Brook Baker
Professor Brook K. Baker is a senior policy analyst for Health GAP (Global Access Project), a professor at Northeastern U. School of Law, U.S.A., and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of KwaZulu Natal, S. Africa. His legal activism focuses primarily on intellectual property, trade, human rights, and access to optimal treatment for people living with HIV.
Clarisse Paolini
Mrs Clarisse Paolini is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human development at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign affairs. She was previously Deputy political coordinator at the French Mission to the UN in New York (2023-2024), Head of cooperation at the French Embassy in Colombia (2019-2023), Deputy Head of the political affairs department in the Directorate for United nations and international organizations at the MEFA (2016-2018), and Advisor to the Secretary General of the MEFA (2015-2016). She also served as Advisor to the Executive Director of the Global Fund to find Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (2011-2012) and Deputy Head of the multilateral development banks and development aid unit at the Treasury Department in France (2007-2011). She previous worked as a consultant for the public sector at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2005-2007). She holds a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s degree from the University of Paris-Dauphine.
Yosuke Kita
Dr. Yosuke Kita has over a decade of experience in public and global health. As of August 2024, he serves as Director of the Global Health Strategy Division at the International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan.
Before joining MOFA, Dr. Kita worked extensively within Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), contributing to HIV/AIDS initiatives, revisions of the Immunization Act, and reforms to the long-term care insurance system. From 2009 to 2011, he was seconded to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, where he managed malaria control strategies. He also gained local governance experience through a secondment to a Japanese local government.
In 2019, Dr. Kita became Director of the Office for Global Strategy of Medical Service and Health Industry at MHLW, playing a key role in handling the 2020 “Diamond Princess” cruise ship response for Covid-19. Subsequently, he served as Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, facilitating critical UN General Assembly High-Level Meetings on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPR) in 2023. He also acted as Vice-Chair of the 57th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development.
Dr. Kita holds a medical degree and two master’s degrees—one in public health from Yale University and another in public administration from Harvard University.
Pierre Somse
Marte Bøe Wensaas
Marte Bøe Wensaas is working as a Senior Advisor in Global Health for the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Marte has during the past 20 years been working on the Global Health agenda. In her current role she is responsible for managing parts of the Norwegian development aid in global health and provides technical advice related to Norwegian ODA for global health to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norwegian embassies, and partner organizations/institutions. Her principal responsibilities include areas like public health, SRHR Commodities, HSS and MNCH. She has also been working in Norway’s GAVI and GFATM teams. Previous to her current position she worked for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Recently she came back to Norway after heading of health portfolio at the Norwegian Embassy in Malawi for several years.
Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme
Dr. Athaliah Molokomme is the Permanent Representative of Botswana to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva and Ambassador to Switzerland since 2017.
Prior to her current position, she served for 11 years as the first female Attorney General of the Republic of Botswana, where she was Principal Legal Advisor to the Government and ex-officio member of the Cabinet. In this role, she was a member of Botswana delegations to regional and international meetings held under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Botswana and Swaziland, a Masters in Law from Yale Law School, and a PhD in Law from Leiden University. She also attained a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIARB) in London, and is a Fellow of the CIARB.
She has served as a Judge of the High Court of Botswana, Senior Programme Officer for Gender at SADC, and Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Botswana. She also authored and published a number of journal articles and book chapters, as well as participated as a speaker and resource person at many conferences, seminars and workshops.
Dr Molokomme has contributed to the founding of a number of Human Rights Organisations at national, legal and international level, and currently serves on international boards including the Nuremberg Principles Advisory Council; Justice Rapid Response and the International Gender Champions Global Board.
During her tour in Geneva, she has served on a number of Committees including as Chairperson of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body; co-Chair of the Informal Working Group on Women and Trade; Chairperson of the ITC Joint Advisory Group for 2021; Chairperson of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body in 2022 and was appointed Chairperson of the WTO General Council in March 2023.
Issa Matta
Issa Matta is Senior Legal Officer who joined WHO in 2003. His principal responsibilities include legal and governance support to WHO partnerships and alliances, the WHO Foundation, the WHO Academy and on legal matters relating to engagement with non-state actors, as well as commercial and contractual issues.
In 2008, Issa spent a year as a senior lawyer at the Global Fund. He also acquired significant private sector legal experience during his time as corporate counsel with the pharmaceutical company Merck-Serono as well as in-house attorney with the global consulting firm Andersen. Issa began his career as a legal consultant in the Abu Dhabi Office of a leading New York based international law firm.
Issa has a J.D. from the University of Virginia and is admitted as an attorney before the New York bar. Prior to his legal studies, Issa specialized in international relations with a focus on the Middle East.
Issa is from Lebanon and also lived in Jordan, Kenya, Iraq, UAE, and the USA.