WTO: 2005 NEWS ITEMS

25 July 2005
WTO TRAINING COURSES

Conclusion of the 33rd Trade Policy Course for officials

On Friday, 22 July, officials from 26 countries attended the closing ceremony of which diplomas were awarded marking the end of the 33rd WTO Trade Policy Course, which was held in French at WTO Headquarters from 2 May to 22 July 2005. Mr Paul Rolian, Director of the Institute for Training and Technical Corporation, presided over the ceremony.

Referring to the recent statements by the Director-General of the WTO, Mr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Mr Paul Rolian drew attention to the obstacles now holding up the negotiations of the "Doha Development Agenda" and to the difficulties currently faced by the negotiators in trying to attain the objectives which had been set by the Ministers for the end of July. It was therefore against this rather gloomy background that the 33rd Trade Policy Course ended. The Director of the Institute urged the participants to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills so as to be ready to help their negotiating colleagues in their efforts to achieve a successful conclusion to the negotiations.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr Alexis Watre-Assonio (Central African Republic) thanked Mr Rolian for his remarks and noted that the course had "provided the participants with an opportunity to broaden the international network through the various contacts that we have been able to make with ... experts ... and participants". He added that the latter "are committed to using to good effect the knowledge acquired ... by making due restitution during the seminars [and] workshops [to be organized] in our respective countries by inviting all shades of national opinion involved in the formulation and implementation of trade policy". Urging "the senior officials of this Organization to make available to the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation the appropriate resources for strengthening and increasing the technical cooperation already initiated ...", he called on the WTO "not to slacken its efforts" to support the developing countries in their "attempts to apply faithfully the principles of the Organization in their respective countries in order to promote integrated international trade".

The final three-month Trade Policy Course to be held in Geneva in 2005 will take place from 19 September to 9 December in English. Introductory courses on the WTO for the least developed countries and several other specialized courses, including those on trade negotiations, the settlement of disputes and the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, will complete the training activities carried out this year by the Institute of Training and Technical Cooperation at the Headquarters of the Organization. In parallel with these training activities organized in Geneva, five regional trade policy courses lasting three months will also be organized in the field this year in conjunction with local and regional partner institutions.
  

List of the participants  back to top

Angola

M. João NGUENGO 

Bénin

M. Kocou POGNON 

Burkina Faso

M. Goumouon GANET SOME

Burundi

Mme Chantal ZIRIKUNAMA

Congo, République démocratique

M. Eugène MANGA MANGA

Côte d'Ivoire

M. Ado ANGAMAN

Djibouti

M. Abdoulkader MOUSSA EGUEH

Égypte

Mme Shaheera ASSY

Éthiopie

M. Amsalu Melese TESEMA

Gabon

M. Eric-Serge IBINGA

Guinée

Mlle Djènè SOUGOULE

Haïti

Mme Madeleine GERMAIN

Iran

M. Sirous EFTEKHARI MALEKI

Madagascar

Mme Saïda MANANTSARA

Mali

M. Balamoussa KEITA

Maroc

Mlle Majida EL JAAFARI

Maurice

M. Danandjay LUXIMON

Mauritanie

Mlle Mouna EBNOU OUMAR

Niger

M. Marou ALZOUMA ALBARK

République centrafricaine 

M. Alexis WATARE-ASSONIO

Sao Tomé et Principe

M. Jorge DO SACRAMENTO BONFIM

Sénégal

M. Amadou BA

Seychelles

M. Jean-Paul D'OFFAY

Tchad

M. Ali Moussa BRAHIM 

Togo

M. Essosima BENIDA

Tunisie

M. Fethi BEN MIMOUN