Dr Botchwey gets new appointment at WTO

Tema, July 26, GNA- The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has appointed Dr Kwesi Botchwey, a former Minister of Finance, as one of the members of a Consultative Board of Eminent Persons to advise the (WTO) Director-General on challenges and opportunities confronting the organisation and the multilateral trading system.

A press statement from WTO Headquarters in Geneva said Dr Botchwey, Director, Africa Programmes and Research, Harvard Centre for International Development, Adjunct Lecturer in Public policy, Kennedy School of Government (1998-2002) in the United States, is among eight eminent persons of the Board who have been appointed by Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, the DG of WTO.

The Consultative Board will be charged with preparing a report on how to institutionally, strengthen and equip the WTO to respond effectively to future challenges brought about by an increasingly integrated global economy. Dr Supachai, the statement said, has tasked the Board to reflect on how to improve the functioning of the organisation as it expands, the role of the Secretariat and its resources, and ways to create more effective partnerships with other International organisations and greater public outreach.

Each of the eight eminent individuals have had distinguished careers in government, academia, business, the non-profit sector, trade, and economic policy-making.

Other members of the Board are Mr Peter Sutherland, former DG of the WTO, GATT (1993-95), Chairman, Mr Niall W.A. FitzGerald KBE, Co-Chairman, Mr Prof Jagdish Bhagwait, Columbia University Professor, Prof Koichi Hamada, Professor of Economics, Yale University and Prof John Jackson, Georgetown University Law Professor.

The rest are Professor Celso Lafer, Professor of the Law School of the University of Sao Paulo, Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil (2001-2002) and Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the WTO (1995-98) and Prof Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and President of the French Institute for International Relations.