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WTO NEWS: 2001 PRESS RELEASES

Press/237
13 July 2001

The 17th WTO trade policy course comes to a close for twenty-seven officials

Mr. Paul-Henri Ravier, the Deputy Director-General of the WTO, presided over the closing ceremony of the 17th WTO Trade Policy Course on Friday 13 July.

For twenty-seven national officials, largely from least-developed countries, this marked the end of a twelve-week course during which they were able to gain inside knowledge of the multilateral trading system and its rules and operation.

In his closing address, Mr. Ravier noted that “the WTO is much more something which has to be experienced than something which can be explained”, a reference to the importance of acquiring a practical knowledge of the workings of the organization. He stressed the unique experience, on several counts, represented by such training at a time when WTO Members were making preparations in Geneva for the forthcoming Ministerial Conference, scheduled to take place in November in Doha, Qatar.

On behalf of the participants, Mr. Alain Luvambano from Angola thanked the WTO Secretariat and Members for the contribution that WTO training activities were making to capacity-building in the participating countries. Hailing the work of the WTO Secretariat, he welcomed the course's success in promoting both professional and cultural exchanges and the fact that it reinforced the concept of a “planetary village”. Confident that participants would put the knowledge they had gained from this training into practice on behalf of their respective countries, Mr. Luvambano recalled the saying that “in a changing world, there is nothing more risky than standing still”. In this connection, he described the training as a “kick-start” which would enable developing countries to play a more active role in the multilateral trading system.

The 17th Trade Policy Course, which was held in French, took place from 23 April to 13 July at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. The next such training course will begin in September.

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List of participants on the 17th WTO trade policy course

Albania

Ms. Ejana XHIXHA, Vice-Chairperson, Insurance Supervision Commission, Council of Ministers, Tirana.

Angola

Mr. Alain Michel LUVAMBANO, Attorney, Legal Department, National Shippers' Council (CNC), Ministry of Transport/Ministry of Trade, Luanda.

Benin

Ms. Sophie Dagbé TOPANOU, Officer, WTO Reference Centre, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Handicrafts and Tourism, Cotonou.

Burkina Faso

Mr. Dramane MILLOHO, Director in Charge of Foreign Trade, General Directorate of Trade, Ministry of Trade, Enterprises and Handicrafts, Ouagadougou.

Chad

Ms. Ehra Sarah GNADANG, Chief, Multilateral Trade Relations Section, Foreign Trade Division, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, N'Djamena.

Côte d'Ivoire

Mr. Mobio Marc LOBA, Chief, Importers Study and Accreditation Service, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Abidjan.

Djibouti

Mr. Mohamed ELMI OBSIEH, Officer in Charge of Relations with the WTO, Department of International Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts, Djibouti.

Gabon

Ms. Danielle Mauricette ISSEMBE, Director of Foreign Trade, Directorate of Foreign Trade, General Directorate of Trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry in Charge of Investment and Regional Integration, Libreville.

Guinea

Mr. Facinet KEITA, Chief, WTO Section, National Directorate of Trade and Competition, Ministry of Trade, Industry and SMEs, Conakry.

Haiti

Mr. Pierre-André DUNBAR, Assistant-Director, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Port-au-Prince.

Kazakhstan

Ms. Azhar ABDILDINA, Chief, Customs Revenue Division, Analyses and Forecasts Department, Ministry of State Revenue, Astana.

Lebanon

Ms. Souheir NADDE, Ministry of Economy and Trade, Beirut.

Madagascar

Ms. Joséphine Aimée Ralison SAHONDRA, Customs Inspector, General Customs Directorate, Ministry for the Budget and Development of Autonomous Provinces, Antananarivo.

Mali

Mr. Sékou Amadou N'DOURE, Inspector of Economic Services in Charge of WTO Files, WTO/UNCTAD Task Force, Foreign Trade Division, National Directorate of Trade and Competition, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Transport, Bamako.

Morocco

Ms. Saadia OUAISSA, Officer, Treasury and External Finances Directorate, Balance-of-Payments Division, Relations with International Institutions Branch, Ministry of the Economy, Finance, Privatization and Tourism, Rabat.

Mauritius

Mr. Jean Claude MONTOCCHIO, Mauritius Chamber of Commerce, c/o Permanent Mission of Mauritius to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Mauritania

Ms. Khadidiata BA, Chief, Studies Service, Directorate for the Promotion of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Handicrafts and Tourism, Nouakchott.

Niger

Mr. Aboubacar ISSAKA, Chief, Export Promotion Service, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Niamey.

Central African Republic

Mr. Jean-Paul Bervy SERVICE TEZAWA, Chief, Disputes Branch, Directorate of Competition and Repression of Economic Fraud, Ministry of Trade, Industry and the Private Sector, Bangui.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mr. Mapengo Simon NZUKA, Inspector, Disputes Division, Customs and Excise Office (OFIDA), Kinshasa.

Rwanda

Ms. Mucyo Théophile NDOLI, Officer in Charge of International Trade Relations, International Trade Relations Division, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Kigali.

Sao Tome and Principe

Mr. Adérito de Oliveira BONFIM DOS RAMOS BORGES, Chemical Engineer/Public Official, Technical Division, Directorate of Trade and Industry, Ministry of the Economy, Sao Tome.

Senegal

Mr. Cheikh Saadbouh SECK, Deputy-Director of Foreign Trade, Directorate of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Dakar.

Tadjikistan

Mr. Fourkat LAFIZOV, First Secretary, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dushanbe.

Thailand

Ms. Vandee SUCHATKULVIT, Attorney, Department of Business Economics, Bangkok.

Togo

Mr. Akuetey JOHNSON, Officer in Charge of Missions and Studies, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Transport and Free-Zone Development, Lomé.

Tunisia

Mr. Malek Moezz BOUZGARROU, Administrator-Counsellor, Directorate of Relations with the WTO, Ministry of Trade, Tunis.