Speaker details

Biography

Multilateral Trade Diplomat & International Negotiations Expert Claudia Uribe is a global authority in international trade negotiations, multilateral diplomacy, and WTO governance, with an illustrious career spanning over 35 years. She has consistently operated at the highest levels of trade architecture, shaping global commerce policies and resolving complex market access disputes. Her profound expertise in the multilateral trading system is anchored by a stellar track record in senior leadership roles within the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Government of Colombia, the International Trade Centre (ITC) – (WTO – UNCTAD). Multilateral Leadership & WTO Governance During her tenure as the Ambassador of Colombia to the WTO (2004–2008), Ambassador Uribe reached global prominence by masterminding some of the most intricate negotiations in modern trade history: • The Geneva Agreement on Bananas: She successfully brokered and concluded the landmark agreement that resolved the historic, multi-decade banana dispute between Latin America and the European Union. • WTO Council for Trade in Services: As Chair, she steered the multilateral agenda on global services liberalization and regulatory frameworks. • Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB): She presided over the body responsible for ensuring transparency and systemic compliance across the WTO membership. High-Stakes International Trade Negotiations As Deputy – Minister of Foreign Trade for Colombia (2001–2004), she served as the chief architect and head negotiator for the nation’s offensive and defensive trade strategies across multilateral, regional, and bilateral frontiers: • Multilateral Front: Led Colombia's positioning and technical strategies within the WTO framework. • Regional & Bilateral Portfolios: Directed high-stakes negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA/ALCA), the Andean Community, Mercosur, and the G-3, alongside pivotal bilateral trade agreements with the United States and Canada. • National Governance: Chaired the Committee on Customs and Foreign Trade Affairs, aligning domestic industrial policy with international trade commitments. Global Advisory & Trade Facilitation Expanding her multilateral impact, she later served as the Director of the Office for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Trade Centre (ITC), where she translated WTO-level trade rules into institutional capacity-building programs, enhancing private-sector competitiveness and export readiness. Today, she operates as an elite international consultant, providing strategic counsel to governments, multilateral institutions, and global corporations on market access, trade facilitation compliance, and international dispute resolution. A sought-after global speaker, she frequently delivers keynote insights at premier trade forums on the future evolution of the multilateral trading system, digital trade governance, and the intersection of trade policy and global sustainability.