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16 September 2005
WTO TRAINING COURSES

Participants in the twelfth Specialized Course on WTO Dispute Settlement end a week of training in Geneva

Twenty-five government officials from WTO Member and Observer countries end a five-day immersion into the rules and procedures governing the WTO Dispute Settlement mechanism.

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During one week, the participants have been actively involved in interactive training organized under the auspices of the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation with the active co-operation of the Secretariat of the Appellate Body and the Legal Affairs Division.

The course started with an introduction to the WTO with a particular focus placed on the role and the functioning of the Dispute Settlement mechanism in the rule-based multilateral trading system. For the first time in the history of the WTO, panel hearings were opened to the public during the same week and participants were invited to attend part of the hearings. This provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to get acquainted with how the mechanism works. The training activities continued with an overview of the rules, procedures and functioning of the Dispute Settlement mechanism. Participants were then rapidly engaged in a simulation exercise which allowed them to develop practical knowledge and skills throughout the various steps of the WTO dispute settlement procedures. An update on recent developments in the area of dispute settlement as well as on the current review of the Dispute Settlement Understanding concluded the training programme.

All participants from least-developed countries and a number of developing countries' representatives were financed out of the WTO regular budget. These courses are organized pursuant to the mandate given to the Secretariat by Art. 27.3 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, which foresees that training shall be provided to interested WTO Members. This course was held in English. A similar course will also be organized in November.   

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