Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam is an Egyptian judge, legal expert, and public figure.

Judge Abdelsalam currently serves as Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders and Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. He previously held the position of legal and legislative advisor to His Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, for 8 years. He was awarded papal knighthood by the late His Holiness Pope Francis for efforts advancing tolerance and interfaith dialogue. He is the first Arab and Muslim to be awarded this accolade.

Judge Abdelsalam is also Co-President of Religions for Peace, member of Al-Azhar's Center for Interreligious Dialogue, and member of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence.

He is a graduate of Al-Azhar University.

Dr. Umid Abidhadjaev is currently Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance and Director of the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. A position he has held since December 2024.

Previous positions include:

• Director of the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2021-2024)
• Deputy Director of the Centre for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2019-2021)
• Head of the analytical group for infrastructure projects under the Ministry of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2019)
• Research Associate of Keio University, Japan. (2018-2019)
• Project consultant focusing on infrastructure investments impact evaluation, Asian Development Bank Institute. (2017-2018)
• Adjunct-researcher at Keio University, Japan (2014-2017)
• Research Associate at the Asian Development Bank Institute. (2014-2016)
• Specialist of the first category, leading specialist of the Department of External and Public Relations of the State Property Management of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2009-2011)

Umid Abidhadjaev graduated from Tashkent Islamic University with a major in World Economy and International Economic Relations, and holds a Ph.D. in Development Economics and International Development from Keio University, Japan.

Dr. Ratnakar Adhikari is the Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

He also serves on the Board of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) at UNCTAD, Geneva, as Professorial Fellow at Aston Business School, Birmingham, and as Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Public Value, Oxford. 

His career spans leadership roles, including Chief Executive of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in Kathmandu, where he currently serves as Chair of the Board and Senior Adviser to Nepal's National Planning Commission. He has also worked as a Trade Programme Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Centre in Colombo, and as a Credit Manager at Nepal Indosuez Bank Ltd. (formerly a member of Crédit Agricole, France), Kathmandu. 

He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick, a Master of International Law and Economics from the World Trade Institute, and a Master of Commerce from the University of Delhi. He specializes in international trade and investment, technology and innovation, and development finance. He has co-authored eight books, numerous peer-reviewed articles, and over 200 op-eds from the perspective of the least developed countries.

Mr Nazar Agahanov, appointed Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan in July 2025, previously served as Deputy Minister and Head of Foreign Economic Relations.

With experience in the Presidential Office (2016–2024), he holds degrees from MGIMO and the Diplomatic Academy of Russia.

Rajesh Agrawal is a distinguished civil servant with more than three decades of service marked by leadership, policy formulation and implementation across a wide spectrum of sectors, including skill development, human resource development, power, fertilizers, agriculture and MSME sectors.

Rajesh has been instrumental in the development of national policies and guidelines for skill development and has served as a focal point for overseeing implementation of the same. He represented India for three consecutive years as an official delegate to the WorldSkills Governing Council. In the past, he has also led institutional and sectoral reforms in the states of Manipur, Jharkhand and Bihar in the domains of power and agriculture.

In the Department of Commerce, he supervised India’s trade negotiations under various free trade agreements and served as the Chief Negotiator for the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the India–Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and the review of the ASEAN FTA. He also focused extensively on export promotion in the agriculture and allied sectors.

Rajesh assumed charge as Commerce Secretary on 1 October 2025. As Commerce Secretary, he continues to guide India’s trade policy, trade negotiations and export promotion, advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and working to establish India as a prominent global economic power.

Vèna Arielle Ahouansou is a Beninese medical doctor and the CEO of Kea Medicals. In January 2017, she created the Kea Medicals Pharmaceuticals & Technologies software to digitise patient information.

An innovative woman, she says she was inspired by a loss of data that cost a patient her life while she was interning at the hospital. Her software, also available as a mobile app, has been welcomed by consumers in Benin and several other African countries.

Dr Arielle Ahouansou has won several awards, including the ‘Projet Afrique Future In Afrique’ prize in 2018 and the ‘Grand Prix 2019 de l'innovation’ organised in Paris.

She attended medical school in Parakou. During her studies, she taught herself about female leadership, management and community transformation, leading her to create the NGO Refled to help girls and women. At the end of her training, she prepared her thesis on the Beninese healthcare system.

Dr. Giulia Ajmone Marsan is the Head of Startups and Digital Inclusion at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). In 2023, she was appointed Co-Chair of the G20/Startup20 Inclusion Task Force under India’s G20 Presidency. In 2024, she joined the G20/Startup20 ESG Task Force under Brazil’s G20 Presidency and currently serves as a Member of the G20/Startup20 International Secretariat under South Africa’s Presidency.

Prior to joining ERIA, Dr. Ajmone Marsan worked as an Innovation Economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

She holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics from the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, and a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Economics of Complex Systems, jointly awarded by the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, France, and the IMT School for Advanced Studies in Lucca, Italy.

Atheer Dawood Salman Al Ghurairi is an Iraqi politician who has been serving as the Minister of Trade of Iraq since 2022.

Before that, he held the following positions:

• Director Manager of State Company for Grains, processing from (2021-2022)
• Director Manager of State Company for Central Markets (2020-2021)
• Deputy Director General of the Planning and Follow-up Department (2018-2020)

He holds a PhD in Economics.

His Excellency Saleh Bin Nasser al-Jasser has been the Minister of Transport and Logistic Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 23 October 2019, and the chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudia.

Prior to that, he held a number positions. From 2014 to 2019, he served as the Director General of Saudia and a member of its board of directors. Before that, from 2010 to 2014, he was the chief executive officer of the Saudi National Shipping Company. For approximately seven years, from 2003 to 2010, he served as the executive general manager for the Lexus division at Abdul Latif Jameel Group and later at Toyota. He also held the position of general manager of media affairs and marketing programs at Saudi Telecommunications Company from 2000 to 2003. From 1995 to 2000, he was the assistant general manager at al-Jomaih Bottling Plants. From 1990 to 1995, he was a project manager at the Industrial Development Fund. Earlier, from 1983 to 1989, he was the branch services supervisor at Bank AlJazira.

He was appointed as the director general of Saudia and a member of its board of directors from 2014 to 2019. In 2015, al-Jasser was elected to the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) during its seventy-first meeting in Miami, USA. Later, he was appointed as the Minister of Transport and Logistic Services by a royal order from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on 23 October 2019. On 23 February 2020, he was also appointed as the chairman of the Board of Saudia.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and a master's degree in Business Administration from King Saud University in Riyadh.

Shaikha Al Nowais is a distinguished leader in global tourism and hospitality, with an extensive background in delivering governance, sustainability, and economic development projects and initiatives across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey. Shaikha’s service to the tourism industry extends beyond the private sector, to a number of voluntary stewardship roles where she champions inclusion, education and growth.

Her candidacy for UN Tourism Secretary-General is anchored in a vision of sustainability, digital transformation, ethical governance, and cultural advancement.

As a progressive and forward-thinking leader, Shaikha is dedicated to working with global partners to unlock the economic potential of tourism, and guide the industry toward a sustainable, innovative, and inclusive future.

Eng. Sultan Al-Hamidi is the Chief Executive of the Social Development Bank (SDB), appointed in February 2024. He has been instrumental in steering the organization towards realizing its strategic vision of creating a comprehensive ecosystem of superior and unique financial products and services tailored for entrepreneurs and the community, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. His leadership has been pivotal in spearheading digital transformation initiatives, enhancing operational efficiency, and driving innovation to maximize impact on the growth of the national economy. He has played a crucial role in developing sustainable finance strategies and forging strategic partnerships to broaden SDB's impact and support economic diversification.

He previously served as the Chief Business Officer at SDB since October 2019, where he played a prominent role in helping SDB achieve its strategic objective of developing an integrated system of high-quality and distinctive financial products and services, aimed at Saudi entrepreneurs and members of society.

Sultan played a significant role in launching several financial and non-financial services, as well as savings and training programs, as part of SDB’s efforts to foster a culture of entrepreneurship, encourage a savings mindset, support various segments of society, and nurture the growth of startups and SMEs.

Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi has been the Minister of Commerce since 2016.  He also currently serves as chair of the board of directors for several organizations in his capacity as Minister of Commerce. These include the National Competitiveness Center, the Saudi Business Center, and Monshaat, the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority.

He also currently chairs the General Authority of Foreign Trade, the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization, along with the Saudi Accreditation Center.  Additionally, he is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants.

Previously, Dr. Al-Kassabi served as Acting Minister of Media, Acting Minister of Rural Affairs, and Minister of Social Affairs. He also used to serve as Advisor at the Chief Administration Office of His Highness the Crown Prince with Minister’s rank.

Al-Kassabi earned his B.A. in Civil Administration from the University of Portland in 1981, followed by his Master’s in the same field from the University of Berkeley in 1982. In 1983, he earned his Master’s in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri, followed by his PhD in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri in 1985.

Eng. Suliman bin Khalid Al-Mazroua is the President of the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani). He is a board member at the General Authority for Foreign Trade, the Saudi Export Development Authority, and the National Transport Safety Center. He also serves on the Board of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, on the Board of Marafiq, and on the Board of Taibah Valley.

He previously served as CEO of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. With more than 22 years of experience, he has held senior leadership roles at Saudi Aramco, complemented by roles at United States-based technology firms Aruba Networks and Caspian Networks. He also served as Chief Technology Officer at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare. In addition, he joined the Delivery and Rapid Intervention Center and contributed to the National Transformation Program. He has also served as an advisor to expert committees at the National Digital Transformation Center.

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Hull (United Kingdom) and a Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia), and has completed executive programs at IMD, Rice University, and Harvard Kennedy School.

Juhara AlSuwaidi is a Qatari diplomat with more than two decades of experience in international relations and human rights. She currently serves as the Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Throughout her diplomatic career, she has represented Qatar in numerous international and UN forums, led initiatives related to human rights, and coordinated national efforts in cooperation with international organizations and UN mechanisms.

She holds a Master’s degree in Corruption, Law and Governance (LL.M.) from the University of Sussex. Her professional journey reflects a strong commitment to multilateral diplomacy, the promotion of human rights, and advancing Qatar’s role on the international stage.

Emma Algotsson is the founder and project lead of Catchgreen, a South African startup and collaborative research initiative tackling marine sustainability. Under her leadership, Catchgreen has pioneered the development of specialized marine compounds and executed successful fishing net trials—including pilot programs in Kenya focused on seaweed farming and gear exchange. These innovations directly address critical challenges such as abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), ghost fishing, and ocean plastic pollution.

With over eight years of experience in the trade and manufacturing of biodegradable and compostable plastics, Emma is also the founder of the South African Compostable Plastics Council (COPCO). COPCO advocates for the compostable plastics industry, promoting alignment with international certification standards and driving sustainable product innovation.

Emma holds an M.Phil from the University of Cambridge and a CPE in Law from City, University of London. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to creating solutions that serve both the planet and its people.

Sabina Alkire has a DPhil in Economics, and directs the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) in the University of Oxford, where she is Professor of Poverty and Human Development.  OPHI advances the measurement and policy use of multidimensional poverty (and well-being) indices (MPIs) – such as the global MPI released jointly with UNDP, and also accompanies national official poverty statistics tailored multidimensional indices to country contexts.

Alkire’s research focuses on Sen’s capability approach; well-being and poverty measurement and analysis; child, gendered and intrahousehold analyses of multidimensional poverty indices; and poverty data. 

H.E. Mr. Abdullah Kh. Almusaibeeh is currently President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), a position he assumed on 1 July 2025. In this role, he oversees the Bank’s operations and strategic activities to advance economic and financial cooperation between Arab and African countries.

Before joining BADEA, Mr. Almusaibeeh served as Director of Operations at the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, where he held several senior leadership positions since joining the Fund in 1993. These included Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Arab countries, as well as Deputy Director of Operations.

Throughout his career, he has participated in numerous boards, committees, and Arab and international development funds, including membership in BADEA’s Board of Directors.

Deemah bint Yahya AlYahya is a Saudi tech diplomat and digital economy expert. In 2021, she was elected as the first Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, an inter-governmental organization established in 2020 to work towards a world in which every country, business and person has a fair opportunity to prosper in the global digital economy. She works directly with heads of state, government ministers and digital economy leaders to promote the inclusive development of the digital economy, focusing on global initiatives with real-world impact.

Secretary-General AlYahya has spent nearly 20 years building tech communities in the United States and across the Middle East, acting as a catalyst for innovation and improving the environment for digital entrepreneurs and developers. More than 2.5 million people have benefitted from the ecosystems she has built to distribute the digital economy’s advantages more widely.

A trailblazer for Saudi women in tech, Secretary-General AlYahya began her career as a developer but quickly demonstrated her ability to build public sector centers of innovation from the ground up, among them Saudi Arabia’s National Digital Transformation Unit and the Innovation wing of the MiSK Foundation.

She has served as Chief Innovation Evangelist at Microsoft, responsible for expanding the developer ecosystem and in empowering youth, women and independent software vendors by providing the technology, skills and tools they needed to evolve from job seekers to job creators.

She holds a BA in Computer Science and Information Systems from King Saud University, and has attended senior executive programs with Harvard Business School, and the INSEAD business school.

Max Amanu is a Development Economist, Youth Empowerment Strategist and Education Activist, dedicated to empowering young people to become active agents of positive change through advancing access to quality education and championing youth participation in public life.

He is currently the Regional Director for Africa at changing-lives Switzerland, Thematic Lead for Education and Employability at the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT) and a Co-Founder of Northwind Foundation, a nonprofit organization that empowers youth from low-income backgrounds through access to free education and employability skills training. 

The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., became Barbados' eighth and first female Prime Minister on 25 May 2018.

Ms. Mottley was elected to the Parliament of Barbados in September 1994 as part of the new Barbados Labour Party Government.

Prior to that, she served as one of two Opposition Senators between 1991 and 1994. One of the youngest persons ever to be assigned a ministerial portfolio, Ms. Mottley was appointed Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture from 1994 to 2001.

She later served as Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados from 2001 to 2008 and was the first female to hold that position.

Ms. Mottley is an Attorney-at-law with a degree from the London School of Economics, specialising in advocacy. She is also a Barrister of the Bar of England and Wales.

In 2002, she became a member of the Local Privy Council. She was also admitted to the Inner Bar, becoming the youngest ever Queens Counsel in Barbados.

Jessica Anuna is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Klasha, a technology company established in 2021 that builds cross-border solutions to power African commerce. As a solo founder, Jess created Klasha to enable African consumers and businesses to access global goods and services seamlessly. Through Klasha’s technology, international merchants can sell online to Africa with ease in local payment methods and currencies. Klasha is backed by leading venture capital firms, including Greycroft and American Express Ventures.

Before founding Klasha, Jessica spent five years living and working in Shanghai, China, and held roles in technology and e-commerce with global companies including Amazon, Net-a-Porter, and Shopify. She was educated at City University London and Cambridge University.

He is the Chief of the Human Resources Development Section - TrainForTrade at the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

With over 25 years of experience in international trade, he leads global programmes in port management, trade statistics, e-commerce and the digital economy. He is a strong advocate for digital innovation, capacity building, and SDG 17, and he champions sustainable, inclusive trade policies and international cooperation. He started his career in the United Nations as a Junior Professional Officer for Belgium in 1998 based in West Africa.

He holds a master’s in economics from the Free University of Brussels (Belgium).

Rajiv Babooram serves as the Adviser and Head of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda at the Commonwealth Secretariat, where he leads the strategic initiative to increase intra-Commonwealth trade to USD 2 trillion by 2030 — a target endorsed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2018.

With over 14 years of distinguished experience in international trade and investment, economic development, financial services, trade and investment promotion, and economic diplomacy, Rajiv has consistently demonstrated a commitment to inclusive growth, with a particular emphasis on sustainable development.

Prior to his current role, Rajiv dedicated 12 years to the trade, investment, and financial services promotion agency of the Government of the Republic of Mauritius. He also undertook a three-year diplomatic assignment as Economic Counsellor at the Mauritius High Commission in Canberra, Australia, where he spearheaded efforts to strengthen economic relations between Mauritius and Australia/New Zealand.

Rajiv acquires deep expertise in navigating the complexities of doing business in emerging markets, with a particular focus on Africa. He is acutely aware of the geopolitical dynamics that influence global trade and investment flows. His professional interests include the digital transformation of economies and the strategic implications of evolving geopolitics on the international economic landscape. He holds an MBA from Roehampton University, London, a first class degree in Banking with Economics and Law from London Metropolitan University and has numerous qualifications related to Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence from RMIT University, Australia.

Paula Baena is the Global Policy Lead for Customs at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), where she advances global customs and trade facilitation as part of ICC’s wider trade policy agenda. In this role, she amplifies the voice of business at international policy discussions and multilateral forums.

Her professional background spans both the public and private sectors, including roles within the economic, commercial, and investment promotion agencies of the diplomatic missions of Australia in Madrid and Spain in Guangzhou, China. In these positions, she supported businesses in navigating market access requirements, export documentation, customs procedures, and other cross-border trade processes essential for successful international expansion.

She holds an MBA in International Business Management from ICEX-CECO, advanced studies from Spain's Diplomatic School and the Instituto Universitario Ortega-Marañón, and bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Humanities. She brings multidisciplinary expertise across trade, diplomacy, and cultural affairs to advance private-sector engagement at international level.

