Bechir N’DAW

Bechir is a senior global health, trade, and multilateral diplomacy leader with over 25 years of experience advancing high-impact partnerships across governments, the United Nations system, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. He has a distinguished track record of driving complex global agendas—including global health, trade and development, human rights, governance, and international economic cooperation—through strategic coalition-building, high-level policy negotiation, and cross-sector collaboration.

A core pillar of his leadership has been at the intersection of trade, intellectual property, and public health. Bechir brings extensive expertise on the trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS Agreement), particularly in the context of access to medicines, public health safeguards, and the promotion of local pharmaceutical production. He has led and advised on policy frameworks that enable countries to leverage TRIPS flexibilities, strengthen regulatory and industrial capacities, and ensure coherence between trade obligations and national health and development priorities.

At a senior level, he has provided strategic guidance and technical support to governments across Africa, helping shape national positions in multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and strengthening their capacity to navigate complex intellectual property and public health issues. He also played a key advisory role to Central American countries during the CAFTA negotiations, supporting governments in assessing and negotiating IP provisions, safeguarding public health interests, and aligning trade commitments with long-term development and industrial policy objectives.

Widely recognized for his ability to operate effectively in complex geopolitical environments, Bechir has shaped global and national policy frameworks and advised senior decision-makers in high-stakes diplomatic contexts. He brings deep experience in multilateral engagement within the UN system, including sustained work with Permanent Missions, intergovernmental negotiations, and multistakeholder processes across Africa, Europe, and the Global South.

Bechir combines robust global health and trade policy expertise with a proven ability to translate strategic vision into actionable, results-driven initiatives. He is highly skilled in executive-level engagement, political positioning, and the design and delivery of major global advocacy platforms, including the United Nations, Parliamentary networks, World Economic Forum, G7, G20, and the African Union.