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Supachai Panitchpakdi

Supachai Panitchpakdi
ศุภชัย พานิชภักดิ์
Supachai in 2012
9th Secretary-General of the UNCTAD
In office
1 September 2005 – 30 August 2013
Preceded byCarlos Fortin
Succeeded byMukhisa Kituyi
4th Director-General of the World Trade Organization
In office
1 September 2002 – 1 September 2005
Preceded byMike Moore
Succeeded byPascal Lamy
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
In office
14 November 1997 – 9 November 2000
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
Minister of Commerce
In office
14 November 1997 – 9 November 2000
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
Preceded bySom Jatusripitak
Succeeded byAdisai Potaramik
Personal details
Born (1946-05-30) 30 May 1946 (age 78)
Bangkok, Thailand
Political partyDemocrat Party
SpouseSasai Panitchpakdi
Children2
Alma materErasmus University Rotterdam (PhD)
Profession

Supachai Panitchpakdi (Thai: ศุภชัย พานิชภักดิ์, RTGS: Supphachai Phanitchaphak, pronounced [sùp.pʰā.t͡ɕʰāj pʰāː.nít.t͡ɕʰā.pʰák]; born 30 May 1946) is a Thai politician and professor.[1] He was Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2013. Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1 September 2002 to 1 September 2005. He was succeeded by Pascal Lamy.[1]

Education

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Supachai studied in primary and secondary education at Saint Gabriel's College and Triam Udom Suksa School.[2] Then he received his master's degree in economics, development planning, and his PhD in economic planning and development at the Netherlands School of Economics (now known as Erasmus University) in Rotterdam.[1] In 1973, he completed his doctoral dissertation under supervision of Professor Jan Tinbergen, the first Nobel laureate in economics. In the same year, he went to Cambridge University as a visiting fellow to conduct research on development models.

Political careers

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In 1986 Supachai Panitchpakdi was appointed as Thailand's Deputy Minister of Finance, but when parliament was dissolved in 1988 he left politics and became president of Thai Military Bank. In 1992 he returned to politics and became deputy prime minister until 1995, responsible for trade and economics. During the Asian financial crisis in November 1997 he returned to be deputy prime minister and also became minister of commerce.

World Trade Organization

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On 22 July 1999 he was elected to become Director-General of the World Trade Organization, sharing the post with Mike Moore when a decision could not be reached. Taking the second half of the six-year term, he entered office on 1 September 2002.[3]

UNCTAD

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In March 2005 he was appointed Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) following his term at the WTO, a post he took up in late-2005. He was appointed for a second four-year term in September 2009. Keen to reform and revitalise the organisation, he has established a Panel of Eminent Persons to oversee the start of reform of UNCTAD.[4]

Selected works

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He published numerous books, including Educational Growth in Developing Countries (1974), Globalization and Trade in the New Millennium (2001) and China and the WTO: Changing China, Changing World Trade (2002, co-authored with Mark Clifford).

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Supachai Panitchpakdi, WTO Director-General, 2002-2005". World Trade Organization (WTO). Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  2. ^ https://www.dailynews.co.th/politics/845081/ เปิดโปรไฟล์'ศุภชัย พานิชภักดิ์' กับหนทางสู่เก้าอี้นายกฯ... อ่านต่อที่ : https://www.dailynews.co.th/politics/845081/
  3. ^ "WTO NEWS | Wto member governments agree on Director-General succession - PRESS/131".
  4. ^ ""ศุภชัย พานิชภักดิ์" ออกแบบประเทศไทย รับโลกเปลี่ยน". Prachachat Business. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Director-General of the World Trade Organization
2002–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
1 September 2005–31 August 2013 		Succeeded by