On 2 June 2025, the United Nations General Assembly elected Annalena Baerbock of Germany as President of its eightieth session, which runs from September 2025 until September 2026.

Ms. Baerbock served as Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs from December 2021 until May 2025.  Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for the multilateral system with the United Nations at its core.

She was an elected member of the German Parliament (Deutscher Bundestag) from 2013 until June 2025.

In 2018, she was elected co-chairperson of the Green Party and held the position of party leader until 2022.

Prior to becoming an MP, Annalena Baerbock advised her party’s parliamentary group in the German Bundestag on matters of foreign and security policy and served as chairperson of her party in the federal state of Brandenburg. From 2005 to 2008, she worked for a Member of the European Parliament.

Annalena Baerbock holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an undergraduate degree in political science from Hamburg University.

Urujeni Bakuramutsa, is currently Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Bakuramutsa had been serving as Ambassador of Rwanda to Jordan since December 2023.  She served as Director of the Cabinet of the Office of the President of Rwanda from March 2020 to December 2023.  She also held the post of Permanent Secretary at the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from October 2018 to March 2020.

Ms. Bakuramutsa served as Minister Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations in New York from October 2016 to October 2018.  She was Director General of the Imbuto Foundation in Kigali from May 2014 to October 2016.  She started her career working in the private sector, first in California, United States from November 2006 to December 2011, and then in Kigali, Rwanda from January 2012 to May 2014.

Ms. Bakuramutsa holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Sacramento State University in the United States.  

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.

Carla Natalie Barnett PhD CBE is the 8th Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), she assumed office on 15 August 2021.

Dr. Barnett is an economist who has worked across the English-speaking Caribbean and had broken several barriers along the way. She was the first woman to be appointed as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Belize (1991-1996). She was the first woman, and youngest person to be appointed as Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM (1997-2002); and the first woman to be appointed as Financial Secretary in Belize (2004-2007). She has also worked at the Caribbean Development Bank, as a Country Economist (1989-1990), and as Vice President, Operations (2012-2014).

As a consultant, Dr. Barnett has provided advisory services to a range of multilateral and bilateral agencies working across the CARICOM Region, including the Inter-American Development Bank, Canadian International Development Agency (now Global Affairs Canada), United Kingdom Department for International Development and the United Nations Development Program.

Dr. Barnett was a candidate for the United Democratic Party in the Freetown Constituency in 2015 and lost to the then Leader of the Opposition. She was subsequently appointed to the Senate as Vice-President and a Minister of State in the 2015 – 2020 Belize Government.

She is a long-time advocate for gender equality, not only because it is the right thing to do to create a more stable and equitable society, but also because gender equality is good economic policy. She is an active member of the Caribbean Institute of Women in Leadership (CIWiL) Belize Chapter. She continues to serve on the Board of the Belize YWCA and is a past president. She has also served on the Board of Haven House, which is a shelter for battered women.

Dr. Barnett has received several notable awards, including the Insignia of the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for distinguished public service (2005), the Alumnae Achievement Awards by her schools in Belize, St Catherine Academy (2008) and St John's College (2007); and the UWI Belize Alumnae Association Award for excellence in Economics and Development (2011).

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.

Grégoire Bellois is Lead, Critical Minerals and Geology with the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), where he leads the Secretariat’s work on critical minerals, circularity, and sustainable sourcing initiatives. His work focuses on the intersection of mining policy, environment, and the energy transition, supporting governments in navigating the evolving landscape of mineral supply chains and sustainability standards.

With 20 years of experience in the natural resources sector, Grégoire brings expertise in both policy and technical aspects of mining and exploration. Before joining IGF, he was a mining research analyst with the Responsible Mining Foundation in Switzerland, contributing to the development and assessment of corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in the mining sector.

As a geologist, Grégoire worked on oil and gas, and mineral exploration projects across Central and West Africa. He also served as an administrator local exploration companies, overseeing technical and operational aspects of resource exploration and development. In addition, he has provided strategic and technical advisory services for the extractive industries as a consultant.
Grégoire has a master’s degree in geosciences from the University of Bordeaux in France. Grégoire speaks English and French fluently and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
 

Patricia Benedetti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business from the Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios (ESEN) in El Salvador and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Webster University in Geneva.

She contributed to the establishment of El Salvador’s Mission to the WTO and WIPO in 2003, later serving as Minister Counsellor and Deputy Representative.

Appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO and WIPO in October 2019, she has over 19 years of experience in international trade, focusing on negotiations and implementation of multilateral trade agreements. She currently co-chairs the WTO’s Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender.

Daniela Arruda Benjamin is a career diplomat for Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as the Director of the Department of Regional Integration since May 2023.

Since joining the Foreign Service in 1996, she has specialised in negotiating and coordinating state positions in intergovernmental fora, steering high-level policy dialogues, and advancing Brazil's strategic objectives within regional and international organisations.

She served as Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Delegate to international economic organisations in Paris, and she is now Director of the Department of Regional Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), where she leads interministerial efforts on integration and political coordination.

Ambassador Benjamin holds a Master's degree in Public International Law and a postgraduate diploma in European Community Law from Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas, a Diploma in Diplomacy from Instituto Rio Branco, and a Bachelor of Laws from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul.

Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, LL.M, is IISD's Interim Co-President and Co-CEO, serving alongside Martha Casey in this role. Nathalie is also IISD’s Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe.
Nathalie leads major new initiatives across IISD’s programs, is the institute’s senior leader in Europe, and heads IISD’s Economic Law and Policy program. She is based out of IISD’s office in Geneva, Switzerland, and is IISD Europe’s representative in the Think Sustainable Europe network of think tanks.

Nathalie has extensive legal, policy, and training experience in the areas of public and private international law, trade, investment, sustainable development, human rights, international environmental law, and international dispute settlement. She has authored and edited several peer-reviewed publications and collections covering various facets of international law.

Additionally, Nathalie is a visiting professor on international investment law at the Geneva Graduate Institute and is the Vice-Chair of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Team of Specialists on Environmental, Social and Governance Traceability of Sustainable Value Chains in the Circular Economy.

Before joining IISD in 2009, Nathalie served as Managing Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in Geneva, after previously being based out of CIEL’s Washington, D.C. office. Earlier, she was a fellow at the International Institute of International Economic Law at Georgetown University Law Center and worked in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a legal reform project of the United Nations Development Programme. She previously worked at an Australian law firm and at the Swiss Department of Justice in the Section for International Law. In Switzerland, Nathalie is admitted to the Bar of Basel.

She is based in Geneva and is fluent in English, German, and French.

In addition to her role in the Ministry of Commerce, H.E. Al-Mutairi also concurrently serves as the CEO of the National Competitiveness Center and Supervisor General of the Saudi Business Center. With 27 years of leadership experience, she drives regulatory and policy reforms to enhance Saudi Arabia's business environment, foster private sector growth, and boost national competitiveness, with a strong focus on empowering youth and women.

Dr. Al-Mutairi holds a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in Bio-Organic Chemistry from the University of Bristol, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from King Faisal University.

Stephanie Blankenburg leads the Economic Cooperation and Integration amongst Developing countries Branch at UNCTAD. She joined UNCTAD in 2015, previously heading its Debt and Development Finance Branch.

Prior to joining UNCTAD, Stephanie was Senior Lecturer in Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London (UK) for 15 years and a research fellow at the ESRC Business Centre in the Department of Applied Economics at Cambridge University (UK) prior to her move to SOAS.

She has also worked as a government advisor in Venezuela (2007-2008) and is an Associate Editor of the Cambridge Journal of Economics, following over a decade as a full member of the editorial board until 2015.

She is co-author of two monographs on the theory and practice of neoliberalism. Other areas of research and publication include issues in development finance, the political economy of industrial policy in developing countries, the evolution of multinational corporations and the history of economic thought.

She holds a PhD in Economics from Cambridge University.

Ambassador Erwin Bollinger is currently the Head of the Swiss Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization and European Free Trade Association in Geneva since 1 September 2023.

From 2018 to 2023, he was Head of Bilateral Economic Relations Division and Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements. From 2008 to 2018, he was Head of the Export Controls and Sanctions Section and Deputy Head of the Bilateral Economic Relations Division. From 2005 – 2008, he was Head of Export Control Policy. From 2003 to 2005 he was Deputy Head of Bilateral Economic Relations Europe/Central Asia. From 1999 to 2003, Counsellor at the Swiss Mission to the EU in Brussels.

He joined the Federal Administration in 1992 starting at the former Integration Office FDFA/FDEA, transferring to the former Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs, World Trade/WTO Section in 1995. 

Between 1989 and 1992. he worked at swissmedic, becoming Dep. Head of the Legal Affairs Service in 1991.

Sofía Boza is the Ambassador of Chile to the WTO, WIPO, UNCTAD, and the ITC since July 2022. She co-coordinates the Joint Statement Initiative on Investment Facilitation for Development at the WTO; in 2023 she chaired the WTO Working Group on Trade and Technology Transfer; and in 2024 the WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Previously, she was associate professor and head of the Department of Rural Management and Innovation at the University of Chile, and professor at its Institute of International Studies, as well as external evaluator for the Budget Office of the Chilean Ministry of Finance. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics (Honors) from the University of Seville, a professional title in Commercial Engineering from the University of Chile, and a master’s in Economic Development and Public Policies and a PhD in Economics from the Autonomous University of Madrid.

H.E. Mr. Carlos Cuerpo Caballero was appointed Spanish Minister of Economy, Trade and Business on 29 December 2023. Prior to his appointment as Minister, he held two senior positions within the Ministry. First, he served as Director General of Macroeconomic Analysis between February 2020 and August 2021, and then as Secretary General of the Spanish Treasury.

Mr Cuerpo began his career as a civil servant in 2008, when he joined the Spanish Corps of State Economists. Since then, he has also worked for the European Commission and the Spanish Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF).

Carlos Cuerpo holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de Extremadura.

Sven Callebaut is a trade and digital policy adviser working across Asia and the Pacific, helping governments and development partners design strategies that make economies more competitive, inclusive, and future-ready.

Currently, he advises the Minister of Commerce in Cambodia and supports a range of digital trade, economic governance, and private sector development initiatives.

He also provides advisory services to organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), UNCTAD, and GIZ. His work spans from ASEAN-level negotiations and national digital economy reforms to hands-on technical assistance in the Pacific — from Niue to Laos, from AI frameworks to trade diversification.

Sven holds a Master's degree in International Economics from Sorbonne University in Paris and a Diploma in Mastering Trade Policy from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

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.

Mrs. Carpio is responsible for the coordination and the representation of Spain in international financing matters, particularly in its relations with the European Union and the international financial institutions. Her department also manages the external debt that the Spanish State holds as a creditor, the negotiation, restructuring, conversion and management, bilateral and multilateral, of the same and the representation of Spain in the Paris Club.

Mrs. Carpio is Alternate Governor for Spain at the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. She is also Director for Spain in the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank.

Prior to her appointment Mrs. Carpio held different positions, in the Ministry of Finance, in the Ministry of Economy, in the Ministry of Trade and in the Economic Office of the President of the Government.

She is a member of the High Corps of Spanish State Economists and Trade Experts, the senior officials in charge of the management of the Economic and Trade Policies in Spain. She holds a degree in Economics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

William Alfredo Castillo Bollé currently serves as the Vice Minister of Anti-Blockade Policies at the Ministry of People's Power for Economy, Finance, and Foreign Trade, a position he has held since 2020. He is also the General Manager of the Venezuelan Anti-Blockade Observatory, appointed in the same year.

His career includes significant roles in international communication and media, having previously served as Vice Minister of International Communication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2016-2018) and as Director General of CONATEL, the National Telecommunications Commission (2014-2016).

Earlier in his career, Castillo Bollé held key positions in Venezuela's media and electoral sectors. He was Vice Minister of the Television Area at the Ministry of Communication and Information (2014), President of the Venezuelan Foundation of Social Television (TVES) (2008-2014), and Director General of Information for the National Electoral Council (CNE) in 2006. 

Additionally, he served as Vice Minister of Communication Management at the Ministry of Communication and Information (2005), held leadership roles at Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), including Vice President of Content, and was Director General of the Secretariat of State at the Ministry of Finance in 2004. 

Ashutosh Chadha is responsible for building partnerships with the UN and other international organizations to enable the responsible use of technology through policy and programmatic interventions that advance the Sustainable Development Goals and socio-economic growth, fostering innovation ecosystems, inclusion, and security.

Previously, he was Director and Country Head of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy for India and South Asia at Microsoft. In this role, he worked closely with government, academia, industry, and multilaterals to help frame policies that deepen technology adoption, drive digital inclusion, and ensure innovation and safety in the digital ecosystem.

Over a 37-year career, Ashutosh has worked with Mastercard, Wipro, Intel India, Shell India, NIIT, and the National Dairy Development Board. A management graduate from the Institute of Rural Management Anand (Gujarat), he has extensive experience in business development, strategic planning, corporate affairs, government relations, and policy advocacy.

A regular speaker at national and international forums, including the WB, WTO, UNICEF, and UNESCO, Ashutosh is passionate about using technology for socio-economic development through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He also mentors startups and coaches students and executives as a certified Level 2 NS-NLP Executive and Corporate Coach.

Alan Chan is a veteran business executive and visionary strategist, currently serving as the CEO of Full Vision Capital. Revered for his investment acumen and his commitment to impactful initiatives, Alan is Founding Investor in a diverse portfolio of green-economy ventures, including EcoCeres, EnerVenue, StarFive and Towngas Lifestyle.

Upholding the ethos of “Doing well by doing good”, he actively seeks and incubates innovative solutions and technologies at the forefront of the green energy sector. His relentless passion for sustainability and innovation drives transformative changes and foster progress towards a greener future.

Eddie Chen's career path spans from IT executive and senior diplomat

to senior private equity partner, and has been posted in USA, Sweden, France, Singapore and China.

Currently, Co-Chairman for China Carbon Neutral Development Group Limited in Hong Kong.

2022-2025, Managing Director of Temasek-Holdings owned Fullerton Fund Management (US$45b AUM).

2013-2022, Senior Partner, EURAZEO Group, a leading French PE Fund (€35b AUM).

2020-2022, Managing Partner, France-China Cooperation Fund.

2002-2013, Vice President and Chief Representative for China, and Senior

Diplomat at Invest Sweden Agency - a Swedish government agency.

1985-2002, Chief of the Information Technology Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

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.

Steven is a change maker, with a passion for both international and organizational development.

He has been working on economic development, trade and investment throughout his career, active in multilateral, bilateral and private sector arena’s.

He served as a diplomat in Tanzania and Vietnam.

He was Chief of Staff and Director for Sustainable Economic Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He was Executive Board member of IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, making the business case for sustainable global value chains.

Steven studied Social Sciences in Brussels and Nijmegen. He is alumnus of THNK, the School for Creative Leadership.

Pinuccia Contino is the Deputy to the Director for Consumers & Head of the Product Safety and Rapid Alert System unit in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) of the European Commission.

In this capacity, she is responsible for the European Union's legislation on general product safety, including the brand new General Product Safety Regulation. Together with her dedicated team of product safety experts, she also supports dialogue and cooperation among the different product safety stakeholders and promotes product safety as a strategic priority on the global scene.

Pinuccia is Italian and holds a Master's degree in Political Sciences and International Relations. She is an Ambassador of Applied Compassion certified by Stanford University.

Dr. Carlos María Correa of Argentina has been Executive Director of the South Centre, an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva, since 1 July 2018.

Prior to this, he was the Special Advisor on Trade and Intellectual Property of the South Centre. Dr. Correa is a renowned international authority on intellectual property and technology issues.

Professor Correa has worked with the Argentine government and has been the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Industrial Property and Economics (CEIDIE) at the Law Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires.  He was a member of the UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health established by the World Health Assembly and of the FAO Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture.

He has been a visiting professor in post-graduate courses of several universities and consultant to various regional and international organizations. He has advised several governments on intellectual property, innovation policy and public health. He is the author of several books and numerous articles.

Professor Correa is both a lawyer and economist from the University of Buenos Aires and holds a PhD in Law from the University of Buenos Aires.

Clara Manuela da Luz Delgado Jesus was appointed Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde to the United Nations Office at Geneva on 13 January 2021.

Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Delgado Jesus had been serving as an Ambassador and Advisor to the President of Cabo Verde for diplomatic matters since 2016. She was a Minister Plenipotentiary at the Directorate General for Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communities from 2015 to 2016, responsible for matters relating to the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and trade relations with the European Union, among others. Ms. Delgado Jesus also served as Head of the Embassy of Cabo Verde in Luxembourg as Chargé d’affaires from 2009 to 2015.

From 2006 to 2009, Ms. Delgado Jesus was a Counsellor at the Directorate General for Foreign Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communities, where she served as the Coordinator for United Nations matters, the environment, and Small Island Developing States, among others. She was First Secretary at the Embassy of Cabo Verde in Brussels and the Permanent Mission of Cabo Verde to the European Union and to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, as well as to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg, from 2001 to 2005. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities in 1993.

Ms. Delgado Jesus has a master’s degree in international economic relations (1992/1993) from the State University of Kiev, Ukraine. She also has a degree in international economic relations (1987/1991) from the same University.

