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international


                                                         MARKUP II launch Tanzania & Kenya visit women refugees































              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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