International Trade Centre gets new Executive Director

A new Executive Director has been appointed for the International Trade Center, a joint UNCTAD and WTO organization.

Ms. Arancha Gonzalez’s appointment was announced August 15, 2013 by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon a press release from the WTO indicated.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Gonzalez served as Chief of Staff to the WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy for the past eight years where she was “intimately involved in setting up the WTO’s Aid for Trade initiative and served as WTO Director-General’s representative (Sherpa) at the G-20” the press release said.

Prior to her appointment she also served in various capacities in the European Commission where she held several positions in the area of international trade, including negotiations of trade agreements, assisting developing countries in benefiting from trading opportunities and as European Commission Spokeswoman for Trade.

Her appointment comes barely two months ago after Roberto Azevedo of Brazil succeeded Pascal Lamy as Director-General of the WTO. Both Ms. Gonzalez and Mr. Azevedo’s appointments take effect from September 1, 2013.

By Dode Seidu