Augusto Jorge de Albuquerque Veiga is the Minister of Culture and Creative Industry of Cabo Verde and the President of the National Commission for UNESCO in Cabo Verde. He pursued academic studies in Political Science and English Language at the University of Arizona and Pima Community College, in the United States of America.

Augusto is an accomplished entrepreneur and music producer. He has been actively engaged in the music and cultural events sector since 1994, building an extensive professional record as an executive producer and promoter of initiatives aimed at fostering and elevating Cabo Verdean artistic creation.

He formerly served as Director-General of the Atlantic Music Expo (AME), an international platform dedicated to the exchange and promotion of Cabo Verdean music, through which he played a decisive role in enhancing the country’s visibility and reputation on the global cultural and musical stage. He has also been a member of the Youth for Democracy (JpD), a member of the Political Commission of the Movement for Democracy (MpD), and a municipal councilor at the Praia City Council. Since 2016, he has dedicated himself fully to the music sector, contributing significantly to the development and consolidation of the national cultural and creative industries.

On August 8, 2024, Dr. Veiga assumed the office of Minister of Culture and Creative Industries and President of the National Commission for UNESCO in Cabo Verde, within the Government of the Tenth Legislature, reaffirming his unwavering commitment to the promotion of culture, the arts, and creativity as fundamental pillars of the nation’s sustainable development.

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.

Rui Miguêns de Oliveira was appointed Minister of Industry and Commerce in the Government of Angola on 12 July 2023. He was previously Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Angola and Executive Vice President of Banco Keve. 

Mr. de Oliveira is the founder of Banco Valor, an institution where he held, among others, the positions of Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors (2014); Vice-President of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Executive Committee (2013-2014); and Chairman of the Board of Directors (2011-2013).

His academic curriculum includes courses in financial programming and policy analysis from the Bank of Portugal and the IMF Institute, as well as a course of public finance management by Harvard University, Massachusetts, United States of America. 

He has a degree in Economics from the University of Havana, Cuba. It also has the courses of Reserve Management and Foreign Exchange Policy – ESADARM/FMI – Kadoma, Zimbabwe; Monetary and Foreign Exchange Operations – IMF Institute, Washington, United States of America (US); Reserve Management – First National Bank of Pretoria, South Africa, and the course of Risk Management and Analysis of Public Projects, by Duke University of North Carolina, USA.

Isabel De Sola Criado is currently the head of the coordination unit for the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

Prior to joining the UN, she was a diplomat of her home country, El Salvador, and brings experience in external affairs and partnerships for digital cooperation.

Nathalie Delorme serves as Associate Political Affairs Officer at the Beyond Lab, where she advances key policy initiatives, strategic planning, and multistakeholder partnerships for sustainable development. She leads the Youth Moving Beyond GDP initiative, fostering intergenerational equity to redesign economic systems for long-term sustainability, as well as the Spillover Innovation Learning Journey, which operationalizes global solidarity through knowledge exchange and peer learning.

Nathalie joined the United Nations in 2019 and has held various positions at the SDG Strategy Hub in the UN Office for Partnerships, at UN Women Headquarters and in Morocco, and at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), focusing on multistakeholder collaboration and sustainable development policy.

Mr. Çetin Ali Dönmez has been serving as Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye since 31 July 2018. He has been the investment committee member of Turkish Growth and Innovation Fund since 21 December 2018. 

Previous positions include:

• Professor at the Ibn Haldun University Graduate School of Business, Department of Management (2017)
• Executive Vice President at Borsa Istanbul (2013-2016)
• CFO at Borsa Istanbul (2013)
• CEO of Turkdex (2008-2012)
• CEO and Board Member of Turkish Derivatives Exchange (2008).

Mr. Dönmez is a graduate of Istanbul Pertevniyal High School. He received B.Sc. degree in Industrial Engineering in 1989, Master of Arts degree in 1992 and Finance Ph.D. degree in 2006 from Bogaziçi University.

S.E. M. Salomon Eheth is currently the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador and Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cameroon.

Adrie El Mohamadi is a Component Manager at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), where she leads two donor-funded projects advancing the biotrade sector across South Africa and its neighbouring countries. With over 20 years of experience in project management, innovation, competitiveness, and sector development, she bridges political, business, and academic networks to drive systemic change in complex environments in various sectors.

She led the integration of Swiss- and German-funded biotrade initiatives within the GIZ cluster engaging with private sector, coordinated the inaugural African Biotrade Festival (ABF) in 2023 and co-facilitated its second edition in partnership with the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in 2025.

Under her stewardship ABioSA is currently in its second phase with discussion for the next phase starting in 2026. The programme continues to prioritise ABS-compliance, market access and SMME support while catalysing private-sector collaboration and sector-wide development plans for key indigenous value chains, aligning stakeholders from all the important spheres of the economy.

She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Bodo Ellmers is currently Managing Director and Director of the Financing for Development and International Financial Architecture Programme at Global Policy Forum Europe. He represents the organization in several international NGO networks, and is recognized for his expertise on reform processes at the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Before joining Global Policy Forum Europe, he worked for the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad) in Brussels for eleven years, most recently as Head of Policy. During this period, he participated in UNCTAD expert groups, represented civil society organizations in the OECD Working Party on Aid Effectiveness, coordinated advocacy at the International Monetary Fund and advised the UN General Assembly on debt crisis resolution.

Earlier in his career, he served as Policy Advisor for the German branch of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and worked as a consultant for the UN Millennium Campaign, VENRO, CONCORD and WEED.

He holds degrees in economics and political science from the Free University of Berlin.

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.

Mr. Pha Engveng is a Deputy Director General for the General Department of Customs and Excise, the lead secretariat of the National Single Window Steering Committee and the Customs Automation Team.

He has more than 32 years of experience in trade facilitation, particularly Customs Reforms and Modernization.  He has supported the implementation of the Automated System on Customs Data (ASYCUDA), the Cambodia National Single Window, ASEAN Single Window in Cambodia, and other Customs Automation Systems.

He plays an important role in trade facilitations and logistics in Cambodia with ICT solutions.

Vanessa Erogbogbo is Chief, Green and Inclusive Value Chains section at the International Trade Centre and a member of the Management Action Group.

She has over two decades of experience in trade and private sector development having worked in both international development and the private sector. She oversees ITC’s work on sustainable value chains and is responsible for driving the sustainability agenda of ITC.

Vanessa is a member of the advisory board of the Geneva Trade Platform housed within the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre for Trade and Economic Integration, a member of the steering committee of the Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs, and a member of the advisory board of the Ford Foundation Plus Fund Initiative. She was the architect of ITC’s SheTrades initiative and was chair of ISO/IWA 34 on women’s entrepreneurship. She previously held positions at the International Finance Corporation, Standard Chartered Bank, and as an entrepreneur.

She holds an MBA from London Business School, an MSc Information Technology and a B.Eng Hons in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University, and an executive certificate in Climate Change Policy: Economics and Politics from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Merewalesi Falemaka has been Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 2013 and accredited as Permanent Observer of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva since 2018.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Director of Trade and Investment at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 2009 to 2013. She was a Trade Consultant for Pacific States on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union at the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat in Fiji from 2007 to 2009, and Commonwealth Trade Consultant for Pacific States on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji from 2006 to 2007.

Ms. Falemaka served as Trade Policy Adviser on World Trade Organization issues at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji from 2000 to 2006. She worked at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade of Fiji in various capacities from 1986 to 1999, including as Chief Economist.

Ms. Falemaka holds a Master of Economic Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia (1996) and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji (1982).

Birknesh is a Production Planner at Peli Biothermal, specializing in optimizing production schedules and supply chain efficiency for high-quality temperature-controlled packaging solutions. With a strong foundation in procurement and logistics, Birknesh began her career as a Procurement Intern at UNOPS, where she gained valuable experience in sourcing strategy and supplier management within international development contexts. Birknesh holds a master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and a bachelor’s degree from Mekelle University in Ethiopia. Passionate about operational excellence and data-driven planning, she is dedicated to driving continuous improvement across the supply chain to enhance performance and sustainability.

Susannah works to improve governance in the transition mineral supply chain, with a particular focus on preventing corruption, as part of NRGI’s work to accelerate a just energy transition. She conducts research on issues such as licensing and contracting corruption, corruption’s intersection with broader socioenvironmental harms, and mining sector standards and certification schemes. Prior to joining NRGI, she worked for Transparency International UK and the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition.

Susannah has a master’s in international relations from King’s College London and a master’s (honours) in history and politics from the University of Glasgow.

Ms. Lili Flour is a consultant managing the TrainForTrade Port Management Programme as part of the Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD.

She is a maritime specialist with over a decade of experience working at sea aboard private and charter vessels before joining the UN in Geneva.

She holds a BSc in International Business from the College of Charleston, MA in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and MBA from Anglia Ruskin University. She also holds IMO certification STCW and a UK Seaman’s Discharge Book.

Ambassador Philip Fox D Gough is currently Secretary of Economic and Financial Affairs of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs., a position he has held since May 2025.

Previously , he held the positions of Director of the Department of Economic Policy, Finance and Trade in Services (2023–2025) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  Head of the Division for Market Access Negotiations (2007–2009), Director of the Department of Trade Negotiations (2022–2023), Director of the United States Department (2021–2022), Head of the Division of Economic and Trade Issues of Mercosur (2014–2016), and Head of the Division for Argentina and Uruguay (2013–2014)

In foreign postings, he served as Head of the Trade Policy Section at the Embassy of Brazil in the United States (2009–2010), Head of the Trade Promotion Section at the same Embassy (2010–2012), and as Minister-Counselor at the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations in New York (2016–2021). He also served at the Brazilian Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva (2000–2003) and at the Embassy of Brazil in Asunción, Paraguay (2003–2006)

Ambassador Fox-Drummond Gough holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in Economics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and joined the Brazilian Foreign Service in 1994.

Clovis Freire Junior is Chief of Extractive Commodities Section, of the Division on International Trade and Commodities of UNCTAD in Geneva. He is an Economist specialized in economic diversification and strategies for building productive capacities in developing countries. His work supports the structural transformation and sustainable development of commodity-dependent developing countries.

He has over 20 years of work experience in the United Nations in programmes related to commodity dependence, least developed countries, technology and innovation for development, and disaster risk reduction. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering from the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), Brazil, a Master’s degree in Computer Sciences from the University de Brasília (UnB), an MBA in Strategic Management of Information Systems from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Brazil, and a PhD in Economics from the Maastricht University, in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Professor Xiaowen Fu is the Head of Department and Professor in Engineering Management at the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

His main research areas include engineering management, data analytics, transport and logistics, which cover issues such as competition policy and government regulation, efficiency benchmarking, operation management, transport demand modelling and industrial organization.

He has been the principal investigator of close to 30 research grants, the guest editor of 9 journal special issues, and the author of more than 150 journal articles. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Case Studies on Transport Policy, and associate editor of the book series “Advances in Airlines Economics”.

Prof. Fu has provided advisory and economic modeling services to many organizations such as the Boeing Commercial Aircraft, New Zealand Commerce Commission, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Hong Kong Transport and Housing Bureau, Japan Rail (East), and OECD. He is the director of the Behavior and Knowledge Engineering Research Center, founding chair of the Maritime Economy and Policy stream of the World Transport Convention, and an honorary professor of the University of Sydney Business School.

Mr. Lansana Gberie was appointed Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Switzerland and the Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva in July 2018.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Gberie had been serving as a Political Economy and Security Sector Reform Expert at the United Nations Development Programme project on Liberia Public Expenditure Review of the Justice and Security Sector from November 2017 to March 2018, and as a Political Affairs Officer at the United Nations Mission in Liberia from October 2016 to June 2017. He was also member of the Kimberley Process Review Mission Team for Venezuela in April 2016.

From January 2013 to October 2015, Mr. Gberie was appointed by the Secretary-General as Coordinator and Finance Expert of the United Nations Panel of Experts on Liberia. Between 2011 and 2013, he worked as a Senior Researcher/Political Analyst for the Security Council report in New York. In 2010 and 2011, he was a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr. Gberie also worked as Head of the Liberia Country Office and Senior Associate at the International Centre for Transitional Justice (2008-2009), as Senior Research Fellow at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana (2004-2006), and as Head of the West Africa Programme and Senior Researcher for the International Diamond Trade and Human Security Project of Partnership Africa Canada in Ottawa (1999-2004).

He holds a PhD from VU University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, in social sciences (Africa), a master’s degree in international relations and military history from Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, and a bachelor’s degree from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

Paolo Gentiloni served as European Commissioner for Economy from 2019 to 2024.

In December 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed him Co-Chair of the Group of Experts to Promote Policy Solutions for Resolving the Debt Crisis. He is also a nonresident Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Previously, he served as Prime Minister of Italy (2016–2018), Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (2014–2016), and Minister of Communications (2006–2008).

From 2001 to 2019, Gentiloni was a member of the Italian Parliament, where he served as Chairman of the Broadcasting Services Watchdog Committee (2005–2006) and as a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (2013–2014).

Earlier in his career, he worked as a professional journalist and served as a Councillor for the City of Rome (1993–2000).

He was also one of the 45 founding members of the Democratic Party (Partito Democratico – PD) and led the party as its President from 2018 to 2019.

Born in 1954, he graduated in Political Science from La Sapienza University in Rome. His most recent book is La sfida impopulista (The (Un)populist Challenge, Rizzoli).

Her Excellency Ms. Davaasuren Gerelmaa is a senior diplomat with extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, international cooperation, and policy coordination. She currently serves as Mongolia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, where she represents her country across a wide range of international organisations and development agendas.

Ambassador Gerelmaa has held key positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, including roles in multilateral affairs and human security, and has contributed to Mongolia's engagement with the United Nations, WTO, and regional forums.

A committed advocate for digital transformation and trade facilitation, she serves as a member of the ASYCUDA Advisory Board, where she actively supports the strategic direction of UNCTAD's digital customs reform initiatives. Her leadership reflects Mongolia's long-standing commitment to international cooperation, digital innovation, and inclusive development.

Ambassador Gerelmaa holds advanced academic qualifications in international relations and public policy.

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.

Mary Beth Goodman took up duties as Deputy Secretary-General on 4 April 2024, bringing her extensive expertise and leadership experience in economic development, trade, anti-corruption, and democratic governance around the world.

As Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Goodman is responsible for the environment, public governance, and development portfolios of the OECD. This includes responsibility for sustainable development, climate finance and anti-corruption as well as the Blue Dot Network.

From 2021 to 2023, she was the United States Coordinator for Global COVID Response and Health Security, having  previously served as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the US National Security Council.

Ms Goodman has also been a leader in civil society, co-founding an organisation to investigate links between corruption, kleptocracy, and human rights abuses in Africa. Prior, she had a distinguished career in the Foreign Service, serving in diplomatic roles in Pakistan, Mali, and Washington, D.C.

Before her diplomatic career, she practiced international trade law, participating in free trade agreement negotiations and advising on trade compliance matters.

Shri Piyush Vedprakash Goyal is the Minister of Railways; Commerce & Industry; Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. Deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha.

He was earlier the Minister of Railways and Coal (2017-19). He has also held additional charge of Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs twice in 2018 and 2019. Earlier he was Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy (2014-2017), and Mines (2016-17). Mr Goyal’s tenure has seen Indian Railways achieve its best ever safety record in 2018-19. This was achieved through holistic measures such as elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) from the broad gauge network, production of safer coaches etc. Additionally, Mr. Goyal oversaw the launch of the first indigenous semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Varanasi.

The Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy ministries led transformational changes in India’s power sector including the fast tracking of electrification of the nearly 18,000 unelectrified villages in some of the remotest and inaccessible parts of the country, the roll out of the most comprehensive power sector reform ever (UDAY), the success of the world’s largest LED bulb distribution programme (UJALA) for energy efficiency, and massive proliferation of renewable energy through the world’s largest renewable energy expansion programme. Other achievements include the elimination of coal shortages to improve the energy security of India and successful conduct of transparent e-auctions of coal blocks. He also received the 4th Annual Carnot Prize in 2018 recognising the pathbreaking transformations in India’s energy sector. During his 35 year long political career, Mr Goyal has held several important positions at different levels in the world’s largest political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is in its National Executive. He has been the National Treasurer of the Party. In the 2019 Indian General Elections, he was a member of the Manifesto and Publicity Committees. He also headed the BJP’s Information Communication Campaign Committee for the Indian General Elections 2014.

Mr Goyal has had a brilliant academic record – all-India second rank holder Chartered Accountant and second rank holder in Law in Mumbai University. He was a well-known investment banker and has advised top corporates on management strategy and growth. He also served on the Board of India’s largest commercial bank, the State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda. He was also nominated by the Government of India to the Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers in 2002. His father, Late Vedprakash Goyal was Union Minister of Shipping, and the National Treasurer of the BJP for over two decades. His mother Chandrakanta Goyal was elected thrice to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Mumbai. He is married to Seema, an active social worker, and has two children – Dhruv and Radhika, who have both graduated from Harvard University, USA.

Dr Stéphane Graber has been Director General at FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations since 1 January 2020.

Prior to joining FIATA, Dr Graber was Secretary General at the Swiss Commodity Trading and Shipping Association and led the eGTSA as Chairman and Director General, a company that successfully developed a digital platform used by commodity trading companies and commodity trade-finance banks, which known today as Console.

