John
Clarke

With nearly 40 years of experience as a trade diplomat and negotiator in Geneva, Brussels and Hong Kong, John has been at the forefront of global trade policy. His distinguished career includes roles such as Director for International Affairs at the European Commission and Head of the EU Delegation to the WTO and United Nations in Geneva.

John has successfully negotiated dozens of trade agreements within the WTO, the UN, the G20, and bilaterally with countries including USA, China, India, ASEAN nations, Ukraine, Russia, and African and Latin American countries. He brings to FIPRA not only extensive expertise in trade policy formulation, negotiation, and public diplomacy, but also a vast global network.

In addition to his advisory role, John regularly writes on trade and cultural issues for prominent journals worldwide, including the Financial Times, Byline Times, Tribune of India, Borderlex, Guangming Daily, the UN Brief, the Hinrich Foundation Singapore, and Modern Diplomacy. He is a Fellow at Maastricht University’s Institute for Globalisation, a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Trade Law and Regulation.

John holds a first-class honours degree and an MPhil in literature and history from University College London. Originally from West Yorkshire, UK, he is fluent in French, Spanish, and Cantonese