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Secondment Programme for Trade Lawyers

The Agreement Establishing the ACWL envisages that the ACWL offer training to government officials through internships, among other means. In fulfilment of this objective, in March 2005, the ACWL launched the Secondment Programme for Trade Lawyers, under which government lawyers from developing country Members and LDCs join the staff of the ACWL as paid trainees for a nine-month term starting in mid-September and ending in mid-June of the following year.

The programme gives government lawyers from developing countries and LDCs an opportunity to work with, and learn from, a team of experienced lawyers that are actively involved in WTO legal issues and dispute settlement proceedings. It is funded by voluntary contributions made by developed country Members of the ACWL. To date, 47 lawyers from 18 developing countries and ten LDCs have been trained under the programme (30 females and 17 males).

Current Participants

Mamonaheng Agnes Faleng (2023-2024)

Ms Mamonaheng Agnes Faleng, from Lesotho, is a Legal Officer at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Business Development and Tourism. Her responsibilities include advising on WTO compliance, trade policy, international trade law and other trade-related matters, as well as negotiating the legal, institutional, and dispute settlement chapters of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and protocols under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.

Ms Faleng holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the National University of Lesotho and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in International Commercial and Business Law from Bangor University United Kingdom (on a Chevening Scholarship). She has also successfully completed several short-term training courses on trade policy, dispute settlement, and multilateral trade negotiations conducted by the WTO, UNCTAD, AU, SACU, and other agencies.

Chandiwari Mallawa Arachchige (2023-2024)

Ms Chandiwari Mallawa Arachchige, from Sri Lanka, is a legal officer at the Department of Commerce. Her responsibilities include implementing trade remedy laws and providing guidance to government agencies on international trade-related issues. She is also involved in Sri Lanka’s bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations with its trading partners.

Ms Mallawa Arachchige holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree (with honors) from the University of Colombo and a Diploma in International Relations from the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, Sri Lanka. She also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Staffordshire University, United Kingdom.

Julio Kunda Muya (2023-2024)

Mr. Julio Kunda Muya, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a civil servant at the Department of Multilateral and Regional Trade Agreements of the Ministry of Foreign Trade. His responsibilities include advising his government on WTO and international trade law. Mr. Kunda Muya represented his country at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva and also represents his country before various international and regional organizations, including the WTO, UNCTAD, UNCITRAL, and SADC.

Mr. Kunda Muya holds a Master’s degree in Global ICT Policy from PUSAN National University in South Korea , an Executive Master diploma and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Trade Policy and international trade law from the African Trade Policy Training Center (TRAPCA) in Arusha (Tanzania) and Lund University in Sweden and a Licence degree in applied computing from the higher institute of computer sciences, programming and analysis in Kinshasa (DR Congo). He also holds diplomas and certificates in trade law and policy from a range of institutions, including the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, the Clingendael Institute (the Netherlands Institute of International Relations), the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern, and the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning.

Muhammad Umar Riaz (2023-2024)

Mr. Muhammad Umar Riaz, from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a Section Officer in the Ministry of Commerce. His responsibilities include drafting legal opinions and reports on the government’s policies on international trade-related issues for consideration by the Federal Cabinet and for submission in Pakistani courts. He also advises the office of the Additional Attorney General on trade-related cases in Pakistani courts. He is also responsible for liaising with other organizations involved in the implementation of trade-related policies, including the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority, and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.

Mr. Riaz has received trainings from the World Trade Organization, the Pakistan Institute of Trade & Development, and the Civil Services Academy.

Moreover, Mr. Riaz is tasked with preparing summaries for the Federal Cabinet’s consideration of trade-related measures. His professional background also includes service within the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan. Before embarking on his career in the Civil Service of Pakistan, he served in the Government of Punjab. Mr. Riaz was enrolled as an Advocate in Pakistan in the year 2012.

Mr. Riaz holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and a Master of Arts (M.A.) (Political Science) (achieving the Roll of Honour and Certificates of Academic Distinction). He has also received training in WTO law from the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, as well as training from the Pakistan Institute of Trade & Development and the Pakistan Civil Service Academy.

Former Participants 2022 - 2023

Valentina Botello León (2022-2023)

Ms Valentina Botello León, from the Republic of Colombia, is a lawyer in the International Legal Affairs Bureau at Colombia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism. She has represented Colombia in the negotiation of free trade agreements and before trade organisations (such as the WTO, the Andean Community and the Pacific Alliance). She also drafts legal opinions on Colombia’s international trade commitments. Before joining the Ministry, she worked as a counsel in an investment arbitration law firm.

Ms Botello León holds a Law Degree from the Universidad Externado de Colombia and a Master’s Degree in Public International Law from Paris II Panthéon-Assas University. She is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Edmée Ratefinanahary Rantoarivola (2022-2023)

Ms Edmée Ratefinanahary Rantoarivola, from Madagascar, is a civil servant in Madagascar’s Commission on Trade and Competition, she evolved within the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry in charge of Industry and Trade and co-chaired the National Council on Trade Facilitation before being responsible for studies at the General Secretariat.

She has also chaired the Board of the Madagascar Standards Bureau.

