Dear Members, Partners and Friends,

We were honored and delighted to welcome Anabel González, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as our webinar guest in a dialogue with Dr. Philippe G. Nell, Honorary Ambassador of LATCAM.

Our guest speaker covered the major achievements of the WTO during the past years and their impact on Latin America. The benefits of the WTO for Latin America and the synergies with regional integration were also explored. Finally, Ms. González outlined the major challenges of the WTO to address new trade barriers, climate change, digitalization, gender and WTO reforms. (WTO interactive accession map: LINK)

The dialogue partners:

Anabel González is Deputy Director-General at the World Trade Organization since June 2021. She is a renowned global expert on trade, investment, and economic development. She has previously served as Minister of Trade of Costa Rica, Senior Director of the World Bank Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice and Director of the WTO Agriculture Division. Before her current job, she was Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, where she hosted the virtual series Trade Winds, and Senior Advisor at BCG.

Philippe G. Nell is University Lecturer on trade, investment and integration policy as well as negotiating techniques, and Honorary Ambassador of LATCAM. Until October 2019, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Bilateral Economic Affairs and Head of the Americas Unit at the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. He held the diplomatic title of Minister. Previously, he dealt with WTO matters (1999-2004) in charge i.a. of investment and China’s accession to the WTO; Rules of origin, Customs matters and Government Procurement (1992-1999), and the European Area Agreement Negotiations (1988-1992).
Mr. Nell holds a Ph.D from the Graduate School of International Studies of the University of Denver and Masters from the Universities of Fribourg, Carleton (Ottawa) and Denver. He is Privat Docent at the University of Fribourg where he dispenses courses. He has published numerous articles on trade and integration policy as well as a book on Swiss-EU negotiations for the European Economic Area.
In September 2020, he released a book   “Strategy with China: Swiss Cooperation or U.S. Confrontation. The Swiss Successful Path with a Free Trade Agreement” available at the Foundation Jean Monnet for Europe in Lausanne.

A recording of this webinar can be viewed on our YouTube channel LATCAMSWITZERLAND.