He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Digital Standard Initiative and a founding member of the Future International Trade, which aims to raise awareness and accelerate the adoption of a standards-based electronic bills of lading across all sectors of the shipping industry. He also participates in Cargo IQ Board, an IATA interest group whose mission is to create and implement quality standards for the global air cargo industry.

Dr Graber previously worked for the Economic Department of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and was President of the Geneva Chapter of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) and a member of the SCCC’s national council.

Alongside his professional activities, Dr Graber also taught for 20 years at the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne on various Executive MBA programmes and was the Academic Director of the EMBA in Commodity Trading and Shipping.

In September 2021, Rebeca Grynspan was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), becoming the first woman to lead the organization in its 60-year history.

Rebeca Grynspan, an economist and former Vice President of Costa Rica, is an experienced leader of international institutions with a substantive track record in government, UN diplomacy, economic policy and multilateral cooperation at the global level.

Prior to joining the United Nations, she was Vice President of Costa Rica and held cabinet positions as Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs and Deputy Finance Minister.

Previously, she served as Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Conference (2014–2021), chairing regional summits of Heads of State and Government; United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. She was a member of the UN Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti, representing the UN Secretary-General.

At UNCTAD, Grynspan has been at the centre of critical negotiations to address global trade and development challenges. She played a decisive role in the successful Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered between the UN, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which enabled the safe export of over 32 million tons of grain, lowered global food prices by 22% and prevented millions from falling into food insecurity.  She also leads the UN Global Crisis Response Group on food, energy and finance, and has represented the UN in G20 summits.

Her leadership has been recognized widely. In 2024, she received the Doha Negotiator of the Year Award for spearheading UN efforts to restore Black Sea trade routes. In 2025, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation awarded her the inaugural Isabel Oyarzábal Women in Multilateralism International Prize for her contribution to multilateralism.

Ms. Grynspan holds degrees in economics from the University of Costa Rica and the University of Sussex, and honorary doctorates from several European universities.

António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on 1st January 2017.

Having witnessed the suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth, in refugee camps and in war zones, the Secretary-General is determined to make human dignity the core of his work, and to serve as a peace broker, a bridge-builder and a promoter of reform and innovation.

Prior to his appointment as Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015,  heading one of the world’s foremost humanitarian organizations during some of the most serious displacement crises in decades. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and the crises in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Yemen, led to a huge rise in UNHCR’s activities as the number of people displaced by conflict and persecution rose from 38 million in 2005 to over 60 million in 2015.

Before joining UNHCR, Mr. Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, during which time he was heavily involved in the international effort to resolve the crisis in East Timor.

As president of the European Council in early 2000, he led the adoption of the Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs, and co-chaired the first European Union-Africa summit. He was a member of the Portuguese Council of State from 1991 to 2002.

Mr. Guterres was elected to the Portuguese Parliament in 1976 where he served as a member for 17 years. During that time, he chaired the Parliamentary Committee for Economy, Finance and Planning, and later the Parliamentary Committee for Territorial Administration, Municipalities and Environment. He was also leader of his party’s parliamentary group.

From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Guterres was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he chaired the Committee on Demography, Migration and Refugees.

For many years Mr. Guterres was active in the Socialist International, a worldwide organization of social democratic political parties. He was the group’s vice-president from 1992 to 1999, co-chairing the African Committee and later the Development Committee. He served as President from 1999 until mid-2005. In addition, he founded the Portuguese Refugee Council as well as the Portuguese Consumers Association DECO, and served as president of the Centro de Acção Social Universitário, an association carrying out social development projects in poor neighbourhoods of Lisbon, in the early 1970s.

Mr. Guterres is a member of the Club of Madrid, a leadership alliance of democratic former presidents and prime ministers from around the world.

Mr. Guterres was born in Lisbon in 1949 and graduated from the Instituto Superior Técnico with a degree in engineering. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. He is married to Catarina de Almeida Vaz Pinto, Deputy Mayor for Culture of Lisbon, and has two children, a stepson and three grandchildren.

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).

Penelope Hawkins is the acting head of the Debt and Development Finance Branch at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Previusly, as founder and managing director of Feasibility (Pty) Ltd, she has undertaken some of the leading research projects in the financial sector in Southern Africa, commissioned by regulators, policymakers, and the private sector.

She researches and engages with member country representatives and the broader civil and academic society on sovereign debt, financing for development, illicit financial flows, and financial inclusion.

She is a published economist, with a Ph.D. in economics from Stirling University, Scotland. She has an M.A. in economics (cum laude) from the University of South Africa and a B.A. in economics (honours), a higher diploma in education (cum laude) and a B.Sc., all from the University of the Witwatersrand.

H.E. Kim Hee-sang is Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

As a career diplomat, he has dedicated much of his 30-year experience to economic affairs and trade negotiations. He served as Director of FTA Goods Negotiations and as Director of FTA Negotiation Coordination Division, and had led the effort for Korea-EU FTA negotiations. He was appointed as the Deputy Director-General for Bilateral Economic Affairs in 2017 and as Director-General of the same bureau in 2018, and was responsible for Korea's bilateral economic relations with many key economic partners.

He has been posted to the Korean Missions to the UN Office in Geneva and to the European Union, the Korean Embassy in India and the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai.

From 2019 to 2022, he was appointed as the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Korean Permanent Delegation in the OECD. Most recently, he has served as the Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

He holds a BA in Economics from Seoul National University and a Master of Laws from the University of Edinburgh, U.K. 

Marisa Henderson is Chief of the Trade and Creative Economy Section at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Section supports developing countries to maximise trade-and-development gains from the creative economy, leveraging creativity and cultural assets to generate jobs, diversify economies, and reduce poverty sustainably.

Marisa has worked at UNCTAD for over twenty years and has authored several publications on international trade and development, most recently the Creative Economy Outlook 2024. She holds a PhD in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick (UK) and a master’s in International Relations from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO, Costa Rica/Argentina).

Since January 2016, Peggy Hicks has served as director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division at the UN's human rights office. From 2005 to 2015, she was global advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, where she was responsible for coordinating Human Rights Watch's advocacy team and providing direction to its advocacy worldwide.

Ms. Hicks previously served as director of the Office of Returns and Communities in the UN mission in Kosovo and as Deputy High Representative for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has also worked as the Director of Programs for the International Human Rights Law Group (now Global Rights), clinical professor of human rights and refugee law at the University of Minnesota Law School, and as an expert consultant for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ms. Hicks is a graduate of Columbia Law School and the University of Michigan.

Rutger Hoekstra is an associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences of Leiden University. He is an expert on measuring Beyond-GDP metrics for Wellbeing, Inclusion and Sustainability (WISE). He is also the author of Replacing GDP by 2030 which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2019.

Rutger was the co-chair of the UN-ECE/OECD/Eurostat task force that produced the Conference of European Statisticians Recommendations on Measuring Sustainable Development. He currently leads the WISE Horizons project which is a 4-year European project to develop metrics, accounting and models for sustainable and inclusive wellbeing. Furthermore, he is also involved in the MERGE project and many other international initiatives such as the UN Expert Group on Wellbeing Measurement (EGWM).

He has worked with/for the United Nations, World Bank, European Commission, OECD, European Central Bank, KPMG, Statistics Netherlands and many other organizations. 

André Hoffmann is a businessman and firmly believes in business as a force for good. He is a passionate advocate for the corporate pursuit of societal purpose and sustainability.

André is Vice Chairman of Roche Holding AG, a highly innovative pharmaceutical company established by his great-grandfather in 1896. He also serves on the board of the fully-owned subsidiary, Genentech Inc.

Alongside these non-executive roles in the family business, André is co-chair of the World Economic Forum; he also joined the Board of SystemIQ to help drive positive disruption in economic systems. He is President of W.A. de Vigier Stiftung and Vicechairman of the board of the Venture Foundation.

Together with his wife Rosalie, André is co-chair of InTent, a platform which aim to accelerate sustainable solutions by building bridges and connecting people.

André also has a distinguished career in nature conservation and sustainability. He is the President of Fondation Tour du Valat, a world-renowned institute dedicated to wetland conservation, he is the Chairman of Capitals Coalition, and serves on the boards of B-Team , Peace Parcs and the Givaudan Foundation.

André’s also helped establish the Hoffmann Institute at INSEAD, and chairs its Advisory Board, and the Hoffmann Center for Sustainability at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

André studied economics at St. Gallen University and holds an MBA from INSEAD.

The Honourable Cheryl Sandra V. Husbands currently holds the portfolio of Minister of Training and Tertiary Education. Prior to her current position, Ms. Husbands served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

By profession, she is a management consultant. She has worked in broadcasting, sales and marketing, as well as market research, tourism, public relations and total quality management.

Additionally, she has trained in adult learning, facilitation, Covey leadership training, business process management and total quality management.

Ms. Husbands holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Law and a Masters in International Trade Policy.

Abdel Ilah Bousseta is currently the Director of Postal Operations Directorate at the Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Bureau.

A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Postes et Télécommunications (ENSPTT) in Paris, Mr. Bousseta spent 13 years in various senior roles dedicated to the development of postal activities in Morocco.

During his tenure with Poste Maroc, he highly contributed to several major projects, including the establishment of the international express subsidiary EMS Chronopost International Maroc in 2001, the creation of the AMANA parcels brand, and the introduction of hybrid mail services.

From November 2005 to April 2015, he served as Director of Development Cooperation at the UPU International Bureau. In this capacity, he introduced a new regional approach that promoted the efficient and targeted implementation of technical assistance projects. His responsibilities covered key areas such as financial inclusion, resource mobilization, sustainable development, and disaster risk management. A core component of his strategy was to strengthen South–South cooperation, fostering mutual assistance and the exchange of best practices among countries. Throughout his tenure, he consistently sought to deliver appropriate support where it was most needed.

Since April 2015, Mr. Bousseta has been heading the Postal Operations Directorate at the UPU International Bureau. This directorate oversees all operational aspects of international postal service , including supply chain management, customs clearance, postal products, and quality of service.

He highly contributed to the creation of a Quality of Service Fund to support global projects related to postal operations and supply chain performance, as well as to the implementation of the Electronic Advance Data (EAD) project and the optimization of POC working methods.

Ambassador Julia Imene-Chanduru currently serves as the Acting Deputy Executive Director in the Department of Multilateral Relations at the Ministry of International Relations and Trade of the Republic of Namibia.

She previously served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Namibia to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, and to the Swiss Confederation, a position she held from January 2021 to August 2025. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Permanent Representative of Namibia to the United Nations in New York from 2018 to 2020.
Her diplomatic assignments include service at the Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Washington, D.C. (2007–2011).

Ambassador Imene-Chanduru joined the Namibian Foreign Service in 2004. Over the course of her career, she has accumulated over two decades of experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, public policy, international relations, and negotiations. She has previously headed the Divisions for the Americas, North Africa and the Middle East and has also provided executive and administrative support to the Minister and to the Executive Director of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation.

Ambassador Imene-Chanduru holds a Master of Science in International Public Policy from Queen Mary University of London, a Master’s in International Service from the American University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Namibia. She has also completed professional training in Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Mediation (DIRCO), Doing Diplomacy in the Age of Global Governance (Vienna School of International Studies), and Mastering Negotiations: Building Bridges Across Boundaries (Harvard University), among others.

A dedicated public servant, Ambassador Imene-Chanduru is passionate about the environment, as well as issues affecting women and girls. She is an avid reader and is married with two daughters. 

Luis Jiménez-McInnis is the European Representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where he leads the Bank's engagement with European institutions, governments, and development partners.

Before joining the IDB, Mr. Jiménez-McInnis served as Director of the Department of External Relations, Partnerships, and Resource Mobilization at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) from 2022 to 2024. From 2010 to 2016, he worked as Special Adviser to the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and subsequently held senior roles at IFAD as Director of the Office of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization (2016-2019) and Secretary and Director of the Office of the Secretary (2020-2022).

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations from Brown University and a Master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University.

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.

The Honourable Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof is The Gambia’s current Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment.

Prior to this role, he served as Minister for Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination, and Delivery. Born in The Gambia in 1963, Hon. Joof holds a Master’s Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hull, UK, in 2002, and a Teacher Training Certificate from The Gambia College in 1989.

His career began in education, teaching in primary schools across The Gambia from 1988 to 1996. During this time, he actively represented teachers as a grassroots volunteer for the Gambia Teachers’ Union (GTU). In 1996, GTU leadership entrusted him with establishing a cooperative credit society for its members. Hon. Joof went on to lead the Gambia Teachers’ Union Cooperative Credit Union (GTUCCU) as CEO for 26 consecutive years. 

He is a graduate of the inaugural Africa Development Educators Program (2014) and an International Credit Union Development Educator (2016), following training in the United States. Hon. Joof has served as a resource person and trainer for the Gambia Teachers’ Union, a technical advisor to the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions of The Gambia, and a contributor to ACCOSCA (African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations).

Beyond his technical work, Hon. Joof is also known as an inspirational speaker, having addressed numerous national and international forums.

Mr. Li Junhua of China was appointed as the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs effective 25 July 2022.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Li was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Italy and San Marino. He brings to the position perspectives and visions on fostering multilateral economic and social cooperation, with a commitment to engage with all parties to further implement the 2030 Agenda including dedication to serve Member States. He has contributed to numerous meetings of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, as well as other multilateral meetings including the G20, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM), BRICS etc.

As Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Li guides UN Secretariat support for the follow-up processes of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. He also oversees the substantive services to many intergovernmental processes, including the annual meetings of the Second and Third Committees of the General Assembly, the meetings of the Economic and Social Council, including its Development Cooperation Forum, and the work of the subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC. In addition to intergovernmental processes, Mr. Li oversees DESA’s policy analysis and capacity development work. He also serves as the Convenor of the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs, and advises the United Nations Secretary-General on all development-related issues, including climate change, internet governance, and financing for development.

Mr. Li began his career at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 1985. Since then, he has served in various capacities, including as Director General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China (2013-2019), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Myanmar (2010-2012), Deputy Director General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences (2008-2010), Minister Counselor (Political), Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations (2003-2008), Division Director and Counselor in charge of UN General Assembly and Security Council Affairs (2001-2003), Second and First Secretary, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations (1997-2001). Third and Second Secretary, the Department of International Organizations and Conferences (1992-1997) and Assistant to the Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of China to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok (1986-1992).

Mr. Li holds a Master’s in International Public Policy, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

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.

Ms. Tekreth Kamrang currently serves as the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, Royal Government of Cambodia.

During the past 17 years, she has been involved in and managed the organization in the areas of international cooperation, Aid for Trade Programs, trade policy formulation, and trade finance. In this capacity, she has played important roles in enhancing Cambodia’s trade development and integration into the global market.

She has actively engaged in strengthening and diversifying Cambodia’s trade relations with other countries. She has recently engaged in trade negotiation with the United Arab Emirates for the Establishment of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, under her role as Chief Negotiator. She has been the Co-Chair of various Joint Economic Committees to strengthen trade and economic development with other countries.

She received her Medical Doctor degree from the University of Health Science, Cambodia in 1996. She received a Master Degree in Public Health Policy from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, United States in 2004. She also holds her PhD in Economics in Cambodia, received in 2025.

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.

Hon. Lee Kinyanjui is the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry of the Republic of Kenya. 

He is the co-chairperson of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Council of Kenya and the European Union. 

Previously, he served as the Governor of Nakuru County from 2017 to 2022. During his tenure, he oversaw the elevation of Nakuru Municipality to city status and was named the most business-friendly governor in Africa by the African Leadership Magazine. He also chaired the Lands, Planning, Urban Development and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Energy Committee at Kenya's Council of Governors.

Hon. Kinyanjui served as the Member of Parliament for Nakuru Town (2007-2012) and as the Assistant Minister for Roads during the same period.

H.E. Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk was appointed the Minister of Finance of Egypt in July 2024. He served as the Vice Minister of Finance for Fiscal Policies and institutional Reform from March 2016 to July 2024. Since then, he has been playing a leading role in planning and implementing Egypt’s macroeconomic and fiscal policies and reforms. He has also been the Chief Negotiator and Government focal point with the IMF since 2016.

He served as a Board Member at the Central Bank of Egypt from April 2016 to June 2018, at Egypt Air Holding Company from 2018-2020 and at Misr Fertilizers Production Company (MOPCO) from 2021- April 2022. He had been also entitled as a board member in several other institutions over the past years.

Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk is a professional economist and policy advisor with almost 25 years of applied experience. He worked as a Senior Economist for the World Bank from June 2013 to March 2016. Furthermore, he worked for the Ministry of Finance in several leading roles for more than 14 years including as the Vice Minister, the Economic Advisor, and the Director of the Macro Fiscal Unit. He also served for the Ministry of External Trade and the Ministry of Economy in Egypt.

He earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2010 and a master’s degree in economics from York University in the United Kingdom in 2002. He also had a B.S., in Economics in 1999 from the American University in Cairo.

Isabelle is a former prime time news anchor and  journalist with more than 20 years experience, she now moderates and MCs at leading forums and summits around the globe.

Isabelle was the lead anchor for Euronews-NBC. She also criss-crossed the planet interviewing heads of state and government, CEOs and celebrities.

