Australia has announced that Mr James Baxter will be its new Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.
The WTO is an international forum where 164 Members determine global trade rules and agreements, as well as resolve trade disputes when they arise.
Mr Baxter is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently First Assistant Secretary, Office of Global Trade Negotiations. He has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Permanent Mission to the WTO in Geneva and in Belgium and Japan.
He will replace Mr George Mina, who has been Australia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO since 2020.
Australia plays a leadership role in the WTO and is working to update the rules and reinvigorate the negotiating function to better respond to contemporary challenges in global trade.
Australia is also working with other Members to deliver a substantive reform package at the upcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13).
The MC13 is expected to take place in Geneva in June 2024 and will be a crucial opportunity for the WTO to demonstrate its relevance and effectiveness in addressing the issues that matter most to global trade and development.
