Board of Directors

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Silvia Constain

Silvia Constain joined the Colombian Government Trade Bureau as Deputy Director in June 2004, when Colombia initiated negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. In her current position, Ms. Constain promotes Colombia's interests, including the newly negotiated US-Colombia FTA, before the administration, Congress and private sector. During the FTA negotiations, she followed progress in all the areas and worked with the Colombian and private sectors, government officials and with the U.S. Congress to convey national interests and concerns, as well as trying to identify new proposals and alternatives in the negotiations. Previously, she served as Director of Foreign Investment and Services at the Ministry of Foreign Trade in Colombia where she was responsible for overseeing policy issues and trade negotiations dealing with investment, services, and intellectual property, including at the WTO and in regional and bilateral negotiations. She additionally oversaw Colombian implementation of commitments in these areas and enforcement of commitments in relevant markets to Colombia. Before joining the Ministry of Trade in Colombia, Ms. Constain served four years (1995-1999) as Counselor at the Colombian Mission to the WTO in Geneva and later at UNCTAD organizing training sessions for investment negotiations from developing countries. Before joining the Trade Ministry she worked in the Colombian National Planning Department and in the Institute for Family Welfare . Ms. Constain received her economics degree and MBA from the University of Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. She has been a member of the WITA Board of Directors since January 2007.