Isabelle has moderated at high level and large scale events throughout her career, including the first ever EU Presidential debate, deep dives at the Davos World Economic Forum and the European Commission. Now, this is her principal activity: she works with corporates, international organisations and NGOs on issues relating to all things tech-AI, health, sustainability and more. Today her clients include the European Commission, the UN, WHO, The Consumer Goods Forum, Proctor and Gamble, LEAP and Saatchi and Saatchi.

Isabelle is bilingual in French and English and holds British and German nationality. She is a disability activist, the President of a charity helping people with autism and does pro bono work with the charity Lake Aid helping unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers and homeless families in Annecy, France.

Prof Nagesh Kumar is the Director and Chief Executive of the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID). In 2024, he was also nominated by the Government of India as an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India for a four-year term. He is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow of UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, and of the Boston University Global Development Policy Centre, Boston, USA.

Prior to taking up the ISID position in May 2021, Dr Kumar served as Director at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), holding several senior management roles over 12 years, including as Chief Economist, Director of Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division and Social Development Division at the UN-ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok and Head of the South and South-West Asia (SSWA) Office located in New Delhi, that he also had the privilege of establishing.

During 2002-2009, Dr Kumar served as the Director-General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), a policy think tank of the Government of India (Ministry of External Affairs). He has also served as an Economist at UNU/INTECH (now UNU/MERIT) in Maastricht, the Netherlands during 1993-1998.

Prof Kumar has served on the boards of the EXIM Bank of India, the International Centre for Trade & Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva; the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Kathmandu. He has also served as a consultant to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Commonwealth Secretariat, Commission on Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), ILO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UN-DESA and UNIDO.

A PhD from the Delhi School of Economics, Dr Kumar is recipient of the Exim Bank’s first International Trade Research Award in 1990, and GDN’s Research Medal awarded by the World Bank and the Japanese Government in Tokyo in 2000, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Delhi School of Economics in 2023.

Dr Kumar has researched extensively on different aspects of economic development, resulting in the publication of 18 books and over 120 peer-reviewed papers, attracting more than 8500 citations at Google Scholar. He also contributes regularly to mainstream newspapers on economic issues.

Sanjay Kumar Verma is a seasoned diplomat with 37 years of experience in the Indian Foreign Service (1988-2025). He has held key ambassadorial and leadership roles including High Commissioner of India to Canada, Ambassador to Japan, Sudan, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, as well as Consul General in Milan, Italy. He has also served on diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, Beijing, Hanoi, and Ankara. He currently serves as Chairman of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) since January 2025.

His distinguished career reflects expertise in strategic diplomacy, multilateral engagement, international trade, counter-terrorism, cyber diplomacy, development cooperation under sanctions, and technological innovation diplomacy.

Ambassador Verma pursued an M.Sc. in Physics from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and has completed executive training in cybersecurity, e-governance, international business, and WTO agriculture policy. He is recognized for his principled diplomacy anchored in realism, with a strong commitment to advancing India’s global interests through strategic engagement and innovative solutions.

Prof. Heba Kurdi is a distinguished Professor of Distributed Artificial Intelligence at King Saud University, a Fellow at MIT's School of Engineering, and a Senior Member of the IEEE. She is also the founder of Mata Logistics, a smart logistics start-up and was named among the Top 100 Saudi Pioneer Women 2025. Prof. Kurdi earned her PhD from the School of Engineering and Design at Brunel University.

Following her doctorate, she was awarded a scholarship from Aramco to conduct postdoctoral research at MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She later joined MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering as a research fellow, where she remains actively affiliated. With over 120 publications and eight patents, Prof. Kurdi is recognized among the top 2% of highly cited scientists worldwide, as per the Stanford system. She has held numerous leadership roles, including Chairman of the Cyber Security Master Program at King Saud University, Vice Chair of the Department of Computer Sciences, Vice Dean of the College of Computer and Information Sciences, and Vice Dean of the Career and Entrepreneurship Centre at Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University.

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.

Tomas Lamanauskas is Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, elected at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference of 2022, and taking up duties as of January 2023. 

His 25 years of experience spans across sectors of telecoms and digital policy, regulation and strategy, stemming from executive level positions in agencies, companies, and organizations across Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific region. 

As Deputy Secretary-General of ITU, Tomas focuses on the financial sustainability and operational excellence of the organization. He also works to raise the digital industry's ambition in fighting the climate crisis through the Green Digital Action initiative and promotes investments into the digital infrastructure as well as digital resilience through the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative and other efforts. Additionally, Tomas contributes to the global efforts to harness the opportunities and mitigate challenges of new technologies, in particular Artificial Intelligence, including through his role as a co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on AI. He is also playing a key role in ensuring ITU's support to other UN-wide development and governance efforts, including through the World Summit of the Information Society process and membership at the Operational Steering Committee of the UN Joint SDG Fund. 

Tomas holds Master's Degrees in Public Administration (Harvard), Leadership and Strategy (London Business School), Telecommunications Regulation and Policy (The University of the West Indies) and Law (Vilnius University).

Dr Ebenezer Laryea is a Reader (Professor) in Law at Aston University and Project Director for the Fresh Produce Impact Hub (FRESHPPACT), a research and development hub delivering practical solutions to plastic pollution within Ghana’s fresh-produce manufacturing and supply chains.

He also leads the LeatherTrace Bangladesh project, a pioneering initiative developing and piloting a digital e-traceability system which aims help  Bangladesh’s tannery sector meet international environmental and social compliance standards across global value chains.

Ebenezer's research centres on Sustainability and Sustainable Development Law - spanning areas such as plastics, traceability, human rights, climate justice, social impact, net zero, and decarbonisation - where he has produced several research and knowledge exchange outputs.

His most recent work is a researched national policy report that sets out a practical blueprint for Ghana’s transition from conventional plastic products to plastic alternatives and non-plastic substitutes, advancing sustainable industrial practice and trade in sustainable alternatives.

Helena Leurent is Director General of Consumers International, the membership organisation for 200+ consumer advocacy groups around the world in more than 100 countries. 

Consumers International works with members and partners to empower consumers, to ensure consumers are treated safely, fairly and honestly worldwide, and to drive change in the marketplace on global consumer issues including digital access and rights, product safety and sustainability. 

Prior to joining Consumers International, Helena worked for the World Economic Forum developing global partnerships and programmes with government, business, civil society and academia on issues such as advanced manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and humanitarian assistance. 

Helena has also worked for Tesco Stores Plc, Unilever, McKinsey & Co and The LEK Partnership. Helena holds an MA from the University of Oxford and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Yuefen Li is currently Special Advisor on Economics and Development Finance at the South Centre, Geneva, and Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights to the UN Human Rights Council.

She worked at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1990 to 2014 where she last was Head of the Debt and Development Finance Branch in the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies. She was also guest professor at Tsinghua University and two other universities in China. She has published books, papers and articles in professional journals and newspapers, and contributed extensively to UNCTAD and South Centre publications and documents.

She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Foreign Studies of China and Master's degree from the American Graduate School of International Management in the United States.

Nan has over 25 years’ experience in strategic management roles both with the United Nations and the private sector across Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. She currently leads a global team in investment and sustainable finance research, policy, investment promotion and facilitation, enterprise development, and technical assistance to governments in over 160 countries. She chairs the Governing Board of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, leads the World Investment Forum and the inter-governmental Working Group on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.

Before joining UNCTAD, she served as the Global Director of Sustainable Investments and Innovation at UNOPS, where she led a team to promote infrastructure investments in many developing countries and co-invest with DFIs and private investors. She served as UNOPS focal point in the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development.

Previously, she served as the Head of UNDP SDG Innovative Finance and as Head of South-South Cooperation and Investment at UNDP's Asia Pacific Center in Bangkok. She led a team to engage public and private investors and developed national policy dialogues and networks on SDG investment, piloted SDG-aligned funds, bonds and projects in multiple countries. She helped to position UNDP as a pioneer in the UN on sustainable investment and innovative finance. She also held positions as Policy Specialist in Capacity Development and Public-Private Partnerships in New York and Johannesburg since 2009, overseeing a regional portfolio in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Before joining UNDP, she spent about 10 years in the private sector in China and the USA, covering market entry and investment strategy, merger and acquisition, business development and sustainability. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and participated in the Executive Leadership program at IESE, and Finance Executive program at Tsinghua University.

Advisor in international development cooperation policy and management. Extensive experience in the formulation and management of development cooperation frameworks and portfolios (e.g. UNDAF, UNSDCF, Country Cooperation Frameworks/Country Programme Documents). Formulation of normative frameworks and methodological tools (e.g. monitoring) regarding international development cooperation implemented with foreign partners. Delegate to multiple multilateral conferences and fora (e.g. SSC Nairobi 2009; SSC Buenos Aires 2019; UNDP Executive Boards; HLC-SSC Meetings; regional-level organizations: OAS, MERCOSUR, SEGIB; intergovernmental mechanisms).

Team leader at ABC on the subject of South-South Cooperation data. Author of books and articles on the subject of international development cooperation. 

Zdenko Lucić, State Secretary for Trade and Development Cooperation at Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has 20 years of experience in attracting and facilitating domestic and foreign investments, trade related issues, development cooperation, PPP as well as business management. He has extensive knowledge and experience in public and private sector.

Zdenko was Managing Director of national Agency for Investments and Competitiveness, Member of Supervisory Board of Croatian Energy Market Operator, State Secretary for Investments, Competitiveness and PPP at Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia. His other responsibilities included positions like Head of Committee for Croatian accession to the OECD and Deputy Commissioner General of the Republic of Croatia for Expo 2020 Dubai.

He currently serves as Deputy Chief Negotiator for Croatian accession to the OECD, Member of OECD Istanbul Centre Advisory Board, National Coordinator for the Implementation of Development Strategy of South East Europe 2030, Commissioner General for the Republic of Croatia for Expo 2025 Osaka, Head of Committee for amicable resolution of investors to state disputes, and Chair of the UNECE Steering Committee on Trade Capacity and Standards.

He graduated with high honours from the Rochester Institute of Technology, USA, and holds MBA degree from Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia. He speaks English and uses German language.

Nora Lustig is Professor Emerita of Economics and the founding Director of the Commitment to Equity Institute (CEQ) at Tulane University, and Visiting Professor at El Colegio de México. She is also a nonresident scholar at the Brookings Institution, the Center for Global Development, the Georgetown University Americas Institute, the Paris School of Economics, and the Stone Center on Socioeconomic Inequality.

Her research focuses on economic development, inequality, and social policies, with particular emphasis on Latin America. She has published more than ninety articles and fifteen edited volumes and books. Her most recent publication, Commitment to Equity Handbook: Estimating the Impact of Fiscal Policy on Inequality and Poverty, provides a step-by-step guide to assessing how taxation and social spending affect inequality and poverty in developing countries.
Professor Lustig co-chairs the UN High-level Expert Group on Beyond GDP. She is a former President of the Society for the Study of Economic Inequality (ECINEQ) and President Emeritus of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA). She also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Economic Inequality.

She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and in 2021 was honored with the Tulane University Innovation Award.

Maria Amparo López Senovilla has been Secretary of State for Trade at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business of Spain since May 2024, and President of ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, a public business entity integrated into the structure of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, under the Secretary of State for Trade.

Before that, she held the following appointments:

• Undersecretary of Economy, Trade and Business from December 2023 until May 2024.
• Undersecretary of Economy and Business from June 2018 until January 2020.
• Undersecretary of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation from January 2020 until December 2023.
• Member of the Board of Directors of SEPI, member of the Governing Committee of the FROB and member of the Consortium of the City of Toledo since June 2018.
• Legal advisor to the Ministry of Justice for the Working Group for the reform of the European Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings from 2012 until 2013.
• Head of the Spanish Delegation of UNCITRAL Group V, Insolvency Law from April 2014 until June 2018 and rapporteur of the 53rd session.
• Legal advisor to the Working Group for the Proposal for a Directive on Restructuring and Second Chance since January 2017.
• State Lawyer coordinating the legal assistance agreements with Consorcio Ciberesp, Portel Servicios Telemáticos S.A., Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) and with the Sociedad Estatal de Infraestructuras del Transporte Terrestre (SEITTSA).
• Head of the Insolvency Department in the Subdirectorate General of the Contentious Services of the State Attorney's Office, from September 2013 until June 2018.
• Deputy Chief State Attorney, Coordinator of Insolvency Matters, Legal Service of the State Tax Administration Agency, Central Services, from November 2010 until July 2013.
• State Attorney before the Central Contentious-Administrative Courts between January and November 2010.
• State Attorney at the Barcelona State Attorney's Office before the High Court of Justice of Cataluña, between November 2005 and January 2010, where she worked as coordinator of the Contentious-Administrative Courts and Criminal Courts.

Ms. Amparo López Senovilla holds a Bachelor´s Degree in Law, with a specialization in European Union Law, San Pablo CEU University, Madrid, 1998.  She has been a Civil servant of the High Corps of State Lawyers since November 2005.

Carlson Manuel is the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao, representing the Government of Curaçao in the Netherlands and internationally. Since 2021, he has advanced Curaçao’s economic diplomacy agenda by fostering partnerships that promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.

He led the positioning of Curaçao as a hydrogen and renewable energy hub through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Netherlands, and created the Curaçao Experience: Ambassador Edition, which brought 26 ambassadors representing their countries in The Hague, to the island to explore opportunities in trade, investment, and entrepreneurship.

A strong advocate for empowerment and inclusion, he also initiated measures that facilitate student integration and strengthen Curaçaoan communities abroad. With a background in business management, IT, and music, Minister Manuel blends creativity and strategy to position Curaçao as a bridge for innovation and entrepreneurial collaboration between the Caribbean, Europe, and the world.

Pierre Marcolini – A life in chocolate

Born in Charleroi in 1964, Pierre Marcolini discovered his vocation at the age of 14 and decided to become a chocolatier, pastry and ice-cream maker. After graduating from CERIA and training with Pierre Hermé at Fauchon in Paris, he quickly distinguished himself by winning several prestigious awards, including the International Grand Prix Mandarine Napoléon in 1991 and the title of World Pastry Champion in Lyon in 1995 – the only Belgian to have achieved this distinction to date.

In 1995, he opened his first workshop near Brussels, followed by boutiques in Avenue Louise (1996) and the Grand Sablon (1997), which soon became the brand’s flagship. His creativity and rigor led him to develop new concepts such as the “Malline” presentation box, Carré² Chocolat, and the seasonal collections “Chocolate Seasons.”

A pioneer in mastering the entire process of chocolate-making, from bean to bar, Pierre Marcolini placed independence and excellence at the heart of his craft. This vision translated into responsible plantations, sustainable cocoa sourcing, and a constant attention to biodiversity. By working directly with growers and valuing the origin, variety, and story of each cocoa bean, he has created chocolates that reflect both terroir and people.

This ethical commitment took shape with the launch of the Grands Crus collection in 2009, reinforcing his philosophy of traceability and respect for planters. Each creation highlights not only cocoa’s aromatic richness but also the savoir-faire of local communities, with whom Marcolini builds lasting relationships founded on fairness and responsibility.

The House of Pierre Marcolini has since expanded worldwide, with boutiques in Tokyo, Paris, London, Dubai, Shanghai, Seoul, and many other capitals. In 2020, he was unanimously elected Best Pastry Chef in the World by the World Pastry Stars, a crowning achievement in a career devoted to innovation, sustainability, and passion.

In addition to his boutiques, Pierre Marcolini has published several reference books, including « Eclats », « Dix petits doigts plein de chocolat », « Best of Pierre Marcolini », and « Chocolat – Carnets de Voyages ».

Today, the brand is present in over 10 countries with 60 boutiques worldwide, embodying Belgian excellence on an international scale. As President of the Brussels Expertise Label (BEL) and referent member of the Culinary College of Belgium, Pierre Marcolini continues to share his vision of “Chocolat d’Auteur”, one that celebrates biodiversity, respects local growers, and embraces the bean-to-bar philosophy.

Dr. Anabel Marín is a Research Fellow and Leader of the Business, Markets & State Cluster at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and a researcher at CONICET in Argentina (currently on leave). She holds a PhD in Science and Technology Policy from the University of Sussex, a Master’s in Development from the University of General Sarmiento, and a degree in Economics from Córdoba University.

Her research focuses on the political economy of natural resources, sustainability transitions, and green industrial policy, combining academic leadership with high-level policy engagement in Latin America, Europe, and Africa. She has led multi-country research and impact projects funded by organisations such as ESRC, the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes, and the Conservation Food and Health Foundation, and has advised institutions including the World Bank, ECLAC, IDB, UNCTAD, UNESCO, and UNIDO.

Her recent publications include a contribution to the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science on sustainable development in Latin America (Marin, Möhle & Aneise, 2025), as well as articles on civic resistance, governance, and green industrial policy in the IDS Bulletin (2025), IDS Working Paper (2025), and Environmental Research Letters (2025). In 2025, she was awarded the Premio RAÍCES by the Argentine Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation for her contributions to science and international cooperation.

Mr. Mouhamadou Ngouda Mboup is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Autonomous Port of Dakar in Senegal. He is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Public Law at the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. He is also the Secretary General of the Circle of Public Administrators, a member of the Public Law Consulting and Litigation Firm AVEX Conseils and the Chairman of the High Regulatory Authority of the PASTEF-LES PATRIOTES Party.

