scientist, he works across the fields of planning, policy, engineering, design, and ocean science, with a focus on coastal infrastructure.
He creates, tests, and implements approaches to help decision makers engage with complex problems involving uncertainty, consequences of natural hazards and large-scale shifts in climate, and the resulting challenges in policy and planning.
He is co-editor of Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Ports and has over 50 peer-reviewed publications.
In 2017, Dr. Becker was awarded the prestigious Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship in Ocean Sciences.
He earned a PhD in Environment and Resources at Stanford University. He also maintains his 500-Ton U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license for ocean-going vessels.
Henley Beckford is Founder and CEO of Myra GO – Myra Learning Ltd
Henley Beckford, known professionally as Beckford, is a British Entrepreneur, Art enthusiast and Ex-management Consultant, of Jamaican descent. He is the Founder and CEO of Myra Learning, the first mobile app and platform that revolutionises the culture cycle. Organising our enriched history of culture, arts and traditions, using AI, social listening methodologies & micro-learning gamification.
Accumulating over 10 years of experience launching development projects at large enterprise and SME level, Beckford is proven within the Gaming, eCommerce and Financial Services landscapes – delivering on and offshore bespoke programmes ranging from mobile app and platform builds, to digital transformation, change management, and digitisation.
After the passing of his long-term partner and mother of their then eleven-month-old son Pharaoh, Beckford made it his mission to find simple and fun ways to communicate all our cultures and keep these essences alive. His son Pharaoh is of Jamaican, Nigerian, Bajan and Montserratian descent.
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles is is the 8th Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, where, from 2002 to 2015, he also served as Professor of Economic History, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies, and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados.
Sir Hilary a distinguished academic, international thought leader, United Nations committee official, and global public activist for social justice and minority empowerment.
Sir Hilary is President of Universities Caribbean, Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission and Advisor on Sustainable Development to former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Yuvan A. Beejadhur is Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the WTO, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. He brings leadership thought and experience in the areas of sustainable development, climate change, the ocean economy and has extensive country dialogue and programmatic work experience. He has been a Visiting Professor of Blue Diplomacy at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations. He serves as Sherpa to Dr. Ngozi on the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW).
Mr. Beejadhur has also worked at the World Bank Group as a Team Leader – Natural Resources Management Specialist, as Senior Adviser to two UN Special Envoys on Climate Change, and in various positions in the academia and the UN system.
Mr. Beejadhur obtained a BA in International Affairs and Minors in International Economics from the American University of Paris, and Master's in International Political Economy (EU Policies) from the Sorbonne-Nouvelle (Paris 3) University in Paris, France. He was also a doctoral student (PhD, 2003-2007). He also holds an Executive Education in Negotiations from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is a dual national of Mauritius and Switzerland.
A former United Nations diplomat with 27 years of experience in the diplomatic service. He served on request as Secretary of the Ministerial meetings of the G77 prior to UNCTAD in Tehran, Havana, Morocco, South Africa and as Secretary of the G77 regional meetings in Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon.
He assisted and advised the Government of Qatar in organizing the South Summit in Doha, 2004, and other countless events including the GATES conference in Shanghai and GPA in Beijing.
He has BA in business administration from Mustensiriya University (1968) and a Msc and PhD at the University of Wales (1972-76).