New Executive Director of ITC is Appointed

Patricia Francis, a citizen of Jamaica, has been appointed Executive Director of ITC. Th e appointment was made by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy. Ms Francis 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," said Mr Lamy.

"Ms Francis' 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 the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

"I am delighted that Patricia Francis has agreed to lead ITC in its quest for new heights in helping the poor benefi t 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 fi elds of trade promotion and technical assistance to developing countries. She will have an important role to play in further developing ITC, whose mission is to help promote exports of developing countries and economies in transition.

Ms Francis has held several important posts in both government and the private sector. She has served as president of her country's trade promotion organization (TPO), the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), for the past ten 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.