From 2011 to 2024, he was the Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Tink Tank Afrikajom Center. Between 2016 and 2019, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. Before, he was also a Temporary Teaching and Research Associate at the Faculty of Law and Management at the University of La Rochelle in France and a teacher-researcher at the Faculty of Legal Sciences at the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France.

He is a lawyer, expert, specialist in public law, public governance, public litigation, and public business law.

Ryad Mezzour is a Moroccan politician and engineer. He has served as Minister of Industry and Trade since his appointment on 7 October 2021.

Before that, he served as chef de cabinet of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Green and Digital Economy.  From 2013 to 2019, Mezzour served as director of the cabinet of the president for the Moroccan Economic, Social and Environmental Council.  

Between 2006 and 2009, Mezzour held several management positions at SOMED.  He was appointed General Manager of Suzuki Morocco in 2009.

After finishing his master's degree, he worked as a financial services consultant for Deloitte from 2000 until 2003. In 2003, he returned to Morocco and was the general manager of Budget Rent a Car.  From 1996 until 1998, Mezzour worked at ABB in Switzerland as a research and development engineer.

Mr. Mezzour holds a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering (1996) and a Master in Business Management (2000) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

H.E. Moustoifa Hassani Mohamed currently serves as Minister of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration of the Union of the Comoros, with responsibility for trade, industry, investment policy and regional economic integration.

He began his career in customs administration after graduating from the Senegal Customs School in 1992. Between 1995 and 2017, he worked with the inspection company Cotecna, including a posting in Iraq from 1999 to 2001 as an expert for the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme. Upon his return to the Comoros, he was appointed Head of the Customs Office in 2017 and later Director General of Customs in 2021, where he led institutional reforms to modernize the administration and represented the country in international customs and trade forums.

Since joining the Government in 2024, Minister Hassani Mohamed has been a strong advocate for economic transformation, customs modernization and digital trade integration. He has represented the Comoros at high-level events, including the WTO Public Forum, the World Economic Forum and Investopia, where he has presented the country’s investment and trade strategies under the Emerging Comoros 2030 Plan.

He possesses extensive expertise in customs modernization and regional economic integration, particularly within the frameworks of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union. He is recognized for his leadership in advancing regulatory reform and promoting the digital transformation of trade systems. His technical knowledge, institutional experience and active engagement in international policy dialogues make him a prominent voice in global discussions on trade facilitation and inclusive economic development, especially for developing and small island economies.

Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.

Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to four successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.

Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, Ms. Mohammed has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs in November 2024.

H.E. brings extensive experience in the fields of investment, economics, and business. He was first appointed Minister of State in May 2013 and has held various positions across local and international institutions. Between 2017 and February 2024, he served as the Chairman of the inaugural Board of Directors for the Free Zones Authority and as its Managing Director, overseeing the establishment of free zones in Qatar, contributing to attracting major global companies seeking regional and international expansion. He also chaired the Doha Fund for Development (SME) and was a board member of the Investment Promotion Agency and Qatar Development Bank.

Previously, H.E. served as the CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Qatar Holding, where he played a pivotal role in establishing QIA and expanding local and international investment portfolios of QIA and Qatar Holding. He has held leadership positions in numerous institutions at both local and international levels, including serving as General Counsel and Secretary of The Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment. He was also a member of The Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment and served on the boards of various local and international companies, such as Qatar National Bank, the Canary Wharf Group in the UK, Volkswagen Group in Germany, and the Arab International Bank in Cairo. Additionally, he was the Vice Chairman of the Qatar Stock Exchange and the Executive Chairman of Harrods LHD in the UK.

H.E. Dr. Al-Sayed earned a PhD from the University of Oxford in the UK, an MBA from the TRIUM Global Executive MBA program (an alliance between NYU Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC School of Management in Paris), a Master of Laws (LLM) in Banking & Financial Law from Boston University in the USA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Sharia from Qatar University. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Swansea University in the UK in recognition of his contributions to international development.

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. 

Naledi Moleo is a broadcast journalist and news anchor at eNCA, one of South Africa’s leading news channels for decision-makers across the country and the continent.

She anchors Newslink, a mid-morning bulletin that provides in-depth coverage of national and regional developments, political affairs and economic trends shaping South Africa’s public discourse.

With over two decades in broadcasting, Ms. Moleo's career spans radio and television, including her time as anchor of The Agenda on SABC News and host of Newzfeed PM on Newzroom Afrika – a prime-time debate show that examined the socio-political issues influencing the nation.

Prior to that, she hosted The Talk Shop on SAfm, South Africa’s widest-reaching talk radio station, where she led national discussions on governance, culture and current affairs. Earlier in her career, she produced and presented Youth Expression on SABC News International, which broadcast across the African continent, and hosted Make Your Move on SABC 1, a youth empowerment show.

Julio Armando Moltó Alain is an engineer by profession, with extensive and varied professional experience in both the public and private sectors. In the government sphere, he has held important positions such as Director of the National Police, Executive Secretary of the Security Council and Executive Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency.

In the private sector, he has worked in the area of social communication and logistics, holding the position of Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the GESE Publishing Group, New Media Manager at Corprensa, Manager of Mi Diario and General Manager of Solo Container Panama. This extensive experience has allowed him to develop strategic and management skills in diverse and dynamic environments.

During the 2009-2014 presidential term, he served as Director of the Panamanian National Police, demonstrating leadership and management skills in the public sphere.

Throughout his professional life, he has accumulated solid experience in public and private service, establishing himself as a recognised and respected figure in his field.

Diana Marcela Morales Rojas is a Colombian political scientist and politician who has served as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism since 2025.

Teresa Moreira is the Head of the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, Division on International Trade and Commodities at UNCTAD. She joined UNCTAD in 2016 and previously served as the Consumer Director-General of Portugal and as a Member of the Board of the Portuguese Competition Authority when it was first created. She also served as Portugal’s Director-General and Deputy Director General for International Economic Relations and held senior positions at the Directorate-General for Competition.

Teresa worked for over 20 years as a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon in the areas of International Economic Law and European Law, as well as European Competition Law and European Economic Law at the graduate level.

Teresa holds a degree in Law and a master’s degree in European Law (European Competition Law) from the University of Lisbon, Portugal.

Mr. Pedro Manuel Moreno of Spain, is Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD.

He has over 20 years of experience of working for multilateral and intergovernmental organizations in programme, management and strategic positions both in the field and at headquarters.

He was Deputy Secretary-General of the Communication for Development Committee at the Spanish National Commission with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1999-2004), and for the United Nations Development Programme, at the Country Office in Ecuador and, in New York City, as part of the Human Development Report team, at the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean and at the Executive Office.

In 2014, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ibero-American Conference in Madrid, where he coordinated key political processes and South-South cooperation projects.

In September 2021, he was named Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD.

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).

Mr. Gerald Mwila is a Professional Geologist with over 20 years of experience in the mining and natural resources sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Mineral Sciences Degree in Geology (BMinSc.) from The University of Zambia, a Post graduate Diploma in Geographic Information Systems (PgDip-GIS) from University of Applied Sciences TFH – Berlin, and a Master of Science degree in Tropical Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology and Environmental Management (MSc. TropHEE) from Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany. 

His extensive expertise spans mining geology, exploration geology, engineering geology, hydrogeology, mineral resource evaluation, geological mapping, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). He also possesses valuable experience in marine geology as well as water and sanitation projects. In 2024, he was appointed as a member of the UN Secretary General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals and he is currently a member of the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP) Advisory Board.

Mr. Mwila is recognized for his strong technical competence and innovative approach to geological problem-solving, having contributed to numerous projects that have enhanced resource evaluation and sustainable mineral development. With a career built on scientific excellence and practical experience, he remains deeply committed to advancing geological research, capacity building, and the responsible utilization of natural resources in Zambia and beyond
 

Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji serves as the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE) in the Royal Government of Bhutan, following his appointment by His Majesty The King on 28 January 2024. He is also a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bhutan, representing the Kabji-Talo constituency in Punakha.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Royal Institute of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English from the University of Delhi.

Before entering politics in 2022, he served for over 12 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he held various diplomatic and policy roles including 4 years of service at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York.

Outside of his official responsibilities, he enjoys reading, long hikes, and spending quality time with his family and three children.

Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir is an Indonesian diplomat and the current Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, in office since 21 October 2024.

Nasir was previously the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Nations and the International Seabed Authority in New York, from 2021 to 2024, and the Indonesian Ambassador to the French Republic, Principality of Andorra, Principality of Monaco, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) from 2019 to 2021.

From 2014 to 2019, he served as Spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Between 2008 and 2012, he held the position of Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations in New York, where he was responsible for economics and development issues in the General Assembly’s Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and the Economic and Social Council, negotiating for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China on a number of resolutions.  From 2010 to 2011, he served as Advisor on economic issues and least developed countries to the President of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly.

Among other positions within the Government of Indonesia, Mr. Nasir was Deputy Director for Agriculture and Commodities at the Directorate General of Multilateral Affairs, from 2005 to 2008.

Mr. Nasir earned a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Indonesia; a Master of Business Administration from Leicester University in the United Kingdom; and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Buckingham, also in the United Kingdom.

Mthuli Ncube is the Minister of Finance in Zimbabwe. He has a background in academia, banking, investments and public policy.

Before his appointment as Minister of Finance in Zimbabwe in September 2018, he was managing director and head of Quantum Global Research Lab (Switzerland), part of Quantum Global Group, the largest Private Equity group dedicated to investing in Africa.

From 2014 to 2016 Professor Ncube led a multi-disciplinary project on the Economics of HIV (Rethink HIV) project at the Blavatnik School of Government as Professor of Public Policy.

He joined the Blavatnik School from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), where he was Chief Economist and Vice President. He is ranked as a top economic thinker on Africa and globally.

As Vice President and Chief Economist of the AfDB he led the strategic thinking within the bank on development issues, and directly supervised the development Research, Statistics, and capacity development, general knowledge management, and strategy. He led and guided the development of the Bank’s '10 term Strategy' (2013-2022). He championed the “inclusive growth” agenda that underpins the bank’s long-term strategy, and created an “Inclusive Growth Index” for Africa. He represented the AfDB in external engagements and spokesperson on economic/development issues. He has led policy dialogue activities with governments in Africa and globally.

Professor Ncube holds a PhD in Economics (Mathematical Finance) from the University of Cambridge, Selwyn College, UK, on “Pricing Options under Stochastic Volatility”. He has been the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce Law and Management, and also Dean and Professor of Finance at Wits Business School, all at the University of Witwatersrand, in South Africa. He founded the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Wits University. He was also a Lecturer in Finance at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Boon Heong joined Temasek Foundation (TF) in 2020. Temasek Foundation spearheads programmes to pilot different innovative solutions and models to deliver impact for planet, people, peace and 
progress in Asia, including Singapore.

Prior to TF, Boon Heong was Managing Director Sustainability and concurrently Head Community >Stewardship at Temasek. During this time, he led the pioneering efforts to set up both the sustainability and community stewardship teams at Temasek and developed strategies to deploy Temasek’s community funds in support of Temasek’s role as a Trusted Steward to connect people, uplift communities, protect planet and advance capabilities in Singapore and beyond. He also served a short stint as deputy CEO of Temasek Trust in 2022.

In his early years, Boon Heong also served in the Singapore Armed Forces and was intimately involved in technology development to build advanced warfighting capabilities in advanced sensors, autonomous vehicles and sense making. He has also worked with different stakeholders to deliver integrated and multi-source information fusion and analysis products, scenario development and contingency planning including providing support to various SAF Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations.

Boon Heong graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Honours from the Nanyang Technological University Singapore, holds a Masters in Business Administration from Singapore Management University and Masters in Systems Integration (Information Systems) from Naval Postgraduate School USA. He was the top Army graduate of the SAF Command and Staff College, graduated from the Indonesian Military's Joint Command and Staff College (SESKO TNI) and was awarded Public Administration Medal (Silver).

Sipho Ngcai is the Acting Group Executive for Business Development Services at the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) in South Africa. With over 15 years of expertise in enterprise development, his career has focused on empowering SMEs through strategic programmes and funding initiatives. Prior to his current role, he held senior positions at the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), including leading the technology programme and heading technology business incubation—supporting entrepreneurs to innovate and scale. Sipho holds an MBA and is pursuing a PhD in Entrepreneurship. His passion lies in creating sustainable, scalable growth paths for small businesses across South Africa.

Dr. Ditya Agung Nurdianto is currently the Director of International Trade of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.

Previously, he was a Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the UN, WTO, and Other International Organizations in Geneva. During that period, he was the Coordinator for WTO-related issues.

Prior to this, he was in charge of other international organizations, such as WIPO, ILO, FAO, and ASEAN. Following his first posting to Geneva in 2012-2016, Dr. Nurdianto was appointed as the Deputy Director for Agriculture and Commodity Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until 2019 when he was posted again to Geneva.

Dr. Nurdianto received his B.A. in economics (cum laude) from the California State University at Los Angeles and a Master's degree in economics from Universitas Indonesia. He completed his Ph.D. in economics at the Australian National University. 

Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, is the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Prior to her current role, she served as the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment (OVP) from October 2023 to October 2024. Under the Buhari Administration, she served first as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, and subsequently as the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business from November 2015 to May 2023. Dr. Oduwole and her team at the PEBEC Secretariat successfully delivered over 200 verifiable reforms across various arms and levels of government.

During her time in public service, Dr Oduwole has worked on various specialized reform committees in the federal government such as AfCFTA implementation Committee and the Tax Policy Reform Committee, and played a key role in the conceptualization and establishment of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN). She Chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.

Recognized as one of Nigeria’s leading reformers, she was awarded the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in May 2023 for her contributions to national development. In 2024, the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) awarded her a “Hall of Fame” honour for her decade-long work on Nigeria’s business climate reforms.

A policy entrepreneur of some repute, she was appointed as a Senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government (M-RCBG), Harvard Kennedy School, and as a Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab in 2022, for her innovation in governance.

She previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria, and she has worked in investment and corporate banking at FCMB and GTBank.

Since 2015, Dr Oduwole has been on loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria, where she teaches and researches International Economic Law. Jumoke holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, UK and a JSM and JSD from Stanford Law School USA, and is called to the Nigerian Bar.

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare is currently Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry of Ghana. A distinguished lawyer, legislator, and policy advocate, she has dedicated her career to governance, legal advocacy, and economic development.

Previously, she served as Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, where she played a pivotal role in promoting Ghana’s tourism industry, implementing cultural policies, and spearheading initiatives like the Marine Drive Project and Homofest.

Ms. Ofosu-Adjare has held key board memberships, including as a former Board Chair of Cocoa Merchant Company Limited, a board member of Multi Trust Financial Services, and a former board member of Phoenix Life Assurance Limited. She continues to champion trade expansion, industrial growth, and business development in Ghana.

She is the founder of the Elizabeth Law Centre and has an extensive legal background, including serving as a Notary Public and a legal practitioner with the Legal Aid Scheme.

Her academic credentials include an LLM in Alternative Dispute Resolution and an LLB from the University of Ghana, an MA in International Relations from Webster University, and a BA in Social Science from KNUST.

She completed her Professional Law Course (PLC) at the Ghana School of Law and was called to the Bar in 2004.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The first woman and first African to hold the position.

She is an economist and international development expert with over 40 years of experience. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, African Risk Capacity and Co-Chair of The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, in addition to serving as a Senior Advisor at Lazard and sitting on the Boards of Standard Chartered and Twitter, now X. She is Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Harvard Kennedy School Global Public Leader.

She served as Nigeria’s first female and longest serving Finance Minister (7 years) and was also the first female Foreign Minister. Her 25-year career at the World Bank culminated in her rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous honours and has authored several books. She holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University and a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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.

Ms. Regina Akoth Ombam is the Principal Secretary, State Department for Trade. Ms. Ombam is a distinguished economist and public policy expert with extensive experience in economic modeling, trade policy, transport economics, health financing and strategic planning. Her career spans roles in both national, regional and global institutions. As a former Regional Health Financing Expert at the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, she played a pivotal role in advancing sustainable healthcare funding across member states in the African region. Her leadership as an EAC Health Financing Dialogue Facilitator saw her working alongside Ministers of Health and Finance to establish the region’s Health Financing Hub and advocate for increased domestic investments in health through high level health financing dialogues in the Regional Economic Communities ( EAC, SADC, IGAD, ECOWAS) in Africa. Previously, she served as Deputy Director for HIV Investments at Kenya’s National AIDS Control Council (NACC), where she was instrumental in mobilizing domestic and international resources for the HIV/AIDS program in the country as well as developing evidence based investment cases for health. Ms. Ombam also served as one of the Technical Experts at the Council of Governors Secretariat on matters Health Financing in the context of Devolution. Her advocacy efforts significantly influenced national, regional and global health financing frameworks and strengthened Kenya’s presence on global health platforms particularly when she served as the Vice Chair of the Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund and Advisor to the World Bank President and UNAIDS Executive Director on Sustainable Financing for Health. Ms. Ombam’s expertise extends across extensive macroeconomic and microeconomic analysis, implementation science, negotiations, results-based management and institutional governance. Her strategic insight has made her a key driver in enhancing trade policy, fostering public-private partnerships, and promoting economic integration across the continent, including engagements at the African Union, European Union and with other Bilateral partners. Ms. Ombam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University. With a proven track record in economic policy and strategic planning her leadership at the State Department is instrumental in enhancing Kenya's trade environment, attract investment and strengthen economic ties both regionally and globally.

