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international

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Interview with
Pamela Coke-Hamilton

Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)

Based in Geneva, the International Trade Center of COVID-19, in October 2020: I’ve served
(ITC) is the joint technical co-operation agency with the Jamaican Government, the Caribbean
of UNCTAD and of the WTO for business Forum in trade negotiations and multilateral
aspects of trade development. Its main goal is institutions, including the Organization of
to help developing and traditional economies American States, InterAmerican Development
to achieve sustainable human development Bank, Caribbean Export Development Agency
through exports. Since October 2020, Ms. and UNCTAD.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, a Jamaican national has
been the Executive Director of ICT. She has had Coming to Geneva was a full-circle moment for
an impressive career and held several important me. My first posting – more than three decades
positions both in the private and public sector. ago! – was to Geneva. As a young diplomat, I
She is a nice and friendly person, who despite worked on the Uruguay Round negotiations that
her busy schedule took the time to answer created the World Trade Organization… and
our numerous questions as the organization today, I’m leading the joint agency of the WTO
prepared to celebrate it’s 60 anniversary and she and UNCTAD. In a way, I’ve touched upon the
is as busy as ever. work of all three trade institutions here.

You have had a long and impressive career, and Looking back, while Geneva is half a world away
since 2020 you are the Executive Director of the from my hometown of Mandeville in Jamaica,
International Trade Centre. Could you tell us a the idea of pursuing a career in international
little bit about your career that led you to the ITC trade and development was never too far off.
and your priorities for it? For example, where My four siblings and I grew up participating in
would you like to see the organization in a dining table debates on the new international
couple of years? economic order and development. The life of
As to the first part of your question, I’ve worn our grandfather, who was a former speaker of
quite a few hats before joining ITC at the height the house of representatives, framed ours in a lot

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