A Tongan national has been appointed as the Forum Representative for Forum Island Countries (FICs) to the World Trade Organisation based in Geneva.

The appointment of Mrs Ana Fusipala Kessie was announced by the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Mr Noel Levi, CBE in Suva, on December 23.

Mrs Kessie was recently working as the Specialised Legal Assistant in the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva, where she has lived since 1998. Her background includes work in key policies and procedures of the WTO, as well as qualifications in International Relations and Legal Studies. She also previously worked in the Government of Tonga's Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the areas of trade promotion, bilateral negotiations, trade policy including Tonga's WTO accession, and private sector development. She takes up her appointment on 15 January 2004.