Emmanuel Omokhomion is a Senior Programme Analyst at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria, with over nine years of experience in data analysis, machine learning, and national statistics development. He has played a role in major national surveys such as the Nigerian Living Standard Survey and the General Household Survey, working closely with partners like the World Bank to improve data quality, accessibility, and use for evidence-based policymaking.

Emmanuel specializes in using data to solve real-world problems working with predictive models for economic indicators, visualizing insights through dashboards, and applying GIS tools for poverty and development mapping. His work has supported better decision-making across government and contributed to Nigeria’s efforts in strengthening data systems for sustainable development.

He is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and the use of technology to close data gaps in the Global South. Emmanuel holds a bachelor's degree in management information systems from Covenant University, Ogun Nigeria.

Reverend Msgr. Daniel Pacho was appointed  Undersecretary at the Multilateral Sector of the Section for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Secretariat of State in January 2023.

Before that, he served as an official in the Section for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Secretariat of State. A position he held from January 2018.

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 2010, serving in the Pontifical Representations in Benin and Tanzania.

The Reverend Msgr. Pacho, was ordained a priest for the diocese of Fulda on 25 June 2000. He holds a degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. 

Ugo Panizza is currently Professor of International Economics and Pictet Chair in Finance and Development at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where he also serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Finance and Development.

He is Director of the International Centre for Monetary and Banking Studies (ICMB), Vice President and Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Fellow of the Fondazione Einaudi, and Editor-in-Chief of International Development Policy. His work focuses on international finance, sovereign debt, banking, and political economy, with a particular interest in the challenges faced by developing countries.

Before joining the Institute, he served as Chief of the Debt and Finance Analysis Unit at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), contributing to research and policy work on debt sustainability and development finance.

He previously worked at the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank and held teaching and research positions at the American University of Beirut and the University of Turin.

He holds a PhD in Economics from the Johns Hopkins University.

Guy Bernard Parmelin is a Swiss Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. 

He has been a member of the Federal Council since 2016, when he took over as head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. Since January 2019 he has been head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. 

He was president of the Swiss Confederation in 2021.

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.

Dr. Gilson Pina is National Director for Planning at the Ministry of Finance of Cabo Verde, where he has led national planning and economic strategy since 2019.

He is also Vice President of the Board of Directors of Caixa Económica de Cabo Verde.

Before assuming his current positions, Dr. Pina served as Economic Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2016 to 2019.

Dr. Pina holds a Ph.D in Economics jointly from the University of Minho and the University of Coimbra.

Ángela is a senior professional with more than thirty years of experience in the design and execution of financial operations in international markets. She has extensive management experience in both the public and private sectors, leading multidisciplinary teams in diverse cultural and organizational settings.

Since July of last year, she has served as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of COFIDES, the Spanish state majority-owned financial institution that partners with the private sector to foster sustainable and impactful investments. COFIDES is well known to her, as she was Chief Investment Officer from 2000 to 2010.

Before returning to COFIDES, she spent 15 years as Head of Structured Finance and Asset Management at ELECNOR, a leading multinational company in the infrastructure and energy sectors where she led multiple debt and equity deals across different continents.

Ángela began her professional career as an investment banker at BZW in London and spent a total of ten years working within the Barclays Group.

She holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and completed the PADE Executive Program at IESE Business School, University of Navarra.

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.

Sanya Rajpal is an Oxford MBA graduate, lawyer, and international development consultant with a track record in systems-change across health, education, and economic inclusion. Her work with the United Nations, governments, and the private sector has focused on building innovation ecosystems that enable young people and communities to thrive through entrepreneurship and human development.

She now leads AdagioVR, a pioneering neurotechnology company operating out of the UK and India, which is redefining how mental health and high performance are achieved through VR/AI. AdagioVR integrates neuroscience, cutting-edge precious therapeutics, and immersive technology to deliver adaptive, scalable interventions that strengthen mental wellbeing, cognitive function, and leadership capacity.

Bridging her experience in policy, innovation, and technology, Sanya is passionate about how youth innovation can solve systemic challenges, from access to healthcare to the future of work. Her mission is to make transformative mental health and human potential tools accessible across socio-economic divides, combining empathy, science, and business to create lasting impact.

She regularly speaks at global platforms including the UN, World Health Summit, and WEF, on how to unlock innovation and integrate purpose.

His Excellency José Manuel Ramos-Horta is an East Timorese politician. He has been the president of East Timor since 2022, having previously also held the position from 20 May 2007 to 20 May 2012.

Previously he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2006 and Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007. He was a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working "towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor".

After East Timor achieved independence in 2002, Ramos-Horta was appointed as the country's first foreign minister. He served in this position until his resignation on 25 June 2006. On 26 June 2006,  Ramos-Horta was appointed as acting Prime Minister. Two weeks later, he was sworn in as the second Prime Minister of East Timor. He was elected as President in 2007.

After leaving office as President in 2012, Ramos-Horta was appointed as the United Nations' Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) on 2 January 2013.

He was re-elected to the presidency in 2022.

Mariin Ratnik has served as Deputy Minister for Economic and Development Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia since 1 September 2022.

Ms. Ratnik has worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2000 and has been ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Andorra, Algeria and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna. Between 2017 and 2019, Mariin Ratnik was the prime minister's foreign relations adviser at the Government Office.

She graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in economics and she has studied international relations at the Estonian School of Diplomacy and the Humboldt University in Berlin.

Mr Hardin Ratshisusu is the Acting Deputy Commissioner and Acting Commissioner of the National Consumer Commission since 1 May 2024. He is also the Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Commission since 2016. He actively participates in international fora such as the OECD, BRICS, UNCTAD and ACF.

Mr Ratshisusu holds a BCom (Honours-Economics) from the University of Venda, a MCom (Economics) from the University of Witwatersrand and a Master of Business Leadership from the University of South Africa. He has completed the PURC/ World Bank Training Program on Utility Regulation and Strategy with the University of Florida as well as the Senor Executive Program for Africa with the Harvard Business School.

Kamel Rezig has held the position of Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion of Algeria, since April 2025. 

Prior to his current position, he held the same ministerial position from January 2020 to March 2023, during which he implemented a series of key reforms in the trade sector — notably in combating speculation and organizing market structures. After completing his term in 2023, he was appointed as an advisor to the President on foreign trade and export matters. 

An economist and Doctor of Economic Sciences (University of Algiers 3), Professor Kamel Rezig also served as Chief Tax Inspector and a lecturer at the University of Blida since 1997. From 1999 to 2004, he held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the same university.

Teresa Ribera is the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.

She previously served as Vice President of the Government of Spain and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge as well as Member of Spanish Parliament.

Prior to that, she was Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) from 2014 to 2018, enabling the Institute to play a key role in the negotiation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

From 2008 to 2011, she served as the Spanish Secretary of State for Climate Change and Biodiversity. A public official from the Senior Corps of State Civil Administrators, she has also taught public law at the Autonomous University of Madrid. She is member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium since 2021.

Deborah Rivas Saavedra currently holds the position of Vice Minister of International Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba.

Prior to her current position, she held a research position at Cubazucar and was president of the Panamericana Corporation, Inc. She has also served in diplomatic positions at the Embassies of Cuba in Mexico and Peru.

Ms. Rivas holds a degree in International Economic Relations from the University of Havana.

Dr. Nieves Roqueñí Gutiérrez is the President of the Port Authority of Gijón. With a distinguished career in academia and public administration, she combines expertise in sustainability, industrial policy, and port governance. She is also Professor of Engineering Projects at the University of Oviedo in Spain.

Prior to her appointment in 2025, she served as Regional Minister for Ecological Transition, Industry and Economic Development of Asturias, where she promoted major industrial investments and reinforced the region’s green transition. Earlier, as Vice-Minister for Environment and Climate Change, she led strategic climate policies and circular economy initiatives, and oversaw the Water Master Plans that guide sustainable water management in Asturias. At the University of Oviedo in Spain, she has held senior university management roles in research policy, innovation, and technology transfer, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. She has directed competitive research projects, supervised doctoral theses, and contributed to applied projects with companies and institutions.

She is a Mining Engineer and PhD from the University of Oviedo in Spain.

Mr. Bismark Rosales Rojas is the General Manager of Port Jennefer located on the Paraguay-Paranà waterway of Bolivia. He also provides instructor support to TrainForTrade’s Port Management Programme Spanish-speaking network assisting in teaching participants from Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Peru.

He has been a longstanding supporter of the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Port Management Programme where he first began as a participant at the Training of Trainers workshops in Gijon and Valencia, Spain in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Mr. Rojas carries with him maritime experience thanks to his time with the Bolivian Navy where he was recognized with silver and gold emblems (2014-2017).

He holds a Master’s in Port Management Planning and Intermodality from the Puertos del Estado-Universidad of Càdiz Spain. In 2020 Mr. Rojas was awarded an honorary doctorate in human rights from the UN Global Compact for his work with “Port Development on the Bolivia-Brazil Border.”

Monica Rubiolo is Head of Trade Promotion at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.

She leads SECO’s efforts to foster trade in developing countries that is socially responsible, environmentally friendly, inclusive and thereby sustainable. This includes supporting framework conditions for sustainable trade, enhancing international competitiveness and market access of SMEs and producers alike, and strengthening a resource-efficient private sector in partner countries.

Monica Rubiolo obtained her PhD from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and published extensively on issues related to economic development. She was Assistant Professor at the Catholic University in Cordoba (Argentina) and has also taught at the Universities of Tübingen (Germany) and Bilbao (Spain). She has worked in Taipei, Taiwan, and at the European Institute of Latin American Studies (IRELA) in Madrid. She joined SECO in 2003, focusing on public financial management and financial sector support, before moving to Trade Promotion. She is member of the Boards of the Swiss Sustainable Coffee Initiative and Swiss Platform on Sustainable Cocoa.

H.E. Mr. Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard was appointed as the Vice Minister of the National Development Planning/Vice Head of National Development Planning Agency on 20 October 2024.

He served as Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and other international organizations in Geneva from December 2021 to January 2025.

During his tenure in Geneva, Ambassador Ruddyard was elected to numerous strategic positions in international organizations, among them: President of the Trade and Development Board of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2023- 2024), President of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (February 2024), Vice President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (2024), Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Geneva (2023), Chair of the MIKTA Group (2023), Chair of the Working Group on Situations of the United Nations Human Rights Council (2022), President of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Experts on e-Commerce and the Digital Economy of the UNCTAD (2022) and many others.

Ambassador Ruddyard served as Deputy Minister for Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta from 2017 – 2021.

Ambassador Ruddyard joined the Indonesian diplomatic corps in 1990 and has a long record of working in various areas of issues and positions. Among others are Director for Middle East Affairs (2013-2014) and Director for International Security and Disarmament Affairs (2010-2013).

From 2015 to 2017, Ambassador Ruddyard served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at Indonesian Embassy in Vienna. His diplomatic assignment includes the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, and Riyadh. Ambassador Ruddyard also served as the Coordinator of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Disarmament Affairs in New York from 2007-2010.

Ambassador Ruddyard holds a Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Birmingham. He is married with three sons.

Cielo Elainne Rusinque Urrego is currently Superintendent of Industry and Commerce of Colombia. 

Prior to that, she served as Director General of the Administrative Department for Social Prosperity. She has taught in the Postgraduate Certificate in Administrative Law at Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, worked as a research professor at Universidad Externado de Colombia, and lectured in Constitutional Law at Universidad de Cundinamarca. She currently teaches Constitutional Law at Universidad Externado de Colombia. 

She has extensive experience as a lawyer, consultant, and litigator in both Colombia and France. Her professional background includes working at the law firm Mialot Avocats, serving as advisor to the Military Attaché of the Colombian Embassy in France, working in the Legal Office of the Mayor’s Office of Fusagasugá, and holding judicial assistant and secretary positions at the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, at the National Directorate of Prosecutors, National Unit for Prosecution against Kidnapping and Extortion. 

She is a lawyer from Universidad Externado de Colombia. She holds two master's degrees: one in Constitutional Law and another in Political Studies Research from Panthéon-Assas University (Paris II), where she is currently a PhD candidate in Constitutional Law. She is fluent in French. 

Ambassador Jukka Salovaara has been the Permanent State Secretary in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland since May 2022.

The Permanent State Secretary is the most senior civil servant in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, with overall responsibility for the Foreign Ministry and Finnish diplomatic representations abroad.

Ambassador Salovaara has worked for the Finnish Foreign Ministry from 1995, serving in several senior positions as the Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, Director General for Political Affairs, and Director General for Europe. 

He also served in the Finnish Prime Minister’s Office as Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister, EU Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister and Under-Secretary for EU Affairs. He also served the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament.

Ambassador Salovaara graduated from the University of Helsinki in 1992 with a Master’s in Political Science.

Nielsimms Sangho is an accomplished professional at the forefront of the fintech, logistics, and eCommerce sectors, driving innovation and growth across Africa. With a diverse skill set and a passion for solving African challenges, he has built a remarkable career marked by entrepreneurial drive, strategic leadership, and a deep understanding of regional markets.

As Regional Manager for East Africa at Flutterwave-Africa’s leading fintech unicorn-he led the company’s expansion into several African markets, including Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. He also founded Buy2Africa (formerly InterShip), playing a pivotal role in connecting SMEs and individuals to international online stores across East Africa, South Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Nielsimms’ work has earned him international recognition as a Seedstars Africa 2015 winner and one of only 18 Alibaba eFounders selected in 2018. Beyond his professional accomplishments, he is a passionate advocate for sustainable growth, coaching as a John Maxwell Fellow, mentoring with Google for Startups, and empowering innovators across global tech hubs.

He is currently building ShipShap, an early-stage logistics technology company creating shipping infrastructure and tools for businesses in Africa and the MENA region. With his commitment to solving African problems, Nielsimms continues to shape the continent’s fintech, logistics, and eCommerce future.

Elmer José Germán Gonzalo Schialer Salcedo is a Peruvian diplomat and professor who has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2024.

Prior to his current role, he held several important positions, including Executive Director of the Peru Chapter of the Binational Development Plan for the Peru-Ecuador Border Region in 2024, and Secretary General of Foreign Affairs from 2023 to 2024.

He was also the Ambassador of Peru to the Federal Republic of Germany from 2017 to 2023 and served as the Director General of the General Secretariat of the Andean Community from 2014 to 2017, where he led reform efforts to relaunch the organization.

Schialer’s career includes serving as the Director of International Economic Negotiations from 2011 to 2014, overseeing trade negotiations and managing relations with international organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as issues related to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

He was also the National Director of the Initiative for the Integration of Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) from 2002 to 2004, and held positions including Deputy Director in the Directorate for Europe in 2002 and Director of Middle Eastern and African Affairs in 2001.

On the international stage, Ambassador Schialer served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of Peru to the International Organizations based in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2007 to 2011, where he managed matters related to development, trade, intellectual property, disarmament, and humanitarian law.

His experience also includes roles at Peruvian embassies in Washington, La Paz, and Mexico, as well as in the Peruvian Mission to the United Nations in New York. He was the Consul General in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1999 to 2002.

Schialer has participated in significant international negotiations, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and agreements concerning biodiversity and disarmament.

He holds a degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Peru and a Master's degree in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). Additionally, he has completed postgraduate studies in Systems Engineering at the National University of Engineering.

Kunal Sen has over three decades of experience in academic and applied development economics research. Since 2019 he has served as Director of the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) while on leave from the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, where he is a professor of development economics.

Kunal is a leading international expert on the political economy of growth and development. He has performed extensive research on international finance, the political economy determinants of inclusive growth, the dynamics of poverty, social exclusion, female labour force participation, and the informal sector in developing economies. His research has focused on India, East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to his work as a professor of development economics, Kunal has been the Joint Research Director of the Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) research

Mr. Mokhethi Shelile was appointed as the Minister of Trade, Industry and Business Development on 30th October 2022. He is committed to leveraging his 20 years of experience in the trade fraternity, along with his leadership and management skills, to steer the Ministry toward achieving its mandate.

He is a Member of Parliament representing the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), Lithabaneng Constituency (40). He is also a founding member of the Revolution for Prosperity Party (RFP) and the member of the Executive Committee as the Public Relations Officer of the party.

Before assuming ministerial role, he was the Investment Promotion Officer at Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) and was later appointed as the Head, Investment Promotion within the LNDC. He has earned few accolades during his tenure at LNDC; UNCTAD Investment Promotion agency of the year 2016 winner. He has led International Investment Promotion and had successful promotion missions in SACU region, Kenya, Tanzania, Libya, Egypt, United Kingdom, and Germany, among others.

He studied BA Economics at the National University of Lesotho and graduated in 1995.

Miho Shirotori is the Chief of the Trading Systems, Services and Creative Economy Branch within the Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC) at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

She leads a team of experts dedicated to analyzing how trade agreements, trade in services, and the creative economy can foster inclusive and sustainable economic diversification.

Her areas of expertise include promoting equitable trade in agriculture, particularly for least developed countries (LDCs), low-income countries, and net food-importing developing countries.

