World Trade

Organization

title of the event / 13thINTRODUCTION COURSE ON WTO (for LDCs) - ENGLISH
venue and dates / WTO Headquarters, Geneva: 9-27 June 2008
Course description / This courseintroduces participants to the WTO, its basic rules and disciplines and its functioning. Briefing on overall WTO work in progress is an integral part of the course. The development dimension, with a particular focus on LDC-related issues, constitutes an important module in the programme. The course is often conducted with the participation of representatives from ITC, UNCTAD, AITIC and the World Bank. A presentation of the activities of ACWL also constitutesa regular feature of the programme.
This activity is held in English and forms part of the WTO Technical Assistance and Training Plan.
Objectives / By the end of the course participants are expected to have:
  • developed a general understanding of the WTO, including the agreements (transfer of knowledge);
  • learned to use efficiently the relevant information and documentation on trade-related issues (autonomy),
  • strengthened capacity to work in teams and in an international environment (team work); and
  • established and/or strengthened a network of contacts with each other and the trainers/experts (network).
Click here to access the detailed objectives
Programme / Click here to access the programme of the course
Organizing institution/body / WTO
TARGET AUDIENCE - ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES
The target audience for this course are government officials fromLDCs.
In general, candidates who are most likely to benefit from this course are officials who are currently working or are expected to work on WTO-related matters in the future. The likely candidates are those who need to become acquainted with the WTO, its functioning and its basic principles.
NOMINATION OF PARTICIPANTS
As part of the WTO procedures, a letter of invitation is addressed to the relevant government authorities, through established channels, providing the specific conditions, requirements and expected profile of candidates for the course. Only candidates officially nominated by their national authorities are considered. Applications received through other channels are not acknowledged.
Participants are selected according to their country's participation in the previous courses during the training cycle. Priority is given to countries not having been granted fellowships during this period.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the course is to broaden participants' understanding of the World Trade Organization (WTO), its functioning and its basic rules. Particular emphasis is placed on the link between WTO activities and trade policy issues specific to Least-Developed Countries (LDCs). The knowledge acquired during the course is expected to help participants to improve the effectiveness of their work in their own administrations and to promote more active participation by their countries in WTO activities. However, given its limited duration (three weeks), this training event provides only an introduction to the many functions of the WTO. The course is therefore designed primarily to give a good overview of the work of the Organization.

Four specific objectives are set for this course

  1. It is expected that, at the end of the course, participants will have improved general knowledge ofthe main WTO rules and the functioning of the Organization. A significant proportion of the course programme is devoted to enhancing participants' knowledge of the WTO Agreements and their ability to identify those relevant to a given situation. Training sessions will consist of presentations, short practical exercises and discussions. The subjects covered during these sessions will focus on the general formulation and implementation of trade policies, the rules contained in the WTO legal instruments and Agreements, and the structure, scope and functioning of the WTO. The development dimension will be the object of particular attention, with special emphasis being placed on the situation of LDCs and with the expected active involvement of the participants themselves. Most sessions will be delivered by training officials from the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), with the support of experts from the various WTO divisions responsible for specific subject areas.
  2. It is expected that, at the end of the course, participants will have strengthened ability to use different sources of information, enabling them to gain more in-depth knowledge of the issues addressed during the course. Participants will also learn how to quickly obtain further information on specific questions, by accessing special sources of information, using the training and reference material made available to them during the course or drawing upon the networks of contacts that they will be able to establish during their stay in Geneva (see objective 4). Computers will be at the disposal of the participants, giving them access to a wealth of information.
  3. It is expected that, at the end of the course, participants will have strengthened ability to work as part of a team in a multicultural environment. Group exercises will enable participants to enhance their ability to work as team players, taking the specific skills of each individual into consideration. Given that the courses are held at WTO headquarters, participants will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the multicultural environment, one of the characteristics of the international framework of the WTO. Participants will also be encouraged to share their own experiences during training activities.
  4. It is expected that, at the end of the course, participants will have established a network of contacts which will prove useful when they return to their respective countries. Participants will have ample opportunity during the course to strengthen a network of contacts amongst themselves, with WTO Secretariat staff members and with certain representatives of WTO Members posted in Geneva. Furthermore, a number of presentations by and contacts organized with representatives of other Geneva-based intergovernmental organizations active in trade-related areas will give participants the chance to identify potential partners for enhancing their knowledge of and developing cooperation projects of use to the beneficiary countries.

16.06.08 DRAFT PROGRAMME FOR 13TH INTRODUCTION COURSE ON WTO FOR LDCs - 9-27 June 2008– Room 119 – ITTC/Susan Hainsworth

Week 1
9-13 June 2008 / Week 2
16-20 June 2008 / Week 3
23-27 June 2008
Monday
9.30 – 12.30 / Opening of course - Ben Hammouda
Introduction to the programme
Administrative questions / Border measures - Pre-shipment Inspection, Import Licensing, Customs Valuation
Chakarian
Rules of Origin
Hainsworth / Introduction to WTO dispute settlement
Hainsworth
12.30 – Advisory Centre for WTO Law (ACWL) + Sandwich lunch – Gappah
14.00 –17.00 / Introduction to the WTO
Hainsworth/Alcala / Market Access
Morales / Regionalism
Lee
Tuesday
9.30 – 12.30 / Introduction to the WTO
Hainsworth/Alcala / Technical barriers to trade
Wijkstrom
Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
Alcala / 10.00 Attendance at DSB meeting
14.00 –17.00 / Introduction to the WTO
Hainsworth/Alcala / Rules (Anti-dumping, Safeguards, Subsidies and Countervailing Measures)
Hainsworth
19.00 Dinner - Edelweiss / Review: TRIPS [quiz, summary tables]
and Q&A on basic concepts and principles
Hainsworth
Meeting with the experts:
16.15 GATS – Morrison
Wednesday
9.30 – 12.30 / Basic Principles of the Multilateral Trading System
Hainsworth/Alcala / Agriculture
Fernandes / 9.30 E-training – Ramirez
10.45 WTO technical assistance - Smeets
14.00 –17.00 / Basic Principles of the Multilateral Trading System
Hainsworth/Alcala
Accessions
Ganne / Agriculture
Fernandes / 14.00 Special Differential Treatment – Muyambo
15.00 Integrated framework – Blank
16.00 A4T - Werner
Thursday
9.30 – 12.30 / GATS: Services
Morrison / TRIPS: trade-related aspects of intellectual property
Wu/Arhel/Pardo de León / Technical Cooperation: (1)
presentation of programmes developed by:
9.30 – AITIC - Duran
11.00 – UNCTAD - Yeterian-Parisi
14.00 –17.00 / GATS: Services
Morrison / TRIPS: trade-related aspects of intellectual property
Tran Wasescha/Pardo de León / Technical Cooperation: (2)
presentation of programmes developed by:
14.00 – ITC - Farahat
Friday
9.30 – 12.30 / Review of the week- (quiz, summary tables)
Hainsworth
11.00 Participation in WTO Introduction Day
Accessions Sandwich Lunch – Ganne / Meeting with the experts:
9.30-10.20 - Agriculture - Fernandes
10:30- 11.20 – NAMA - Tang
11:30 – World Bank TA programme - Zanini / Review of the week(DS, Regionalism) - Hainsworth
(quiz, summary tables)
11:00 Update on TNC negotiations – Werner
14.00 –17.00 / 14.30 Participation in WTO Introduction Day / Review of week [Agriculture, Rules, GATS continued; (quiz, summary tables)] - Hainsworth / 14.00 – Diploma Ceremony – Ben Hammouda
Evaluation and conclusion of the programme
17.00 – End of programme