The World Trade Organization (WTO) has announced the first cohort of its Young Trade Leaders Programme, established to engage young people with the organization's work and promote a better understanding of its role in supporting international trade.
The programme aims to create a global network of young trade leaders who can contribute fresh ideas about the role of trade and the WTO. Participants will also have opportunities to learn about the organization’s operations and advance its mission.
Following a rigorous selection process, eight candidates were chosen from nearly 2,000 applications worldwide. The selected participants were evaluated based on their backgrounds, experiences, and the strength of their applications.
The inaugural cohort includes:
- Eric Andrew from Nigeria, founder and team lead at agricultural non-profit AgrofixiNG
- Phoebe Britten from Australia, youth advocate and Founder and CEO of Inspire Tomorrow Education
- Hugh Jones from Canada, a young lawyer specializing in international trade
- Yassine Krouk from France, a bachelor's student in political science at Sciences Po Lille
- Sunny Li from China, a young professional in international relations
- Florencia Mastrorilli from Argentina, a young lawyer specializing in international trade
- Nasubila Ng'ambi from Malawi, a researcher in international trade law
- Elina Sultanbekova from Kyrgyz Republic, a bachelor's student in international relations
Participants will benefit from training courses organized by the WTO and receive advice and mentoring from the WTO Secretariat. They will also be supported when organizing WTO-related activities in their home countries. Additionally, they will travel to Geneva for the 2024 WTO Public Forum in September to attend workshops and participate actively in forum activities.