Maria Cristina Hernández-Zermeño acts as minister and deputy permanent representative of the permanent mission of Mexico to the World Trade Organization. Having also been part of the permanent delegation of Mexico in Geneva (1991-1999) that negotiated the Agreement Establishing the WTO, she possesses widespread knowledge of Uruguay Round Agreements and mechanisms for the settlement of trade disputes. She has also served in Mexico's government in the past, as deputy director in charge of trade in services at the Ministry of Commerce (1989-1991) and as head of the Department for Bilateral Economic Relations with Latin America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1983-1986). She also worked at UNDP, Senegal as trade policy adviser for West and Central Africa (2006-2008) and as chief adviser to the government of Vietnam for the UNDP-funded Trade in Services project (2004-2006). Dr. Hernández-Zermeño holds a doctorate in law from the University of Paris XI.