Faizel Ismail

Faizel Ismail has a PhD (Manchester, UK), MPhil (IDS, Sussex, UK), LLB (UKZN-Pietermaritzburg) and a BA (UKZN-Pietermaritzburg). His PhD for which he obtained an A grade pass is titled: An Empirical Analysis of Apartheid South Africa in the GATT: 1947 to 1994.

Faizel is currently an Adjunct Professor at the UCT School of Economics. He is also an advisor/consultant (part-time) to the Department of Trade and Industry on International Trade and a Special Envoy on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). He was appointed as the Chairperson of the International Trade and Administration Commission (ITAC) for a three-year term (2015-2018).

He has served as the Ambassador Permanent Representative of South Africa to the WTO (2010-2014). Prior to this he was the Deputy Director General for International Trade and Economic Development (ITED) in the Department of Trade and Industry. As South Africa’s Chief Trade Negotiator, since 1994, he led the new democratic South Africa’s trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and several other bilateral trading partners including the US, India, and Brazil. He has led South Africa’s negotiations in the WTO from 2002 to 2014.

He has served as the Chair of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development negotiating group (CTDSS) for two years (2004-2006), the Chair of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) for one year (2006/7) and the Chair of the WTO Committee on Trade, Debt and Finance (WGTDF) for two years (2012-2014). He has also served as Chair of the Annual Meeting of the International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva.

He is the author of two books on the WTO: Mainstreaming Development in the WTO. Developing Countries in the Doha Round (2007) and Reforming the World Trade Organization. Developing Countries in the Doha Round (2009). The latter book has been translated into Chinese (2011). He has published over 50 articles, chapters and working papers in international journals and books on economic development and trade and development issues.

Education

• Master of Philosophy (MPhil) University of Sussex (1990 — 1992)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Pietermaritzburg (1982 — 1985)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Pietermaritzburg (1978 — 1981)

Companies

• Adjunct Professor University of Cape Town (2015)
• Ambassador of South Africa to the WTO South African Permanent Mission to Geneva (2010 — 2014)
• Head of the South African Delegation to the World Trade Organization South African Mission to the World Trade Organization (2002 — 2010)
• Deputy Director General for International Trade and Economic Development Department of Trade and Industry: South Africa (2000 — 2002)
• Chief Director, Export and Investment Promotion Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa (1998 — 1999)
• Advisor to the Minister of Trade and Industry, South Africa Trade and Industry, South Africa (1994 — 1995)
• Consultant Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa (1994 — 1995)
• Co-ordinator of the ANC Policy Team on International Trade, Department of Economic Planning AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (1994 — 1994)