WTO: 2005 PRESS RELEASES

Press/421
15 November 2005
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Patricia Francis appointed as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO

Patricia Francis has been appointed as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, the joint technical cooperation agency of UNCTAD and WTO for business aspects of trade development. The appointment was made by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy.


Joint WTO-UNCTAD-ITC press release

Ms. Francis, a citizen of Jamaica, will serve for a period of three years, beginning in June 2006.

“Patricia Francis will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to ITC. I look forward to working closely with her to further the interests of developing countries”, Mr. Lamy said.

“Ms. Francis's many years of work on the development dimension of trade and investment, both for her own country and for other developing nations, will be invaluable for ITC”, concurred Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD.

“I am delighted that Patricia Francis has agreed to lead ITC in its quest for new heights in helping the poor benefit from trade. Her drive, vision and unique background in trade and investment promotion will be a real asset for the organization and its clients”, said J. Denis Bélisle, current head of ITC.

Ms. Francis has extensive management experience in the fields of trade promotion and technical assistance to developing countries. She will have an important role to play in further developing the International Trade Centre, whose mission is to help to promote exports of developing countries and countries in transition.

Ms. Francis has held several important posts in both government and the private sector. She served as president of JAMPRO, Jamaica Promotions Corporation, for the past 10 years, and was formerly president of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies. She has worked with ITC to develop a national export strategy for Jamaica. Ms. Francis was chair of the China-Caribbean Business Forum, and as a management consultant advised Latin American and Caribbean countries.

ITC was created by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1964.