Bernard Kuiten, co-discussant of the WTO study, is a senior counsellor at the External Relations Division of the World Trade Organization, holding overall responsibility for developing, expanding and strengthening relations with business and non-governmental organizations. Aside from the coordinating WTO's outreach programmes for civil society, he regularly lectures and teaches on WTO and trade-related matters. Before joining the WTO in 1999, Mr. Kuiten worked for the Dutch Government and the European Commission for 9 years and represented both during numerous EU, OECD and WTO negotiations on inter alia shipbuilding, trade in services, agriculture, investment and dispute settlement at large. He chaired the WTO Working Party for State Trading Enterprises. Mr. Kuiten is trained as an economist and lives in Switzerland with his wife and daughter.