Her responsibilities include analyzing international, regional, and bilateral trade agreements, and participating in negotiations on these agreements.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Law from the University of Antananarivo.

Ms Bwalya Mwansa Salamu (2022-2023)

Ms Bwalya Mwansa Salamu, from the Republic of Zambia, is Counsel in Zambia’s Ministry of Justice. Her responsibilities include negotiating and drafting domestic and international agreements, drafting legal opinions and advising the government on the signing and ratification of or accession to international agreements. She has represented the government in bilateral trade negotiations for the development of border agreements.

Ms. Salamu holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Zambia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting from the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education.

Ms Hoang Mai Tran (2022-2023)

Ms Hoang Mai Tran, from Viet Nam, is an officer at the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam. Her work involves anti-dumping/countervailing duty investigations against foreign products and drafting of legislation and regulations in the trade remedies area.

Ms Hoang Mai Tran holds a Bachelor of Law Degree from Hanoi Law University, a Bachelor of Accounting Degree from the National Economics University (Viet Nam) and a LL.M. in Global Business Law from University of Washington School of Law.

Former Participants 2016 - 2021
Kadijatu Zainab Bangura

Kadijatu Zainab Bangura (2021-2022)

Ms Kadijatu Zainab Bangura, from Sierra Leone, is a State Counsel at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Sierra Leone. From 2012-2019, she served in the Law Officers Department of the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney-General (Sierra Leone) as State Counsel.  Her responsibilities included providing legal advisory opinions to Ministries and Government Agencies, the review of contracts and memoranda of understandings, as well as representing the government’s interests in domestic legal proceedings.
Ms Bangura holds an LL.B (with Honors) degree from the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and recently completed a Master’s degree in Global Legal Studies at Maynooth University (Ireland). She has also participated in the United Nations Regional Course in International Law for Africa (RCIL Africa) organized by the United Nations, in 2015.
Andrea Maria Gonzalez

Andrea Maria Gonzalez (2021-2022)

Ms Andrea Maria Gonzalez, from El Salvador, is a Counselor at the Ministry of Economy. Her responsibilities include promoting investment opportunities in El Salvador to foreign and local investors and assisting them in facilitating business establishment and operations. Her work involves drafting legal opinions and regulations for El Salvador’s Investment and Special Economic Zones policies.
Ms Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Laws (with Honors) from Escuela Superior de Economia y Negocios ESEN and a Master in International Business Administration from National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei. She has also participated in the MBA exchange program of Schulich School of Business at York University.
Abraham Zaqi Kromah

Abraham Zaqi Kromah (2021-2022)

Mr. Abraham Zaqi Kromah, from Liberia, is a Legal Officer in the Department of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, Trade & Industry. His responsibilities include advising and drafting legal opinions on a wide range of WTO and intellectual property-related topics.
Mr. Kromah is a Master of Laws (LL.M.) candidate in International Trade, Business, and Investment Law, from the University of the Western Cape. He also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Transnational Law of Intellectual Property and Informational Technology from Georg-August Universität Göttingen, as well as a Bachelor of Laws from Cairo University.
Aldina Sakhi

Aldina Sakhi (2021-2022)

Ms Aldina Sakhi, from Kazakhstan, is a governmental official at the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan. Ms Sakhi was directly involved and contributed as key member of Kazakhstan’s negotiating team on trade in services and investment issues during its accession to the World Trade Organization, the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union, its accession to the Investment Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. She also participated in the conclusion of various bilateral trade and investment agreements, including the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union.
From 2017-2021, Ms Sakhi served as a diplomat at the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to UNOG and WTO in Geneva. She coordinated Kazakhstan’s participation in a number of ongoing negotiations in the WTO, such as Joint Statement Initiatives on E-commerce, Investment Facilitation, Services Domestic Regulation as well as the WTO reforms and other key agenda issues of the 12th Ministerial Conference.
Ms Sakhi holds a bachelor degree in Public Administration from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and a LLM in Civil Law from Moscow University for Industry and Finance.
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Alejandro Matsuno Remigio (2020-2021)

Mr. Alejandro Matsuno Remigio, from Peru, is a legal counsel for economic affairs and international economic negotiations at Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He advises on a wide range of WTO and intellectual property-related issues at multilateral and bilateral levels, and has represented Peru in the WTO trade policy review and dispute settlement mechanisms, as well as in WIPO and other international economic organizations.
Additionally, on behalf of his Ministry, he has served as deputy commissioner on national task forces on matters such as international investment disputes, the regulation of international food safety and health standards, biosecurity and biopiracy. He also oversees the enforcement of Peruvian intellectual property rights abroad through the Peruvian Foreign Service.
Mr. Matsuno Remigio holds a Master of International Law and Economics (magna cum laude) from the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern, Switzerland, and a LL.B. (with distinction) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). He has also been an adjunct lecturer on international law at the PUCP School of Law.
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Nada Morsy Elzahar (2020-2021)

