Biography
Dr. CAROL COSGROVE-SACKS is the Director of the Trade Division in the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe [UN/ECE] in Geneva and a visiting Professor at the College of Europe
(Bruges). She is a British national.
She is an experienced and internationally respected trade development economist, professor
and entrepreneur/manager. Educated at the London School of Economics, she holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Economics, a Masters degree in European Economic Studies and a Doctorate degree
regarding trade relations with the European Union.
Before she joined the United Nations, she had a distinguished academic career, and taught
at the Universities of Basel, Reading, Aberdeen, Surrey, and Tufts (London and Boston, USA) as well
as the College of Europe (Bruges). She is the author/editor of 12 books and over 70 articles, mainly on
international economic relations and trade development issues. She has served on the executive
boards of the Central Statistical Office (UK), the Management Centre Europe (Brussels), and the
Institute of Development Studies (UK).
As an international business consultant, she worked throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the
Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Among other assignments, she was Adviser on Trade Development
to the African, Caribbean and Pacific States; the Chief Economic Adviser in Sabah State, Malaysia;
Project Director for a range of Expert Promotion contracts with the EU in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and
Thailand; Adviser to the Zimbabwe Government on trade and aid relations with the EU; and a
counsellor to the European Commission on a wide range of finance and trade policy questions.
In the UN/ECE, Dr. Cosgrove-Sacks is responsible for supervising activities concerned with
trade and investment and cooperation with the European Commission and the World Trade
Organization. As Director of the Trade Division, she supervises inter-governmental programmes
regarding trade facilitation, investment, electronic commerce, technical harmonisation and standards,
sustainable management of forests and timber. Her principal professional priorities are to support the
integration of the Transition Economies into European and global markets, and to direct the process of
defining international norms and standards for trade.
Her publications include:
Europe, Diplomacy and Development
[London: Palgrave/Macmillan for the College of Europe, 2001] Author/editor pp.350
The EU and Developing Countries - Challenges of Globalization
[London: Macmillan for the College of Europe, 1999] Author/editor pp.365
Trade from Aid: A business Guide to EC Contracts
[London: The Economist / Business International, 1992] pp.201
The European Community and Developing Countries - Strategies for the Future
[Bruges: de Tempel for the College of Europe, 1986] with J. Jamar, pp.278
A Framework for Development: the EEC and the ACP
[London: Allen 6 Unwin, 1981] pp.262
Building Europe: Britain’s partners in the EEC
[London Europa, 1981] Editor with Ken Twitchett, pp.262
Harmonisation in the EEC
[London Macmillan, 1980] Editor, pp.180
ACP Foreign Trade
[Brussels, ACP House, 1979] pp.179
[French version: Le Commerce extérieur des Etats ACP (ACP/6 / 79 / -FR)]
Europe and Africa: From Association to Partnership
[Farnborough, Teakfield / Saxon House, 1978] pp.179
A Reader’s Guide to Britain and the European Communities
[London: Chatham House / Political and Economic Planning, European Series No. 15, 1970] pp.106
The New International Actors: the United Nations and European Economic Community
[London: Macmillan, 1970] pp.272 with K.J. Twitchett
Contact:
Dr. Carol Cosgrove-Sacks
Director, Trade Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
e-mail: carol.cosgrove-sacks@unece.org