Technical assistance

back to top

Advanced course on trade and the environment

The Advanced Course on Trade and Environment takes place every 2 years at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. Government officials from LDCs, developing countries and economies in transition are selected to participate in the two-week course, whose main objective is to consolidate their knowledge on trade and environment issues and facilitate their participations in the work of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment.

A wide range of environment-related topics are discussed, such as environmental requirements and market access, disputes involving environmental issues, environmental technologies, environmental provisions in regional trade agreements as well as trade and climate change. Past activities included contributions from several international experts (ACWL, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, CBD, CITES, GEN, ICTSD, IISD, ISO, ITC, Minamata Convention Interim Secretariat, OECD, UNCTAD, UNECE, UNEP, UNFCCC, WBCSD, WIPO, WMO).

 

back to top

Latest advanced courses

 

back to top

Regional seminars on trade and the environment

The WTO’s regional seminars on trade and the environment are for developing countries and economies in transition. They have been organized by the WTO Secretariat since 1998.

The immediate objective is to raise awareness on the linkages between trade, the environment and sustainable development, to promote greater dialogue between trade and environment policy makers and to make it easier for member governments within a region to share their experiences.

Programmes are tailored to the interests of each region and are designed to ensure the participants engage fully.

Other organizations also take part in the seminars so that participants can benefit from their expertise. Since 1999 the WTO Secretariat has invited experts from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Secretariats of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

 

back to top

Latest regional workshops

  

back to top

National workshops on trade and the environment

National workshops on trade and the environment are undertaken in response to requests from member governments. Programmes of these events are discussed with the beneficiary government and tailored to respond to specific needs.   

 

Latest national workshops back to top

 

back to top

WTO Chair Programme 

The WTO Chairs Programme aims to support and promote trade-related academic activities by universities and research institutions in developing and least-developed countries. Academic institutions awarded WTO Chairs receive support in the following areas: course preparation, teaching, research and outreach activities. More info...

  

back to top

Latest WTO Chairs activities on trade and the environment 

 

back to top

Side-events

The WTO Secretariat uses the opportunity of the Conference of the Parties of relevant MEAs to brief officials about current discussions in the trade policy area. This is aimed at increasing the coordination between the trade and environment communities.
  

back to top

Trade policy courses and introductory courses

Along with all the other subjects covered by the WTO, trade and the environment is routinely included in the trade policy courses and introductory courses in Geneva, as well as in WTO trade policy courses held regionally around the world.

  

back to top

Technical assistance discussions in the CTE

The importance of technical assistance and capacity building in the field of trade and environment to developing countries, in particular the least-developed among them was recognized in paragraph 33 of the DDA. Under this item, Members and observer organizations are to report on trade and environment related technical assistance and capacity building in the CTE. Delegations, whether as donors or recipients, have been encouraged to exchange information on these activities.