Ms Nada Morsy Elzahar, from Egypt, is a State Counselor at the Egyptian State Lawsuits Authority (ESLA). Her responsibilities include representing Egypt in investment arbitrations (before ICSID, PCA) and in international commercial arbitration. Her work involves drafting legal opinions and memorials and representing Egypt in hearings.
Ms Morsy Elzahar holds a Bachelor of Laws (with honors) from Ain Shams University (graduating second in her class) and a French legal studies diploma from Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University. She also holds a Master II in International and European Business Law from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University (graduating third in her class). She has also participated in summer courses organized by the Hague Academy for International Law, the Paris & Africa Arbitration Academies, and Columbia University in New York.
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Sadia Sultan (2020-2021)

Ms Sadia Sultan, from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a Section Officer in the Foreign Trade Wing (Europe & Americas) at the Ministry of Commerce. Her responsibilities include carrying out bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations with Pakistan’s counterparts. She is also the desk officer for the implementation of the 27 UN Conventions linked to EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP Plus). She has represented the State on behalf of the foreign importers in commercial trade disputes before the Commercial Courts.
Before joining the Civil Service of Pakistan in 2017 as a Commerce and Trade Group Officer, she was an Advocate of the High Court in Pakistan with five year of litigation experience.
Ms. Sultan holds a Law Degree from the University of London.
Shazia Bi Kurmoo

Shazia Bi Kurmoo (2019-2020)

Ms Shazia Bi Kurmoo, from Mauritius, is a Trade Policy Analyst at the International Trade Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade. Her responsibilities include assisting in the definition and implementation of Mauritius’s trade policy; providing support in trade negotiations; acting as desk officer for the WTO Fisheries Subsidies negotiations as well as providing support in trade remedies matters. Her work involves also liaising with regional trade organisations, other ministries, and the private sector on trade policy issues.
Ms Kurmoo holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Mauritius, as well as a Master’s Degree in International Relations Law and European Union Law from Université Paris Nanterre.
Ms Laura Magaly Fernandez

Laura Magaly Fernandez (2019-2020)

Ms Laura Magaly Fernandez, from Paraguay, is a Lawyer at the Directorate of Industry Development from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Her responsibilities include the review of trade-related laws and other normative provisions related to the industrial sector. She also represents the Ministry at meetings with the private sector to review and improve procedures relating to the importation and exportation of goods.
Ms Fernandez holds a Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Asuncion, as well as a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the Higher Institute of Business and Taxation of Paraguay.
Marvin Ikondere

Marvin Ikondere (2019-2020)

Mr. Marvin Ikondere, from Uganda, is a Lawyer and Legal Advisor at the Department of International Legal and Social Affairs, Trade Law Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His responsibilities include drafting and vetting memoranda of understanding and international trade agreements; providing legal opinions and advising on the consistency of Uganda’s trade laws and obligations under international agreements; preparing for and advising on trade facilitation negotiations and the review of Uganda’s Trade Policy Review.
Mr. Ikondere holds an LLM in International Treaty Law from Euclid University, Gambia and a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University, Uganda.
Andres Valladares

Andrés Valladares (2019-2020)

Mr. Andrés Valladares, from Guatemala, has served as a Legal Consultant at the National Program for Competitiveness, an official branch of the Ministry of Economy, since 2014. His responsibilities include promoting interinstitutional alliances between the public and private sectors to improve Guatemala’s competitiveness; providing documentation and developing specific procedures on business and trade to facilitate the exchange of information and to improve business opportunities in Guatemala. Mr. Valladares also works closely with the Fiscal Authority of Guatemala in order to reduce customs formalities and procedures that could affect the access to the Guatemalan market.
Mr. Valladares has a Law Degree from the Universidad Rafael Landivar, Guatemala.
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Koolanant Boonyasait (2018-2019)

Ms Koolanant Boonyasait, from Thailand, is a Trade Officer at Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand. Her responsibilities include drafting and vetting memoranda of understanding and international trade agreements; providing legal opinions on the consistency of trade-related legislations and regulations with international trade law and Thailand’s obligations under international agreements; preparing and advising on FTA negotiations with respect to legal and institutional chapters, including the dispute settlement chapters.
Ms Boonyasait holds a Bachelor of Laws from Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, as well as Master and PHD degrees in European Union Law from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
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Mulualem Getachew (2018-2019)

Mr. Mulualem Getachew, from Ethiopia, is a Legal Counsel and First Secretary at the International Organizations Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where his duties drafting legal and policy opinions in the area of humanitarian issues relating to migration and refugees. In this capacity, he has represented Ethiopia in several international fora, including the six rounds of negotiation on Global Compact for Migration. He has also served as the WTO Desk Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working closely with the Steering and Technical Committee for Ethiopia’s WTO accession. He previously worked as an intern in the Office of the African Union Legal Counsel.
Mr. Getachew holds a postgraduate diploma in International Relations from the Ethiopian Civil Service University and an LL.B. from the University of Hawassa, School of Law and Governance.
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Gopisetty Sai Krishna Prasad (2018-2019)

Mr. Gopisetty Sai Krishna Prasad, from the Republic of India, is an Assistant Director in the Trade Policy Division (Rules Desk) at the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. His responsibilities include WTO dispute settlement, as well as bilateral/multilateral dispute settlement and trade remedies related negotiations. His work involves liaising with other Ministries on WTO related issues, providing assistance on WTO compatible policy formulation and implementation, drafting, and participating in WTO/FTA negotiations on dispute settlement, trade remedies, and institutional provisions.
Mr. Sai Krishna Prasad belongs to the Indian Trade Service, Batch of 2014. He graduated with a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) degree from National Law Institute University, Bhopal and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in International Trade & Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi.
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Sílvia Mulhovo (2018-2019)

Ms Sílvia Mulhovo, from Mozambique, is a Legal Officer in in the Department of Economic and Finance Studies of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Mozambique, which she joined in 2017 following a one-year internship at the World Trade Organization. Her duties include advising on WTO and other issues affecting Mozambique’s trade policy. Prior to her WTO internship, Ms Mulhovo worked for Mozambique’s Department of International Cooperation, where her responsibilities included acting as the focal point for implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Investment and Finance and the SADC Protocol of Trade, monitoring and advising on issues related to the negotiation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, participating in negotiations with Economic Cooperation Partners (World Bank) for social and economic development programmes, and preparing legal opinions on economic and social development agreements.
Ms Mulhovo holds a Master’s Degree in International Trade and Development from the Institute of International Trade of Adelaide, Australia, and Bachelor Degree in Law, from University of Lisbon.
Kahaki Judith Jere

Kahaki Judith Jere (2017-2018)

Ms Kahaki Jere, from the Republic of Malawi, is a Legislative Counsel in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Her responsibilities include drafting of principal and subsidiary legislation in the areas of trade including intellectual property, competition, health, education, aviation and information; drafting and vetting of agreements, contracts and memoranda of understanding to which Government is a Party, loan and grant negotiations on behalf of the Government, with Development Partners like the World Bank; and advising on negotiation of international agreements at different fora such as SADC, COMESA, and the African Union.
Ms Jere holds a Master’s degree in International Trade Law from the University of Cape Town, a Post Graduate Legislative Drafting Certificate from Ghana Law School, and an LL.B. from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College. She previously worked as an intern at Tralac and a secondee to the Legislative Counsel office of Alberta, Canada.
Aruna Joshi

Aruna Joshi (2017-2018)

Ms Aruna Joshi, from Nepal, is an Under Secretary at the International Law and Treaties Division in the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Nepal. Her responsibilities include: drafting legal opinions on matters related to international law; research, reviewing and analysing various issues of international law; advising on Nepal’s negotiations of multilateral and bilateral agreements, including trade agreements and other international legal agreements.
Ms Joshi holds an LL.B. degree and an LL.M. in Business and International Trade Law from Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal. Recently, she had participated in the United Nations Fellowship in International Law, 2017 at the Hague, the Netherlands.
Likonelo Alicia Lebone

Likonelo Alicia Lebone (2017-2018)

Ms Likonelo Lebone from Lesotho is the Chief Legal Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Her responsibilities include providing legal advice on trade policy and trade-related matters, including the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements such as the SACU+- and SADC, the Economic Partnership Agreement between the SADC member states and the EU, and the COMESA –EAC-SADC FTA Tripartite negotiations. She is also responsible for vetting agreements, preparing legislation drafting instructions, and assessing laws proposed by other Ministries to ensure consistency with trade laws and Lesotho’s obligations under international trade agreements, including the WTO.
Ms Lebone holds a Bachelor of Laws and LL.B. degrees from the National University of Lesotho and an LL.M. in Commercial Law from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Huong Giang Pham

Huong Giang Pham (2017-2018)

Ms Giang Huong Pham, from Viet Nam, is a Deputy Director of Trade Remedies Compliance Division under Trade Remedies Authority, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam. Her responsibilities deal with supervising trade remedies compliance issues including trade remedies cases against exports of Viet Nam, WTO dispute settlement, bilateral and multilateral negotiations, market economy status, and other related issues. In this capacity, she provides legal advice to relevant government authorities and technical assistance to business communities on issues relating to Viet Nam’s participation in various bilateral and multilateral for a, including FTA negotiations, WTO dispute settlement proceedings, trade policy review, and WTO negotiations.
Ms Giang holds a MSc. in International Business from the University of Birmingham, UK (under Chevening scholarship), an LL.B. at Ha Noi University of Law, 2 B.A. in International Business Economics (University of Foreign Trade) and in Chinese language (Ha Noi University), a certificate of the training program for lawyers at the Judicial Academy in Viet Nam. Ms Giang is also a member of Viet Nam Society of International Law.
Iftiaal-Al-Adawi

Iftiaal Al Adawi (2016-2017)

Mrs. Iftiaal Al Adawi, from the Sultanate of Oman, is a Legal Researcher at the Ministry of Legal Affairs in Muscat, Oman. Her responsibilities include: reviewing conventions and treaties;  alternative dispute resolution, including construction arbitrations; drafting and reviewing government contracts and pre-tender documents;  standardisation of contracts for the Ministries of Health, Education, and Housing; and researching and drafting legal opinions.
Mrs. Al Adawi has an LL.M. in International and Comparative Commercial Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, including an intercollegiate course on World Trade Law and Trade Linkages in the WTO at UCL, as well as an LL.B. from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
Kuenzang-Dorji

Kuenzang Dorji (2016-2017)

Mr. Kuenzang Dorji, from Bhutan, is a Legal Officer for Department of Trade under Ministry of Economic Affairs, where he advises on trade policy, negotiation and implementation of bilateral and regional agreement to which Bhutan is party and on dispute settlement.  Mr. Dorji holds a Postgraduate Diploma in National Law from Royal Institute of Management in Bhutan and has LL.B. (Hons.) degree from NALSAR University of Law, Andra Pradesh, India.  He also holds various certificates in the area of trade and international trade training organized by WTO and other training institutions such as UNESCAP and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade , New Delhi, India.
Dennis-Muhambe

Dennis Muhambe (2016-2017)

Dennis Muhambe is a Foreign Service Officer and a lawyer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya. In this position, he provides legal advice to the Ministry on foreign policy, trade policy, international law, negotiations, and the drafting and implementation of bilateral and multilateral agreements. He was involved in the drafting of Kenya’s Trade Remedies Bill, which provides for the establishment of the Kenyan Trade Remedies Agency.  The Bill is currently pending in Parliament.
Mr. Muhambe holds an LL.M. in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University Law Centre in Washington DC, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the Kenya School of Law, and an LL.B. from Moi University in Kenya. In 2010 – 2011, he participated in the Fellows Program of the Institute of International Economic Law of Georgetown University Law Centre.  He has also benefited from short term training courses on trade policy, multilateral negotiations, and intellectual property conducted by the WTO, UN, and WIPO respectively.
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Hernán Muñoz Pérez (2016-2017)

Mr. Hernán G. Muñoz Pérez, from Paraguay, is a lawyer in the Department of Multilateral Economic Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  His responsibilities include reviewing the economical and multilateral aspects of issues related to Paraguay’s status as a landlocked developing country.  He is also involved in coordinating between capital and Paraguay’s WTO Mission on some WTO disciplines, especially the Trade Facilitation Agreement negotiations and implementation process, as well as Dispute Settlement procedures and negotiations.  Mr. Muñoz Pérez assisted as a member of the legal team that represents Paraguay in WTO disputes in which Paraguay participates as a third party. Mr Muñoz Pérez has a law degree from the Universidad Nacional de Asunción in Paraguay. He also holds a degree as a Notary Public from the Universidad Autónoma de Asunción.
Former Participants 2010 - 2015
Karyn Aneno

Karyn Aneno (2015-2016)

Ms Karyn Sandra Aneno, from Uganda, is a Senior Legal Officer in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives of Uganda, where she provides legal advice on trade policy, negotiation and implementation of international agreements and treaties, and on dispute settlement. She was very involved in the negotiations on “Economic Partnership Agreements” (EPAs) between the European Union and the EAC countries, from 2011 to date, and in the ongoing COMESA-EAC–SADC Tripartite FTA negotiations (leading the trade remedy and dispute settlement chapters). Ms Aneno holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Uganda and an LL.B. (Hons.) degree from Makerere University, Uganda.  She also holds various certificates in the area of trade and international trade negotiations from the WTO, TRAPCA, and other training institutions.
Maria Base

Maria Base (2015-2016)

Ms Maria Graciela D. Base, from the Philippines, is an Associate Solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines, which represents the Philippine Government before domestic courts and international tribunals. Ms Base is part of a Task Force at the Office of the Solicitor General that assists the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the WTO in dispute settlement proceedings in which the Philippines is involved.  Ms Base holds a law degree from the University of the Philippines. She placed fifth in the 2012 Philippine Bar examinations.
Laichea Chea

Laichea Chea (2015-2016)

Mr. Chea Laichea, from Cambodia, is a Deputy Chief of the WTO Affairs Office of the Department of Notifications and Legal Compliance of Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce. His responsibilities include reviewing existing laws or regulations, participating in the drafting review process of Cambodian laws and regulations to ensure compliance with WTO obligations, coordinating with Cambodian inter-ministry groups to work on Cambodia’s trade policy reviews, and assisting in assembling government teams to participate in international trade negotiations. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Economics from the National University of Management in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and a Master of Laws in International Economic and Business Law from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan.
Ana Garces

Ana Garcés (2015-2016)

Ms Ana María Garcés Escobar, from Colombia, is a lawyer at the International Legal Affairs Bureau of the Colombian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. The International Legal Affairs Bureau represents Colombia in all international trade matters, including the defense of Colombia’s interests in international dispute settlement proceedings.   Ms Garcés Escobar was a member of the legal team representing Colombia in its ongoing WTO disputes, both as a party and as a third party.  Her responsibilities included drafting Colombia’s submissions and assisting with evidence gathering and analysis, as well as providing the Ministry with legal advice regarding international trade matters, including legal assessments of trade measures to be adopted by Colombia and other countries.  Ms Garcés Escobar has a law degree from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá Colombia. She also holds a degree in Economics and a Graduate degree in International Business Law from the same university.
Nathalie Diaz

Nathalie Diaz (2014-2015)

Ms Nathalie Diaz, from Peru, has a law degree from the Catholic University of Peru and has also completed her master studies in International Law and Economics at the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern in Switzerland.
As the Legal Coordinator at the Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duties Commission of the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), she has been responsible for the coordination of numerous trade remedies investigations and has also provided technical assistance on trade remedies matters to the Peruvian Ministry of Trade and Tourism in the negotiations of free trade agreements with several WTO Members.
She previously worked at the Defense of Competition Tribunal of INDECOPI and the Legal Advisory Division of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Angela Kaunda

Angela Kaunda (2014-2015)

Ms Angela Kaunda from Malawi is a Legislative Counsel in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Her responsibilities include drafting of principal and subsidiary legislation, drafting, negotiating and vetting of Government Agreements and legal arrangements including Memoranda of Understanding, and the provision of legal advice to Government Ministries and Departments including the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
She holds an LL.B. (Honours) degree from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom and an LL.M. degree in Banking and Finance Law from Queen Mary College, University of London, United Kingdom. She is admitted to the Bar of England and Wales, (Honourable society of the Inner Temple) and to the Bar of Malawi.
Thi Nhung Nguyen

Thi Nhung Nguyen (2014-2015)

Ms Thi Nhung Nguyen, from Vietnam, is a legal officer at the Department of International Law of Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice. Her responsibilities include assisting the government of Vietnam in investor- state disputes, and providing legal opinions to ministries and government agencies on their proposed measures for the negotiation and implementation of Vietnam’s FTAs, as well as opinions on procedural and substantive issues relating to WTO rules.
She has an LL.B. from National University in Hanoi, Viet Nam and an LL.M. in public and international law, from Melbourne Law School, Australia.
Shailja Singh

Shailja Singh (2014-2015)

Ms Shailja Singh, from India, is a legal consultant at the Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi. Her responsibilities include assisting the Government of India in WTO disputes where India is a party or a third party, and providing legal opinion on issues relating to the WTO and free trade agreement rules and negotiations.
She is also involved in the various international as well as national capacity building programmes on WTO issues conducted by the Centre for WTO Studies, where she acts as a resource person.
Ms Singh has an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and a B.A. LL.B. (Honours) from the W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, India.
Maryanne Macheru

Maryanne Macheru (2013-2014)

Ms Maryanne Macheru is a State Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General, Kenya. Her responsibilities include representing the government on commercial law claims before domestic courts and tribunals, advising government ministries and state agencies on international agreements as well as negotiating, drafting and reviewing government contracts. She has an LL.B. (Honours) from the University of Nairobi and an LL.M. in International Trade, Business and Investments Law from University of the Western Cape, South Africa. She is admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a member of the Law Society of Kenya.
Karolyn Salcedo

Karolyn Salcedo (2013-2014)

Ms Karolyn Salcedo, from the Dominican Republic, is a lawyer in the Legal Department of Customs of the Dominican Republic. Her duties include the review of legal draft documents regarding trade and commerce, and preparing legal opinions regarding customs matters. Ms Salcedo is a member of the steering committee in the Single Window for International Trade Project, which included the drafting of the legal documents for the implementation of the Single Window, such as Presidential Decree, Memorandum of Understanding and Service Level Agreements. Ms Salcedo has also worked in a law firm in the Dominican Republic on matters related to corporate affairs and Intellectual Property Rights. She has a Law Degree from Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra in Dominican Republic, and a LL.M. in International Economic Law and Policy, from the University of Barcelona, Spain.
Saffie Sankareh

Saffie Sankareh (2013-2014)

Ms Saffie Sankareh, from the Gambia, is a State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Justice. Her responsibilities include representing Government interests in domestic courts, drafting of primary and subsidiary legislation, preparing treaty documents for ratification as well as offering legal opinion to Ministries and Government Agencies. Ms Sankareh holds an LL.B. (Honours) degree from the University of Aberystwyth in Wales and an LL.M. (Honours) degree in International law from the University of Bristol in England. She is admitted as a Barrister at law (Gray’s inn) in the United Kingdom and is also admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Gambia.
Miguel Castro

Miguel Castro Riberos (2012-2013)

Mr. Miguel Castro Riberos, from Colombia, is a lawyer in the International Legal Affairs Office of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism. In that role, he drafts Colombia’s submissions as a third party in WTO disputes, provides legal advice on trade law and on implementing free trade agreements. Mr. Castro has also worked for four years for law firms in Colombia on matters related to customs, international trade and antitrust law. Additionally, he has lectured at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Law School in Colombia on WTO law. Mr. Castro holds a law degree and a specialization degree in antitrust and international trade law from that same law school.
Kamontip

Kamontip Pasoontarakarn (2012-2013)

Ms Kamontip Pasoontarakarn, from Thailand, is a trade officer in the Department of Trade Negotiations of Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce. Her duties include providing legal opinions on procedural and substantive issues relating to WTO rules, as well as opinions regarding negotiation and implementation of Thailand’s FTAs and economic cooperation agreements. She has a Bachelor of Economics from Peking University, a Juris Doctor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Master of Laws from American University Washington College of Law.
Kini Vili

Loukinikini Vili (2012-2013)

Ms Loukinikini Vili, from the Independent State of Samoa, is a State Solicitor in the Civil Litigation and Opinions Division in the Office of the Attorney General. Her responsibilities include representing the government in civil claims before domestic courts and tribunals, providing legal opinions to Samoa’s government departments, as well as negotiating, drafting and reviewing government contracts. She holds a law degree from the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu, and is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Samoa. She is also a member of the Samoa Law Society.
Faisal Al-Nabhani

Faisal Al-Nabhani (2011-2012)

Mr. Faisal Al-Nabhani is a legal researcher with the Ministry of Legal Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman. His responsibilities include reviewing draft conventions and treaties that the government intends to conclude and preparing the implementing legislation as well as drafting legal opinions. Mr. Al-Nahbani has a Masters of Law in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University Law Centre, a Diploma in Legal Practice from Oxford University and a law degree from the University of Warwick. He is a student member of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Pablo Escobar

Pablo Escobar (2011-2012)

Mr. Pablo Escobar is a lawyer with the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the WTO. His duties include participating in the Doha Round negotiations, including Trade Facilitation, Trade and Environment, Fisheries Subsidies, Agriculture and reform of the Dispute Settlement Understanding. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Panamerican Center and a Juris Doctor from Universidad del Azuay. He graduated from the Academia Diplomática Ecuador with distinction.
Jeremy Kumajas

Jeremy Kumajas (2011-2012)

Mr. Jeremy Kumajas is a lawyer with the Legal Bureau of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. His responsibilities include drafting regulations for the Ministry of Trade and ensuring consistency with national as well as international law. He has a degree in Economic Law from Universitas Indonesia and a Masters of Law from Maastricht University.
Mesut Aydin

Mesut Aydin (2010-2011)

Mr. Mesut Aydin, from Turkey, is a foreign trade expert in Turkey’s Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade. His responsibilities include negotiating and concluding free trade agreements with the countries covered by the European Union’s common commercial policy. He has law degrees from Gazi University Law School and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Gaewgarn Fuangtong

Gaewgarn Fuangtong (2010-2011)

Ms Gaewgarn Fuangtong, from Thailand, is a trade officer in the Bureau of Trade Interests and Remedies in Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce. Her responsibilities include assisting in anti-dumping proceedings initiated by Thailand as well as assisting Thai producers to defend in trade remedy proceedings initiated by other WTO Members. She has law degrees from Thammasat University in Bangkok, the University of Chicago and New York University.
Jose Mario Elino Tan

Jose Mario Elino Tan (2010-2011)

Mr. Jose Mario Elino Tan, from the Philippines, is a lawyer in the Office of the Solicitor-General of the Philippines, which represents the government of the Philippines before domestic courts and international tribunals such as WTO panels and the Appellate Body. Mr. Tan holds a law degree from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. He is a member of the California bar and the integrated bar of the Philipines.
Former Participants 2005 - 2009
Catherine Muganga

Catherine Muganga (2009-2010)

Ms Catherine Muganga, from Uganda, is a state attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda. She has recently been involved in the negotiations on “Economic Partnership Agreements” between the European Community and the EAC countries. Ms Muganga holds an LL.B. degree (Honours) from Makerere University, Uganda, and an LL.M. degree from Dalhousie University, Canada. Upon completing her secondment in 2010, Ms Muganga returned to her position at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Directorate of Legal Advisory Services.
Shandana Gulzar Khan

Shandana Gulzar Khan (2008-2009)

Ms Shandana Gulzar Khan, from Pakistan, has law degrees from the University of Peshawar and the University of Cambridge.
As the Legal Affairs Officer at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the WTO in Geneva for the last two years, she has been responsible for the legal work of the mission, including negotiations on the Dispute Settlement Understanding and the TRIPS Agreement.
She previously worked at Azam Chaudhry Law Associates and the Asian Institute of Trade and Development in Islamabad. She has also published various articles on WTO matters.
Liang-Rong Lin

Liang-Rong Lin (2008-2009)

Ms Liang-Rong Lin, from Chinese Taipei, has an LL.B. and LL.M. degree from Taiwan University and Soochow University, respectively, both in Chinese Taipei. She was also a visiting scholar at Yale Law School. She is currently a legal advisor in the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, where she provides legal advice on trade policy, negotiations and dispute settlement. She has drafted several third party submissions for WTO disputes in which Chinese Taipei was involved. She previously represented the government as a public prosecutor in criminal cases including high-profile cases on corruption. Ms Lin is also a reporter for the Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Courts. In November 2008, Ms Lin won Chinese Taipei’s Top Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award, which honours young people who excel in their chosen field. Ms Lin won in the category of public administration and was recognised for her achievement as a prosecutor in high-profile corruption cases.
Gheidy Gallo Santos

Gheidy Gallo Santos (2008-2009)

Ms Gheidy Gallo Santos, from Colombia, has a B.A. degree in Law from the National University of Colombia. She currently works as a Legal Adviser in International Economic Law at the Entrepreneurial Development Office of the National Planning Department and is a member of the Colombian Negotiating Team for International Trade Agreements in the Institutional Provisions and Dispute Settlement Chapters. She previously worked for the Colombian Senate Committee on International Relations and Foreign Trade. She has also worked at Ramirez & Orozco International Strategy Consultants in Colombia on matters related to International Economic Law, especially, the FTA negotiating process between Colombia and the United States. Additionally, she has lectured at the Faculty of Law of the National University on the law of economic integration in Colombia.
Talat Kaya

Talat Kaya (2007-2008)

Before he joined the ACWL in 2007, Mr. Talat Kaya, from Turkey, worked as a Foreign Trade Expert in Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade. In that capacity, he worked on trade and competition policy issues and regularly attended the Textile Committee meetings of the EC Commission. He graduated from Ankara University Law Faculty and received an LL.M. from Vanderbilt University, USA, where he wrote a thesis on the patentability of computer programs under the TRIPS Agreement. Upon completing his secondment in 2008, Mr. Kaya returned to his position at the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade.
Pema Rinzin

Pema Rinzin (2007-2008)

Prior to joining the ACWL in 2007, Mr. Pema Rinzin, from Bhutan, was a senior Assistant Attorney General working in the Office of the Attorney General. Mr. Rinzin was also a member of the team that worked on the accession of Bhutan to the WTO. He has a B.A. degree (Honours) from Delhi University, an LL.B. from Bombay University in India and an LL.M. from the National University of Singapore. Upon completing his secondment in 2008, Mr. Rinzin returned to his position in the Office of the Attorney General.
Sophia Sitati

Sophia Sitati (2007-2008)

Ms Sophia Sitati joined the ACWL in 2007 from Kenya, where she was a State Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Treaties and Agreements. Her responsibilities included advising government Ministries, departments and state corporations in negotiating and implementing international agreements and treaties. She has an LL.B. (Honours) from the University of Nairobi and is undertaking a M.A. in International Studies at the same university. Upon completing her secondment in 2008, Ms Sitati returned to the State Law Office as Senior State Counsel.
Mary Kachale

Mary Kachale (2006-2007)

At the time she joined the ACWL, Ms Mary Kachale, from Malawi, was Senior Assistant Chief State Advocate in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in Malawi. Her responsibilities included giving legal advice to government departments and ministries, such as the Ministry of Trade and Private Sector Development. She has a B.A. degree (Honours) from the University of Malawi and a Diploma in International Protection of Human Rights from the Institute for Human Rights, Abo Akademi, Finland. She participated in the regional training seminar on WTO dispute settlement rules in Nairobi in 2003. Upon completing her secondment in 2007, Ms. Kachale returned to her position in the Ministry of Justice. In 2009, she was awarded an LL.M. in Public International Law at the University College, London; in 2010 she commenced her PhD in law at the same university.
Mokhtar Warida

Mokhtar Warida (2006-2007)

Prior to joining the ACWL, Mr. Mokhtar Warida, from Egypt, worked on international economic law and trade policy issues with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. He has a B.A. degree in Economics and a M.A. in Political Science and Professional Development. Upon completing his secondment in 2007, Mr. Warida returned to his position in the Foreign Ministry and has since been appointed as First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Geneva. Further, Mr. Warida successfully completed the requirements of a PhD in Law from Queen Mary, University of London.
Mpho Palime

Mpho Palime (2005-2006)

Ms Mpho Palime, from Lesotho, studied law at the National University of Lesotho where she obtained a Diploma in Law in 1987, a B.A. in Law in 1990 and an LL.B. in 1992. Upon completion of her studies she joined the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Lesotho in September 1992 as Legal Officer.
During this time she worked on a range of legal issues related to both internal and external trade, and negotiations of various regional trade agreements to which Lesotho is a member. In January 2001 she was seconded to the secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – a regional organisation made up of 15 member States including 8 LDCs – in Gaborone, Botswana. Her responsibilities included overseeing the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Trade. In February 2003, she rejoined the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Lesotho as Principal Legal Officer and she became part of the SACU delegation in the negotiation of various FTAs, mainly the SACU – US FTA negotiations. Upon completing her secondment in 2006, Ms. Palime resumed her duties as Chief Legal Officer in Lesotho’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
In August 2007, Ms. Palime left the service of the Government of Lesotho and took up a position as a legal officer in the SADC Secretariat.
Olga Dios

Olga Dios (2005-2006)

Ms. Olga Dios, from Paraguay, obtained her B.A. (Summa cum laude-Valedictorian) from the Catholic University of Asuncion, Paraguay. Subsequently she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., where she obtained an LL.M. in International Legal Studies.
Ms. Dios worked for the Paraguayan Ministry of Trade and Industry on matters related to international trade and WTO Law, regional trade agreements, Mercosur as well as with the draft of Competition Law. She has been a negotiator for the Paraguayan government in regional trade forums. She coordinated the work for the last Trade Policy Review of Paraguay before the WTO in April 2005. She has also worked for a private law firm in Paraguay, in matters related to international business law, contracts, public biddings, environmental law and intellectual property rights.
Since 2000, Ms. Dios has been a registered legal practitioner with the Supreme Court of Paraguay. She speaks fluent Spanish, English and French and has a knowledge of Portuguese.
Upon completing her secondment in 2006, Ms. Dios returned to Paraguay, where she is Director of Energy Resources at the Vice-Ministry of Mines and Energy, Ministry of Public Works and Communication.
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