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WTO NEWS: 1995 PRESS RELEASES

PRESS/20
28 August 1995

Second WTO Trade Policy Course opens in Geneva

Continuing GATT's practice of regularly organizing training courses on trade policy, international trade law and the multilateral trading system, the WTO inaugurates today its second trade policy course for twenty-six officials from as many developing countries. The course, to be held in English, begins today and will end 1 December 1995.

The aim of the training courses is to provide participants with greater understanding of trade policy matters and major problems of international trade. With the WTO now in force, courses will also address the results of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations and the rights and obligations of WTO members. Offered in English, French and Spanish, the courses are open to officials from developing countries, including countries which are not GATT/WTO members.

The courses have a practical orientation and are designed to help officials prepare themselves for the tasks awaiting them in their own administrations. The participants already have responsibilities for the formulation and conduct of foreign trade policy and are nominated by their respective governments. Apart from a series of lectures on WTO law, the programme includes participation in seminars and group discussions, a workshop on negotiating techniques and simulation exercises for conducting trade negotiations and for settling disputes. Participants also attend official meetings.

During the course, participants undertake a study tour in Switzerland and a study tour abroad, which include visits to institutions and enterprises connected with foreign trade. In addition to WTO Secretariat officials, many guest lecturers, including senior officials of government delegations and international organizations, as well as academics, are invited to address the participants.

Since 1955, GATT/WTO has organized 79 training courses for 1,414 officials from 126 developing countries and ten regional organizations. These figures do not include the 122 senior trade officials from Eastern and Central European and Central Asian countries who participated in the five special courses organized by GATT since 1991, with the financial support of the Swiss Government, nor the 48 senior officials from Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine who attended the two special GATT/WTO courses funded by the United States in 1994 and 1995.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS/LISTE DES PARTICIPANTS/LISTA DE PARTICIPANTES

Bahrain Mr. Adnan S. AL MOOSAWI, International Trade Relations Specialist, Ministry of Commerce and Agriculture, Manama.

Bangladesh Mr. Md Shah ALAM, Assistant Trade Consultant, Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka.

Belize Mr. Richard E. REID, Trade Economist, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Belmopan.

China Mr. Xiangchen ZHANG, Official, Department of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Beijing.

Egypt Mr. Mohamed N. SALEM, First Secretary (Commercial), Commercial Representation, Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, Cairo.

El Salvador Mr. Rene M. VARGAS MARROQUIN, Chief, Trade Regulations Division, Ministry of Economy, San Salvador.

Ethiopia Mr. Gashaw DEBEBE, Head, Trade Policy Division, Ministry of Trade, Addis Ababa.

Gambia Mr. Tamsir M. MANGA, Principal Economist, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Banjul.

Ghana Mr. Francis K. AMENYAH, Commercial/Legal Officer, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Accra.

Hong Kong Mr. Freely K. CHENG, Trade Officer, Computerized Systems Branch, Trade Department, Kowloon.

India Mr. V. SUBRAMANIAN, Desk Officer (Foreign Trade), Ministry of Commerce, New Delhi.

Indonesia Mrs. Ahmad SYAFRI, Head, Foreign Cooperation Division, Bureau of Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation, Ministry of Trade, Jakarta.

Lao PDR Mrs. Banesaty THEPHAVONG, Deputy Director, International Organisation Statistics and Planning Division, Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce, Vientiane.

Malawi Mrs. Hilaria F. BANDA, Trade Officer, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lilongwe.

Malaysia Mr. Adlan TUMIN, Assistant Director (Textiles), Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Kuala Lumpur.

Mongolia Mr. Evshingiin IDESH, Senior Officer, Treaty and Law Department, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ulaanbaatar.

Myanmar Miss Khin W. Myint, Section Head, International Trade Organization and Research Department, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, Yangon.

Nepal Mr. Jib R. KOIRALA, Section Officer, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, Kathmandu.

Philippines Miss Evelyn Q. MANALOTO, Supervising Trade-Industry Development Specialist, Bureau of International Trade Relations, Department of Trade and Industry, Metro Manila.

Singapore Mr. Premjith SADASIVAN, Country Officer (International Economics), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore.

South Africa Mr. Patrick L. KRAPPIE, Directorate of Export Trade Promotion, Department of Trade and Industry, Pretoria.

Sri Lanka Mr. Wasantha R. SENANAYAKE, Assistant Director of Commerce, International Commercial Relations Division, Department of Commerce, Colombo.

Sudan Mr. Elmansour I. BOLAD, Desk Officer, Economic Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khartoum.

Thailand Miss Auramon CHUTINET, Economist, Multilateral Trade Division, Department of Business Economics, Bangkok.

Turkey Mr. Ziya DEMIRDÜZEN, Expert, Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade, General Directorate of Agreements, Ankara.

Zimbabwe Mr. Fanuel G. MASAMA, Senior Administrative Officer (Multilateral Organisations and Commodities), Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Harare.