Coke-Hamilton to run International Trade Center (ITC)
Pamela Coke-Hamilton of Jamaica was named Executive Director of the International Trade Center (ITC).
ITC is the joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), for international trade and business development.
The appointment was made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres. Coke-Hamilton succeeds Arancha González Laya from Spain.
Coke-Hamilton is currently Director of UNCTAD’s International Trade and Commodities Division.
She has served with the Government of Jamaica at the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) and in international trade negotiations and multilateral institutions, including the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Previously, she served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, strengthening the capacity of the private sector and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through investment promotion.
International Trade
Coke-Hamilton provides a deep understanding of the challenges facing vulnerable economies such as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
It has worked extensively with the private sector in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, as well as with universities and academies to develop institutional strength related to international trade within Member States.
As a strong advocate for gender equality and integration in international trade, she established the Empowered Women through Export (WE-Xport) platform to address the disadvantages women businesses experience in accessing markets.
Coke-Hamilton will lead the organization at a crucial moment given the catastrophic impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has unleashed on the global trading system, particularly MSMEs in developing countries, with the need for ITC to play a vital role to assist in building stronger and more resilient countries and companies.
She has a JD from Georgetown University and a BA in International Relations from the University of the West Indies. She is fluent in English and advanced French and has a working knowledge of Spanish.
