Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has announced the formation of two business advisory committees, one made up of influential corporate leaders and the other of well-known members of civil society.
The formation of these organizations intends to increase her involvement with businesses and civil society around the globe and will offer a casual forum for viewpoint-exchange and dialogues with important stakeholders.
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the founder and chairman of Coronation Capital Limited, will oversee operations alongside Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, John Denton, group chairman of Standard Chartered, José Vials, and six other individuals.
The main goal of the corporate and civil society advisory committees is to provide Okonj-Iweala with a forum for both organizations to discuss their viewpoints and insights on pertinent international trade issues. Both teams should get together multiple times a year.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, she organizes the groups in acknowledgment of the value of interacting with the business world and civil society. “Throughout my interactions with these groups, I noticed a great desire to exchange viewpoints on how trade and trade regulations affect their people. By forming the advisory groups, I hope to make such discussions more frequent.
”The formation of these groups builds on past practice and the WTO’s experience with bringing diverse stakeholders perspectives to the trade debate.”
Both groups’ make-up accounts for gender balance, sectoral variety, and geographic diversity.
The Executive-Director of Afrodad, Jason Braganza, the Director-General of Consumers International, Helena Leurent, the President of the International Trade Union Confederation, Gladys Martnez, the Executive-Director of the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense, Akiko Gono, and six other individuals make up the Civil Society Advisory Group.
The Business Advisory Committees will convene on July 4, 2023, while the Civil Society Advisory Group just finished its first meeting yesterday.