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.

Dr. Thomas Steffen is State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany, where he oversees trade, economic, European, SME, and digital policy. Over the course of a 35-year career in the German federal government, he has held a number of senior leadership roles across several ministries. Prior to his current appointment earlier this year, he served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health (2019–2025) and at the Federal Ministry of Finance (2012–2018). His distinguished career also includes positions as Director-General for Europe at the Federal Ministry of Finance; Chair of the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (CEIOPS); Executive Director for Insurance Supervision and member of the Executive Board of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin); and Head of Division for Export and State Guarantees at the Federal Ministry of Finance. Dr. Steffen holds a doctorate in law from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, complemented by studies at the London School of Economics.

Lisa Emelia Svensson is a Swedish diplomat and with over 25 years of international experience in diplomacy, expert in environmental and digital policies, particularly in ocean governance and sustainability.

She has been posted in New York, Washington D.C., Brussels, Nairobi and Genève. She worked for the European Commission, United Nations and the Swedish Ministry for the Environment. She has a PhD in Political Economy, focusing on government strategies for economic growth. She been a Diplomat-in-Residence at Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), where she conducted research on climate and environmental policy. She served as Sweden’s Ambassador for Corporate Social Responsibility and Ambassador for Ocean, Seas, and Freshwater.

She headed the Marine Branch at the UN Environment Programme, and tackled issues like marine pollution, coral reef protection, and the sustainable blue economy. She led negotiations on sustainable development chapters behalf of the European Commission in EU free trade agreements with ASEAN, MERCOSUR, and ACP regions. Authored Combating Climate Change: A Transatlantic Approach to Common Solutions (2008), and the Handbook on the Economics and Management of Sustainable Oceans, published by Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd (2017).

Alisa Sydow is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at ESCP Business School.  

Alisa Sydow primarily teaches entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship with a focus on new technologies and impact.  

Her research interests center on entrepreneurship in emerging markets, particularly Kenya and South Africa. She focuses on technology and women's entrepreneurship. She has authored articles published in leading management journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and the Journal of Business Venturing, as well as case studies and papers presented at international conferences including the Academy of Management (AOM), European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS), and European Academy of Management (EURAM). 

She was selected as part of the 2025 cohort of Thinkers50 Radar, highlighting her as one of the leading emerging voices shaping the future of management and entrepreneurship. 

She recently collaborated with UNCTAD on the “Breaking Down Barriers for Women Digital Entrepreneurs: Insights from Africa”. 

Alisa holds a Ph.D. in Management and Innovation from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. 

Outside of academia, Alisa founded Nampelka, a start-up that provides continuous, tailored, and accessible support to African entrepreneurs. 

Joanna Szychowska has been appointed Director of Asia (I), Services and Investment, Digital Trade, Intellectual Property and Public Procurement in DG Trade of the European Commission in February 2022.

She is responsible for the EU trade and investment strategy and policy towards the Far East. She also leads the development, negotiation and implementation of rules and policies in the fields of services and digital trade, investments and intellectual property - in bilateral, regional and multilateral fora.

From June 2015 to January 2022, she was heading Mobility Unit in DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

Her responsibilities focused on strengthening competitiveness of the European automotive industry, implementation of the regulatory framework and international harmonization of requirements.
Before joining the Mobility Unit, she was Head of Unit in charge of EU public procurement policy and enforcement of the legislation in selected EU Member States.

She was previously a member of the Cabinet of Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen, responsible for Enterprise and Industry and between 2004 and 2007, a member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Danuta Hübner, responsible for Regional Policy.

In 1996 Ms. Szychowska joined the Office of the Committee for European Integration in Warsaw, where she was involved in the harmonisation of Polish law with EC law and the preparation of accession negotiations, from 2001 as Director of the Department of European Law.

Ms. Szychowska studied Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw and the University of Utrecht and accomplished European Studies at the College of Europe, Natolin. In 1999, she passed her final judge's examination at the Warsaw Court of Appeal.

César Sánchez Icaza, Under-Secretary for Foreign Trade Policy and Under-Secretary for International Negotiations. Lawyer from the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, with over two decades of professional experience in commercial law, oil & gas, environmental law, and telecommunications. Holds a Master’s degree in Mining, Oil and Energy from the Externado University of Colombia, and a Master’s degree in Legal Argumentation from the University of Alicante. He has served as a lecturer at the International University of Ecuador, Ecotec University, Casa Grande University, and the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil.

José R. Sánchez-Fung is the Dominican Republic’s ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Preceding the appointment in Geneva, Dr. Sánchez-Fung was ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and head of the diplomatic mission, of the Dominican Republic to Switzerland based in Bern. Before joining his country’s foreign service, Dr. Sánchez-Fung taught economics at the University of Nottingham (Ningbo, China) and Kingston University London (with tenure).

He currently holds an adjunct professorship at Western Michigan University’s department of economics (Michigan, USA). Ambassador Sánchez-Fung’s national public service includes working as an economist in the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo in the role of director of economic research and voting member of the monetary policy-making Open Market Committee. He has also served as an honorific advisor to the Dominican Republic’s Senate - the upper house of the national parliament. 

Ambassador Sánchez-Fung holds an undergraduate degree in economics from PUCMM in Santo Domingo, and MA and PhD degrees in economics from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.

Lucas Tasquetto is currently the General-Coordinator for Trade Policies at the Ministry of Finance of Brazil. 

Before that, he was a coordinator at the Undersecretariat for Sustainable Development Finance at the Secretariat of International Affairs, working at the Brazilian presidency of the G20's Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) and the Task Force for the Global Mobilization against Climate Change.

He is a professor of International Relations at the Federal University of ABC (São Paulo, Brazil). His work focused mainly on trade governance, international institutions and digital technologies. 

He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of São Paulo and a master's degree in Law from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. 

He was a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and held research positions at the King's College London and at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas School of Economics.

H.E. Mrs. Francisca Tatchouop Belobe (Equatorial Guinea, Central Region) was elected to lead the Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals (ETTIM) Department. Prior to this role, she served as Vice-President of the Commission of the Economic Community of East African States (ECCAS). She previously served as 2nd Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea’s National Assembly, and Minister and Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade, and Promotion of Small to Medium Enterprises. She holds a master’s degree in political science with a focus on development from the Johan Wolfgang von Goethe Universitat, and has extensive experience in national, regional, and international roles.

Helena Tenório Veiga de Almeida is currently Director of the People, Information Technology and Operations Division at the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), a position she assumed in January 2023. She has been a career employee at BNDES since 1998, where she has held several leadership positions and contributed to the Bank’s strategic modernization and digital transformation processes.

Before her current appointment, she served as Head of the Operations and Microcredit Department in the Indirect Operations Division and as Superintendent of the Communication and Institutional Relationship Area. Over the years, she has gained extensive experience in development finance, institutional management, and innovation policy, and has played an active role in initiatives to strengthen efficiency and inclusion within the institution. Beyond her work at BNDES, she has also served as Vice-President of the New Club of Paris, an international think tank focused on the knowledge economy. 

Helena holds a degree and a Master’s degree in Economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), an MBA from Coppead, and a graduate degree in Digital Transformation from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ).

Tesfachew is currently Senior Advisor on Economic Transformation in Africa at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).

Prior to assuming his present position, Tesfachew was the Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), based in Türkiye, and before that Director of the Division for Africa and LDCs at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Organization (UNCTAD), where he was responsible for the organization’s policy and capacity-building-related support to 89 developing countries, including African, Landlocked and Small Island economies. In this capacity, Tesfachew was responsible for preparation of two major annual reports namely, the Economic Development in Africa Report and The Least Developed Countries Report.

He has over 35 years of work experience in national and international development issues focusing mainly on trade, investment, industrial and technology policies and their interface with trade policies. In 2018, Tesfachew was appointed, by the Secretary General of United Nations as a member of the UN Committee for Development Policy and, more recently, to the Governing Board of the UN Technology Bank for the LDCs. He is also a member of the AfCFTA’s Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council. In 2023, he was appointed as Adjunct Professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Tesfachew holds a BA and MA in Economics from the University of Lancaster and an MPhil and a PhD in Economics from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK. He has authored and co-authored on a range of topics.

Angeline Tham is the Founder & CEO of Angkas, and UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate for South-East Asia and the Pacific 

Angeline Tham is a serial entrepreneur from Singapore who is passionate about solving real-world problems and improving people's lives. She founded Angkas – an online transportation company - in 2016 to address the numerous social impacts of traffic congestion in the Philippines. Tham aspires to be a catalyst for digital transformation in the local and international arenas through her passion for technology and startup development. She wishes to promote innovation by assisting Filipinos with an entrepreneurial mindset and to establish a business ecosystem that encourages collaboration and recognizes creativity and ingenuity in order to benefit the community. 

Dr. Arnoldo André Tinoco is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica. A position he has held since 8 May 2022.

Previously, he served as a professor of International Law at the University of Costa Rica.

Between 2010 and 2013, he held the position of President at the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, and from 1997 to 2022, he acted as the Honorary Consul of Norway in Costa Rica. He is also an attorney and a founding partner of Lexincorp Costa Rica.

He holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

Chidinma Cynthia Udeogu is a policy advocate and entrepreneurship ecosystem builder based in Abuja, Nigeria. She currently serves as the Assistant General Manager of the Nigeria Economic Zones Association (NEZA), the umbrella body for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) operators in Nigeria. In her role, she leads national-level engagements that position SEZs as tools for inclusive growth and industrialization.

Tatiana Valovaya of the Russian Federation was appointed as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva on 30 May 2019.
 
Ms. Valovaya has over 35 years of extensive experience in journalism, diplomacy and government service. She is currently Member of the Board and Minister in charge of integration and macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which is responsible for implementing decisions, upholding the EEU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the Union. 
 
She began her career with the Government of the Russian Federation in 1989 and served in various capacities, including as the Third and Second Secretary at the Russian Permanent Mission to the European Union in Brussels (1989-1994) and Deputy Director and subsequently Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Russian Federation (1999-2012). Before joining the Government of the Russian Federation, she worked as a reporter to “The Economic Gazette” in Moscow (1983-1989). 
 
Ms. Valovaya graduated from the Department of International Economic Relations of the Moscow Financial Institute, holds a Ph.D and a Doctorate of Economic sciences from the State Financial Academy, Moscow.

The Hon. Ricardo Viegas d'Abreu currently serves as Minister of Transport of Angola.  A position he has held since June 2018.

In early 2017, he was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Banco de Poupança e Crédito, the largest Angolan public bank, and in November of that same year was appointed Secretary to the President of the Republic for Economic Affairs.

He holds a degree in Economics from Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, Portugal. In 1996, he obtained an MBA from the University of Bath in the UK.

Lucie Villa is the lead analyst for several Sub-Saharan African sovereigns and supranational issuers and is a senior member of Moody’s Africa Sovereign Ratings team. Prior to January 2015, Lucie Villa covered a variety of advanced and emerging market European sovereign credits, having joined the Sovereign Risk Group in early 2011 from Moody’s Sub-Sovereign Group.

Prior to joining Moody’s in 2007, Lucie Villa spent two years at the French Ministry of Finance in the Forecast division, responsible for projections and analyses of France’s government finances.

Lucie Villa holds a postgraduate degree in Probability and Statistics from a French Engineering School (ENSAI) and a Master’s degree in Economics from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris.

Sociologist and international relations professional specializing in South–South and Triangular Cooperation. She works in the Agencia Presidencial de Cooperación Internacional de Colombia (APC Colombia) in the South–South Cooperation Data Team. She coordinates data and reports to SIDICSS and UNCTAD. She has supported high-level events such as COP16, the UN World Data Forum, and Greater Caribbean Week. She provides cross-cutting support across Latin America and the Caribbean and develops briefs and inputs for regional events.

Lattanaphone Vongsouthi currently serves as the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In this role, she oversees the coordination and supervision of all Trade-Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) initiatives in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic through the Trade and Private Sector Working Group under the Round Table Process.

She provides strategic guidance and leadership in implementing the Trade and Private Sector Development Roadmap of the Ministry and plays an instrumental role in formulating the Five-Year Industry and Commerce Development Plan (2026–2030).

With more than 15 years of experience in the mobilization and management of development assistance within the trade and private sector spheres, Lattanaphone has held several key positions within the Ministry. Most recently, she served as Director of the National Implementation Unit (NIU), where she contributed significantly to enhancing the effectiveness of Aid for Trade, promoting public–private dialogue to improve the business environment, and advancing technical assistance to strengthen trade facilitation, business competitiveness, and private sector development in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Matthew Wilson is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations in Geneva. Ambassador Wilson has more than 25 years of experience in trade and development.

He is the Chair of the WTO Working Group on Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), Co-Convenor of the WTO Plastics Pollution Dialogue, Coordinator of the Geneva SIDS Ecosystem and coordinator of the ACP in Geneva. Prior to this he was Chief of Special Projects and Chief of Staff at the International Trade Centre (2013–20), Senior Adviser to the WTO Director General (2011–13), and Deputy Aid for Trade Coordinator at WTO.

He has degrees in Psychology and Sociology; International relations; Development Studies; and an MBA-Essentials. He is on the Boards of the International Gender Champions; UNCTAD’s ASYCUDA; and the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS).

Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono is the Director General of International Trade Negotiation at Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade, with a distinguished career in trade diplomacy and policy. He has held key roles as chief or lead negotiator in comprehensive economic partnership agreements with Canada, UAE, EFTA, and Australia, among others. Previously Indonesia’s Ambassador to the WTO, he has directed various departments in the Ministry of Trade including trade advocacy and international trade cooperation analysis. An expert in regional and bilateral trade negotiations, he holds a BA in management from Brawijaya University and a Master’s degree in management and industrial technology from Bandung Institute of Technology. 
 

Ana Isabel Xavier is Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in the Government of the Portuguese Republic.

Before that, she served as Secretary of State for National Defense (April 2024 to June 2025); Associate Professor at Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (UAL); Visiting Professor at Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa; Integrated Researcher at the Centre for International Studies (CEI-Iscte); Researcher at CISD-IUM – Centro de Investigação em Segurança e Defesa of the Portuguese Military University Institute.

She also served as Deputy Director-General for National Defence Policy; President of the Board of the Association of Auditors of National Defence Courses; President of the Board of DECIDE - Association of Young Auditors for Defence, Security and Citizenship.

Ms. Xavier holds a PhD in International Relations from the Faculty of Economics
of the University of Coimbra; a Master's degree in Sociology of Development and Social Transformation (2006) and a degree in International Relations (2003) from the same Faculty.

She also holds a postgraduate degree (2005) in Human Rights and Democratization from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra.

A lawyer by training, Dr. Helge Elisabeth Zeitler has been since April 2024 Director for UN and EU affairs, also covering G7/20 and trade, at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Prior to this post, she held different positions in the international directorate of the European Commission’s Environment Department, with topics ranging from deforestation-free supply chains and international water policy to environmental cooperation at the UN and under various multilateral agreements. Helge Zeitler also served in the past at the EU Delegation to the UN in New York, at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Tanzania and at the German Foreign Ministry.

Mr. Xiangchen Zhang has been Deputy-Director General of WTO since 1 June 2021. He has long and extensive experience on WTO issues, trade negotiations and policy research.

Prior to his current position, he served as Vice Minister of Commerce of China. He was China's Ambassador to the WTO from 2017 to 2020, Deputy China International Trade Representative (vice-minister level) from 2015 to 2017, Assistant Minister of Commerce from 2013 to 2015. He also held several other senior positions in the Ministry of Commerce, including Director General for Policy Research from 2011 to 2013, and Director General for WTO Affairs from 2005 to 2008. In 2005, he was appointed chief negotiator for China-Australia FTA. From 1992 to 2001, he was a leading aide to China's Chief Representative for GATT/WTO accession negotiations.

Mr. Zhang holds a bachelor's degree in law, a master's degree in international relations and a PhD in international politics.

Angela Zhong is a recent Harvard graduate, where she earned a degree in economics and environmental science public policy, along with a citation in Mandarin. Angela has been invited to speak at events including but not limited to: the World Economic Forum, World Bank Spring Meetings, SXSW, the past 3 UN Conference of Parties, the C40 Cities Summit, and many more. For her work, Angela was recognized as the G20 Indonesia 2022 Youth Sustainable and Livable Planet Champion and a Common Purpose 25 under 25. She is currently an analyst at TPG. 

Dr. Martin Zhu is a PhD graduate from the School of Energy and Environment at the City University of Hong Kong and a member of the Green Technology and Finance Development Committee of the HKSAR. He has been recognized among the 3rd Guangdong-HK-Macao Greater Bay Area Outstanding Entrepreneurs and was featured on the 2022 “Innovation China” Youth Entrepreneurship List – Shenzhen U30.

Dr. Zhu’s research focuses on the fundamentals of heat transfer, energy conversion, and engineered materials, with an emphasis on integrating theory and experimentation. Through the HK Tech 300 incubation program, he and his team founded i2Cool, a startup dedicated to commercializing innovative cooling technologies developed in the laboratory to advance energy efficiency.

Omar Zniber is Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva since 2018. He is currently President of the GSTP Committee of Participants and President of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors in Geneva. He previously served as Ambassador to Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Slovenia, and held senior positions in Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He holds a doctorate in public international law from Paris II Panthéon-Assas University.