The patron of the Advanced Trade Policy Course (ATPC), Ambassador Francisco Lima Mena, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the WTO, participated in the closing ceremony with the Director of the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), Bridget Chilala, and the Head of the ITTC’s Training and Capacity Building Section, Serafino Marchese.

The ATPC, held in Spanish, was organized by the ITTC and held in Geneva, at the WTO Headquarters. The course followed a case-based methodology. It was delivered through an interactive approach aimed at developing participants’ critical thinking. 

Forming part of the “generalists” path of the WTO’s Progressive Learning Strategy, the ATPC promotes transfer of skills through examples of members’ trade policies. The focus is on the legal and economic implications of WTO rules and disciplines. These are examined in a series of interactive sessions — case studies, simulations and exercises, hands-on use of WTO databases and analytical tools, and roundtable discussions to share experiences and best practice as well as to debate current trade topics.

Mr Lima Mena congratulated participants for having successfully completed the course. He underlined the importance of human and institutional capacity building, and noted the importance for participants of strengthening their contact with one another as well as with WTO officials, Geneva-based delegates and other members of the Geneva trade community.

In her remarks, Ms Chilala emphasized that the main objective of the course was to ensure that participants return home as better trade policy analysts able to better defend their national interests and to put in place policies that would contribute to a better functioning trading system, both at the international and national level.

On behalf of the participants of the ATPC, Mr Tayutic Mena Retana from Costa Rica thanked Mr Lima Mena for providing advice to the group and for sharing his extensive experience with the participants. He also thanked the WTO for the valuable contribution that the training course had made in enhancing their trade knowledge. He concluded by thanking the WTO Secretariat for all the support provided for this course.

Details of the course are provided in the course booklet and the final programme (in Spanish).

 

List of Participants: