Workshop: Emerging developments and opportunities in Green Trade Facilitation

Jong Woo Kang is principal economist at the Economic Research and Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He is a seasoned economist with extensive knowledge and experiences on policy and strategic issues. He was senior advisor to the managing director general of ADB and senior economist at Strategy and Policy Department at ADB. He leads the annual publication of Asian Economic Integration Report. Areas of his research interest include regional integration, inclusive growth, macroeconomic and international trade policies, and aid effectiveness. He has published research articles in academic journals such as Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Applied Economics, and Journal of World Trade, and wrote numerous blogs and opinion articles on global macroeconomy and international trade and finance.

Before joining ADB, he was director at Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Korea. He got his BA in economics and MA in public administration from Seoul National University, and PhD in economics from University of Washington.

Yann Duval is currently Chief of Trade Policy and Facilitation Section at UN-ESCAP, the regional branch of the United Nations Secretariat for Asia and the Pacific. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Duval has conducted research and delivered technical assistance and advisory services on trade policy and facilitation throughout Asia and the Pacific, including on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. He spearheaded the development of the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), as well as, interalia, the creation of the ESCAP-World Bank Trade Cost Database, the UN Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation and the online Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA).

Dr. Duval was also instrumental in the development of the United Nations Network of Experts for Paperless Trade and Transport in Asia and the Pacific (UNNExT) and the negotiation of a new intergovernmental Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific, a UN treaty entered into force in February 2021.

Prior to joining the UN, he held faculty positions at the Asian Institute of Technology and Washington State University, USA.

Alexey Kravchenko is Economic Affairs Officer, Trade Policy and Facilitation Section of the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division of the United Nations ESCAP. His work revolves around issues of trade and sustainable development, non-tariff measures, illicit financial flows and trade misinvoicing in the region. His most recent work focused on trade and climate change and the development of an online platform to support trade negotiators in data analysis. Prior to joining the United Nations, he ran a consultancy which specialized in non-market valuation, choice modelling and geo-spatial online surveys. He also taught various undergraduate and graduate economics and econometrics courses in China (Shanghai International Studies University) and New Zealand (University of Waikato and Waikato Institute of Technology). He holds Masters in International Business and Mandarin, Masters in Economics, and a PhD in Economics from the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Mr. Kijin Kim is Economist in the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, Asian Development Bank. Since he joined the ADB in 2017, he has been working on trade, trade facilitation, and trade finance within the context of regional cooperation and integration (RCI). He contributed to ADB’s publications on these areas including the Asian Economic Integration Report, Trade Finance Gaps, Growth, and Jobs Survey, and Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Report.

Before joining the ADB, he was a research fellow of the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory at the University of Illinois since 2012. From 2004 to 2010, he worked as Economist at the Bank of Korea. He earned his PhD in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016, focusing on research within the fields of regional economics and applied econometrics, centered on the role of labor markets, the effects of heterogeneity in consumption spending and labor market participation on regional economies.

Valentina Ferraro joined the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 2019 as a Technical Attaché in the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate.  

She is the lead official in the fields of Performance measurement and Green Customs. Other areas of responsibility include the SAFE FoS, the PSCG, and aviation security.

Prior to joining the WCO, she held executive positions In the Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency, as a director of the coordination office for personnel and organization affairs, as well as acting director of the office for procedures and controls in the sector of excise duties of the Regional Directorate for Sicily.

PhD in Public management and governance, she previously held research and teaching positions at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and worked as a consultant for the National Authority for Public administration Evaluation, Transparency and Integrity, the Italian research center for labour, economic and development, and  UNESCO.

Pierre Bonthonneau is a Senior Trade Facilitation Adviser at the International Trade Center in Geneva. He has over 15 years of experience in international trade, working with logistics services providers, strategy consulting firm and UN organizations.

Pierre worked in the logistics industry in Africa where he was responsible for the clearing and forwarding activities of logistics services provider. He also worked the for the Boston Consulting Group, a business strategy consulting firm, where he was involved, among other, on the definition of export strategies for developing countries and supporting multinational in structuring their value chains in Africa.

Since he joined ITC as an expert in trade facilitation, Pierre has assisted over 40 countries in implementing their obligations under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

One of the world's leading experts working towards digitalization of trade, transport, and logistics.

Ms. Hanane Becha is the UNECE – UN/CEFAT Vice Chair of the Transport & Logistics Domain representing the community of members and contributors to UN/CEFACT. She contributes to the development of the Centre and its recognition at the global level as the reference entity for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business. In addition to this role, Hanane has been Project Lead on multiple projects including the Smart Container Project and the Cross Industry Supply Chain Track and Trace Project. 

Hanane is an international Standards Developer since 2006 and is an active participant in international Standards Development Organizations including UN/CEFACT, IMO EGDH, SMDG, ISO TC8 & TC 154 and DCSA. Her focus is on driving innovation for logistics. She is author of numerous trade and logistics-related articles, and co-creator of several innovative standards. 

Hanane received a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in Computer Sciences from the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Working with the UNEP- Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP), Asia Pacific office since 2020 and is involved in providing technical and policy assistance to countries in the region for the implementation of Montreal Protocol-related activities. This includes working on projects such as the Institutional Strengthening Project, HCFC phase out Management Plans, Kigali Implementation Plan for HFC Phasedown and delivering compliance assistance services to National Ozone Officers. Vika has a background in Environmental Science and Environmental Management and Management System Auditing. With a wealth of experience, she has worked closely with various regional organizations. Her expertise lies in areas such as energy efficiency, climate change, and trade within the region.

Since joining the Secretariat of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007, Simon has managed a US$ 15 million portfolio of more than 40 project grants across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Simon leads on priority knowledge topics, such sharing good practice from electronic SPS certification and trade facilitation to cross-cutting issues such as gender and the environment across STDF's global network. He also manages the financial information for the STDF Trust Fund and has worked on international trade at the WTO for over fifteen years. His main areas of expertise are: project design, management and evaluation, implementation of the WTO SPS & TBT Agreements, as well as other WTO trade topics. He holds a Master's degree in International Economics and Development from the University of Namur and the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.Since joining the Secretariat of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007, Simon has managed a US$ 15 million portfolio of more than 40 project grants across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Simon leads on priority knowledge topics, such sharing good practice from electronic SPS certification and trade facilitation to cross-cutting issues such as gender and the environment across STDF's global network. He also manages the financial information for the STDF Trust Fund and has worked on international trade at the WTO for over fifteen years. His main areas of expertise are: project design, management and evaluation, implementation of the WTO SPS & TBT Agreements, as well as other WTO trade topics. He holds a Master's degree in International Economics and Development from the University of Namur and the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.

Mr. Salehin Khan is serving at the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Geneva as Programme Management Officer. He is managing the digitalization of the CITES trade processes at the Secretariat especially for the CITES permits among other responsibilities. He has been working in trade facilitation in the United Nations system for more than twelve years across Europe and Asia. Most recently, he served at the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in the Trade Facilitation Section, supporting the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) as well as in the Agricultural Quality Standards Unit, Market Access Section, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Prior to joining UNECE in 2014, he worked for UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in the Trade, Innovation and Investment Division. He also worked for International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group and International Labour Organization (ILO) in Dhaka, Bangladesh on sustainable value chains and child labour issues, respectively.

Ioana Cotutiu works for UNODC in the Regional Office for Southeast Asia and Pacific as Programme Officer, illegal trade in waste. She coordinates the project Unwaste – tackling waste trafficking to support a circular economy. She is based in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Ioana worked for two decades in environmental sustainability and environmental health, working with INGOs, private foundations, and the UN system. She has been based in Southeast Asia for more than eight years and worked on research projects related to environmental crimes, ethical supply chains, focusing primarily on Asia-Pacific.​

Latifahaida is an international trade negotiator specialising in the financial sector. She joins the ASEAN Secretariat as Assistant Director responsible for the analysis and monitoring of finance and socioeconomic issues which include sustainability agenda for the ASEAN Economic Community. Prior to this, Latifahaida was a Trade and Commercial Advisor with the British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur; Deputy Director of International Department at Bank Negara Malaysia; and Assistant Director at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia.

Mr. Shunta Yamaguchi is a Policy Analyst of the Environment and Economy Integration division of the OECD Environment Directorate. He joined the OECD in 2014 and works on trade and environment issues since 2016. He serves as the Secretariat of the OECD Joint Working Party on Trade and Environment (JWPTE). Main areas of research include trade and circular economy, trade and climate change, regional trade agreements (RTAs) and the environment, and illegal trade and environmental crime. Prior to his current assignment, he worked on resource efficiency and waste management projects, as well as environmental accounts at the National Accounts Division (Statistics Directorate). Prior to joining the OECD, he worked with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where he was responsible for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental projects across Asia, Middle-East and Africa.  

Norbert has graduated from the Vienna University of Technology in Technical Mathematics/Computer Science.

He works as an IT Business Analyst at the Environment Agency Austria and contributes to UN/CEFACT as coordinator of the Environment Domain.

He focusses on Interoperability, Electronic Data Interchange and Data Modeling, in particular for business-to-administration processes.

Maria Teresa Pisani is Economic Affairs Officer at the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division of UNECE, where she leads work on policies and standards for sustainable trade facilitation, and is currently managing a global multi-stakeholder initiative on sustainable value chains in the clothing industry. At UNECE since 2011, she has been focusing on trade and environmental governance. Before joining the UN, Maria Teresa has been with the European Commission, and the ILO, and has managed World Bank funded projects for institutional reforms in emerging economies around the world.