For the first time in the history of the World Trade Organization (WTO), half of the Deputy Directors General are women, according to the release of the international organization.
The appointment, announced on Tuesday (04.05.2021), is a key element of the WTO's work to make trade more inclusive.
In this regard, the Director General Okonjo-Iweala She said: “I am very pleased to announce the appointment of four new Deputy Directors-General at the WTO. This is the first time in the history of our Organization that half of the Deputy Directors-General are women.” She said the move underlines her commitment to strengthening the Organization with talented leaders and achieving gender balance at senior levels.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala announced the appointment of Angela Ellard of the United States, Anabel Gonzalez of Costa Rica, Ambassador Jean-Marie Paugam of France and Ambassador Xiangchen Zhang of China as its four Deputy Directors General.
Women of the American continent
According to the presentation by the Director General of the body that oversees trade laws globally, the two women appointed as Deputy Directors General for the next four years, Angela Ellard and Anabel Gonzalez, belong to the American continent.
Angela Ellard Ellard has a distinguished career of service working in the U.S. Congress as Director of Trade Affairs and Director of Majority-Minority Staff. Ellard is internationally recognized as an expert on trade and international economic policy, negotiating trade agreements and supporting multilateral solutions as part of effective trade and development policy.
At the same time, Anabel Gonzalez She is a leading global expert on trade, investment and economic development, with a proven managerial track record in international organizations and the public sector. González's biography details that she served as Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, Director General of International Trade Negotiations, Director General of the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), and Special Ambassador and Chief Negotiator of the United States-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement. She also served at the World Bank, the WTO as Director of the Agriculture and Commodities Division, and as Principal Consultant of the Inter-American Development Bank.
In addition to the announcement of the female Deputy Directors General, Okonjo-Iweala introduced Jean-Marie Paugam, of the European Union, Y Xiangchen Zhang, from Asia.
Jean-Marie Paugam He has held senior positions in the French government in the area of trade, most recently as Permanent Representative of France to the WTO. He has also held various senior positions in the French Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Xiangchen Zhang He currently holds the position of Vice Minister at the Ministry of Commerce of China. He has extensive experience in WTO issues, international negotiations and policy research. His career spans more than 30 years in international trade.
The new appointments of WTO Deputy Directors-General are a representative example of the Directorate-General's efforts to ensure the full participation of women in the economy in order to build an inclusive society.
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