AFRICAN AMBASSADORS HONORED

AFRICAN AMBASSADORS HONORED REPRESENTED

12:20 Welcome to Honored African Ambassadors

Florizelle Liser , Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa

Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In this position, she leads U.S. trade efforts in sub-Saharan Africa, oversees implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and serves as chief U.S. negotiator for a free trade agreement with the five member countries of the Southern African Customs Union.

Ms. Liser has an extensive background in trade negotiations and Africa. She previously served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications. In that position, she was responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. trade policy as it affects industrial and manufacturing – including telecommunications, electronic commerce, steel, chemicals, forest products, semiconductors, aircraft, and shipbuilding, among others. Ms. Liser was responsible for negotiating the resolution of bilateral trade issues in these sectors, and traveled, among other places, to South Africa to consult with telecom officials and regulators.

As head of USTR's Office of Industry, Market Access and Telecommunications, Ms. Liser also coordinated industrial market access negotiations in bilateral and regional free trade agreements and in the WTO. As part of the ongoing WTO market access negotiations of the Doha Development Agenda, Ms. Liser met with the African diplomatic community and African Ambassadors to the WTO, and held various bilateral consultations with African nations to discuss market access proposals presently being considered.

Prior to serving as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access and Telecommunications, Ms. Liser worked at the Department of Transportation and served as senior trade policy advisor to the Secretary in the Office of International Transportation and Trade. In this capacity, Ms. Liser coordinated trade and transportation issues of importance to developing countries, with a particular focus on Africa. She organized the first U.S.-Africa Transportation Ministerial, helped in developing the Safe Skies for Africa initiative, and played a key role in preparing former Secretary Slater for trips to Africa.

AMBASSADOR JOSEPH HUGGINS, CHAIR AMBASSADOR MOLELEKENG RAPOLAKI, VICE CHAIR AMBASSADOR JOYCELYN RADIFERA AMBASSADOR IZBEN WILLIAMS AMBASSADOR PRINCETON LYMAN ELEANOR GILL BERNIE RICE JODY KENNEDY PROFESSOR DR AILEEN MARTY