WTO | Development - Geneva-based training courses fact sheet

WHAT are the Geneva-based WTO Training Courses?

A series of 15 training courses annually, held at the WTO Headquarters in the organization's three official languages (English, French, and Spanish). The courses are tailor-made practical programmes designed to address issues specific to participating countries, focussing largely on development. It consist of Interactive training with lectures, presentations, round-tables, meetings with experts, simulation exercises, attendance to official WTO meetings, etc. There are four Trade Policy Courses per year, two Introduction Courses, one Thematic Course on Trade Negotiations and three sessions on Dispute Settlement. Also included in the programme are one specialized course on SPS and three Introduction days. Around 500 government officials participate every year in the courses with 25 to 30 participants per course.
The annual budget stands at 3.5 million Swiss francs and its financed out of the WTO regular budget. In 2006 a total of 310 days of training were delivered. The courses constituted 3% of the total number of training and technical assistance activities contained in the WTO Programme, and represented 12% of the total amount allocated by the WTO Members to training and technical assistance.

WHAT is the purpose of these courses?

Most of the courses respond to the demand by WTO Members to provide Government officials (Jr Staff or staff newly appointed to trade matters) with introductory training on the WTO, what it does, how it works, and what its agreements contain. The main objective for the beneficiary countries is to know more about the WTO and its rules in order to better use and more actively participate in the Multilateral Trading System. Governments learn through these course how best to use the system to efficiently advance their national interests.
Specific objectives range from transfer of knowledge and skills, to developing team-oriented approaches to international trade negotiations. The courses also strengthen participants' independence in dealing with the vast number of WTO-related documents and information while enabling government trade officials to establish a network of professional contacts.

WHO benefits from the Geneva-based courses?

All beneficiaries of the Geneva-based courses are developing countries, economies in transition, and countries in accession (with the exception of the Thematic Course on Dispute Settlement which is open to all Members).
All participants are government officials nominated by their governments.

WHAT are the results?

Participants return to their official duties after the courses. Some are posted in the Permanent Representations of their countries in Geneva, others are assigned new duties more in line with their acquired knowledge. A number of alumni became Negotiators for their countries, Ambassadors, even Ministers in a few cases. Some also chose eventually to leave the public service to join the academic community or to work in the private sector, which constitutes a key actor of international trade.