Training: three-week introduction course to the WTO for 21 representatives of least-developed countries

The second Introduction Course to the WTO, held under the auspices of the WTO Training Institute, began on 11 November at the Organization's headquarters.

> WTO Training Institute

Twenty-one representatives of least-developed countries (LDCs) are attending this course, which is organized in French with the valuable cooperation of the International Trade Centre (ITC).

This year, for the first time ever, this kind of three-week-long course is funded by the WTO regular budget as part of the ongoing endeavour since the Doha Ministerial Conference to provide capacity building for developing countries, in particular LDCs. Capacity building is one of the priorities of the new WTO Director-General, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi.

A three-week course will not transform participants into experts in all WTO matters. Its objective is to give a sufficiently broad overview that will promote a better understanding of the interaction between the various aspects covered by the framework of WTO activities.

Another objective is to help participants to learn more about the workings of the Organization, by turning the spotlight on current negotiations.

In view of the fact that all of the participants are from LDCs, particular attention will be paid during the last week of training to trade- and development-related issues as well as technical cooperation activities. In line with this, the WTO Training Institute has benefited from the active participation of representatives of the ITC, UNCTAD and WIPO, which will take part in a forum designed to intensify contacts between the participants and these Organizations, all of which are active in fields related to those dealt with by the WTO.

Concurrent with the Introduction Course to the WTO and also under the auspices of the WTO Training Institute, 58 representatives from developing countries and transition economies are attending two trade policy courses which draw to a close at the beginning of December.

List of participants in the Introduction Course to the WTO

List of participants in the 2nd INTRODUCTION COURSE TO THE WTO FOR LDCs
Angola	Mr. CORREIA VICTOR Manuel, Economist, Department of Studies, Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, Luanda
Benin	Mr. ADOUMASSE Thomas, Assistant Director of International Organizations, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration, Cotonou
Benin (A)	Mr. Eloi LAOUROU, Second Counsel (Economic and Trade Affairs), Permanent Mission of Benin, Geneva
Burkina Faso	Mr. OUEDRAOGO Abdouramane, Director of the Single-Window Centre, Directorate-General for Promotion of the Private Sector, Ministry of Trade, Enterprises and Handicrafts, Ouagadougou
Burundi	Mr. MUREKE Jean-Claude, Economist, Advisor to the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Bujumbura
Central African Republic	Mr. OUILIBONA Cyprien, Manager, Trade Promotion Service, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, Bangui
Chad	Mr. ROULAYE Ndoba, Economist, Chief of Bilateral and Multilateral Trade Relations Section, Foreign Trade Division, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, N'djamena
Comoros	Mr. HACHIM Abbas Mohamed, Director, Foreign Trade Division, Ministry of Finance, Budget, the Economy, Foreign Trade, Investment and Privatisation, Moroni
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Mr. EPAPA BESEMBO Evariste, Investment and Administration Assistant, Office of the Economic and Development Advisor to the Head of State, Presidency of the Republic, Office of the President of the Republic, Kinshasa
Djibouti	Mr. DAHER HASSAN Abdallah, Administrative Agent, Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, Djibouti
Guinea	Mrs. KOUYATE Fanta, Consultant on Multilateral Trade Agreements, National Directorate of Trade and Competition, Ministry of Trade, Industry and SMEs, Conakry
Guinea-Bissau	Mr. MARQUES VIEIRA José Manuel, Division Chief, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities, Bissau
Haiti	Mrs. AXILIEN Marie Elga, Legal Advisor, Directorate of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Port-au-Prince
Madagascar	Mrs. RAKOTONDRAHANTA Claudia, Research Officer, Directorate for Regional Cooperation, Regional Integration Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Antananarivo
Mali	Mr. TOURE Mahamane Assoumane, Assistant National Director, National Directorate of Trade and Competition, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Bamako
Mauritania	Mr. OULD HITT Mohamed, Foreign Trade Promotion Director, Ministry of Trade, Handicrafts and Tourism, Nouakchott
Niger	Mr. ALZOUMA ALBARKA Marou, Chief of Studies, Statistics and Regulations Service, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade and Private Sector Promotion, Niamey
Sao Tome and Principe	Mr. FERNANDES Francisco Carlos, Director of Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Sao Tome
Senegal	Mrs. LEYE DRAME Mariama, Attorney, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Trade, Dakar
Senegal (A)	Mr. Papa DIOP, Second Counsel, Permanent Mission of Senegal, Geneva
Togo	Mr. SITTI Akouété Avolèlèh, Trade Inspector, Division Chief, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Transport and Free-Zone Development, Lomé

(A): Auditors (not financed by the regular budget)