Ivan Mbirimi

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Ivan Mbirimi

Research Associate

Experience and Areas of Interest

Ivan Mbirimi is an economist with nearly 30 years of professional experience specialising in policy analysis, research, capacity building and negotiations on international trade policy, climate change and environment, with a particular focus on the concerns of developing countries. Currently an independent economic consultant, he was chief programme officer and then economic adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat from 1989 to 2007. Before that he was a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Trade in Zimbabwe.

Principal interests are: trade policy analysis, particularly the promotion of policy coherence within trade and between trade and other economic policies; enhancing the participation of developing countries in multilateral trade negotiations and research into how developing countries might deal with new issues ( including services, SPS, aid for trade, environment), economics of climate change, in particular issues concerning adaption and links with development policy and regional integration issues, including trade preferences. The main geographical focus is Southern and Eastern Africa.

Has advised and worked on programmes in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Caribbean and the Pacific and has written on the WTO Doha Round, aid for trade, the conduct of economic diplomacy by developing countries and climate change. As a consultant in the last eighteen months, he has specialised in climate change and sustainable development concerns of resource and capacity constrained countries. He is currently coordinating a project on how Southern Africa might best respond to the impacts of climate change and also researching the likely impacts of border adjustment measures (such as those contained in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009) on developing countries for Chatham House (London). He is also advising the Government of Swaziland on how to prepare a national trade strategy.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

MBA, Cranfield School of Management, UK (1998)
MSc Economics, Birkbeck College, University of London
MA (International Trade and Development), University of Reading, UK (1986)
B Sc (Economics), University of Zimbabwe (1979)

Employment History

2008 – present Independent Economic Consultant
1999 – 2007    Economic Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat.
1989 – 1998    Senior Programme Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat.
1986-1988       Undersecretary (Multilateral Trade), Ministry of Trade & Commerce, Zimbabwe
1984 – 1986    Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Trade & Commerce, Zimbabwe
1980 – 1984    Programme Officer, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Zimbabwe

Key Operational Assignments

2009	Analysis of how Southern Africa might begin to respond to the challenges of climate change Review of country case studies on project on challenges of climate change to Southern Africa Adviser to Government of Swaziland on designing a national trade strategy
2008	Preparation of methodology and terms of reference for project on climate change and trade in Southern Africa Analysis of key issues for LDCs, small and vulnerable economies on trade and climate change for a joint Commonwealth Secretariat/International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development Evaluation and analysis of the likely impacts of the rise of Brazil, India, China and South Africa on sub-Saharan African economies
2007	Evaluation of the coherence of national trade strategies and policies of Mozambique, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Vanuatu Trade in services training workshop for Eastern and Southern Africa Evaluation of key issues for developing countries after the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial meeting (included papers on aid for trade, duty and quota-free access for developing countries and cotton subsidies) Regional aid for trade workshops in Southern Africa and the Caribbean
2006	Review of the WTO’s proposal for aid for trade, in particular consideration of key components of an effective package. Trade in services training workshops in Botswana and Lesotho National workshop on Botswana’s participation in WTO and EPA negotiations (focus on agriculture and services) Briefing notes on key issues for developing countries in the aftermath of the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial meeting of 2005 Preparation of terms of reference for study on mainstreaming trade in development strategies.
2005	A positive trade agenda for developing countries in the Doha Round - regional seminars in Bangladesh, Jamaica and South Africa on preparations for the Hong Kong Ministerial meeting Evaluation of what might constitute a credible Doha development round Briefing notes on mainstreaming trade in development strategies
2004	Assessment of the Cancun Ministerial meeting Analysis of how developing countries might use GATS flexibility Implementation strategy for hub-and-spoke project on trade capacity building in ACP countries
1989-2001	Initiated work on the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements in Commonwealth developing countries, including the publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Guide on the Uruguay Round Agreements; organised and led country and regional workshops on implications of these agreements and how they might be implemented in developing countries
1980-1988	Responsible for monitoring the ongoing development of Zimbabwe’s external trade relations; led a team of trade policy officers and undertook research and analysis on the status, direction and development of Zimbabwe’s trade relations, including negotiations on Zimbabwe’s accession to the Lome Convention and re-entry into the GATT.

Recent Publications

2010	How Might Southern Africa Begin to Respond to Climate Change? To be published by Fahana for SAIIA
2008	Key Issues for Smaller Developing Countries, in Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable Economies, by Mustapha Kamal Gueye, Malena Sell & Janet Strachan: London, Commonwealth Secretariat and ICTSD.
2007	After Hong Kong: Some Key Trade Issues for Developing Countrie, Commonwealth Secretariat (2007).
2006	Assessment of the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting and its Implications for Developing Countries, Trade Hot Topics, Commonwealth Secretariat (2006)
2003	From Doha to Cancun: Delivering on a Development Round: edited with B Chilala & R Grynberg (2003) Using GATS Flexibility:with B Chilala – in From Doha to Cancun (2003) Designing for Development in Africa: the Role of International; Institutions:in Sustaining Global Growth and Development by Michele Fratianni, Paolo Savona & John Kirton (2003). Economic Diplomacy for Developing Countries:in The New Economic Diplomacy, Decision-Making and Negotiations in International Economic Relations by Nicholas Bayne & Stephen Woolcock (2003).
1999	Agriculture in the Doha Round, Policy Brief 1, Commonwealth Secretariat (1999)

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