WTO: 2005 NEWS ITEMS

24 January 2005
WTO TRAINING COURSES

Second Regional Trade Policy Course for the Caribbean launched

The WTO in partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI) launched the Second Regional Trade Policy Course for the Caribbean on 24 January 2005 in Kingston, Jamaica. Twenty-five government officials from 15 Caribbean countries are taking part in this course which is being held at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies from 24 January to 15 April 2005.

The course has been designed with the needs of the Caribbean region in mind and is being conducted by both lecturers from the WTO and specialists from the region.

The course was officially inaugurated by Mr. Paul Rolian, Director of the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, and Professor the Hon. Kenneth O. Hall, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Mona Campus.

In his opening address, Professor Hall warmly welcomed the participants and expressed the pride of UWI for partnering with the WTO for the second time. He mentioned that the course was a "collaborative effort between the WTO and the UWI that will redound to the collective benefit of the entire Caribbean region". He told the participants that they will be "challenged during the course to think outside the box with respect to national and territorial issues; with respect to procedures and processes; ... and that they will emerge at the end of the course with the firm knowledge that [they] are a member of a special group of people who will articulate and present together, [...], the collective interests of this region."

Mr. Wayne McCook, Senior Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, also welcomed the participants on behalf of the Ministry. He called on participants to "engage in developing ideas on how, given the constraints of a small domestic market, we can gear ourselves towards increasing and diversifying exports and strengthening domestic competitiveness". He urged participants to enjoy Jamaica and "forge new friendships and contacts".

Mr. Rolian welcomed the participants on behalf of WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi. He expressed his gratitude to the University of the West Indies for their supportive partnership and for the excellent collaboration provided in the organization of the first course in 2004. He said that similar courses are held in different regions of the world to provide regional resource bases on information about the WTO.

Mr. Rolian recalled that the main objective of the courses is to widen participants' understanding of trade policy maters, the multilateral trading system, international trade law and the functioning of the WTO. By increasing the number of government officials in the region with a solid foundation of knowledge on the WTO these courses help promote the more active participation of developing countries in the WTO.

The Regional Trade Policy Courses are part of the WTO's technical assistance and capacity building programme, and are modelled on three-month trade policy courses that have been organized by the GATT/WTO in Geneva for over 40 years. They were introduced in 2002 and have since been held in Africa and in Hong Kong, China, for the Asia-Pacific region. A course for Latin America will be held later this year in Santiago, Chile.
  

List of the participants  back to top

Antigua and Barbuda

Mr. Dia Camara CHRISTIAN

Antigua and Barbuda

Miss Kariyma BALTIMORE

Bahamas

Miss Shirl Cindy Lionette DEVEAUX

Bahamas

Mrs. Sylena Marie MITCHELL

Barbados

Mrs. Lisa Elizabeth GALE

Belize

Miss Gianni Tamella AVILA

Cuba

Mrs. Eva María QUINTANA GONZÁLEZ

Dominica

Mr. Matthan WALTER

Dominica

Mrs. Bernadette COMMODORE

Dominican Republic

Miss Sacha SILIÉ RAMOS

Grenada

Miss Cyrilla Ruth Pamela STEELE

Grenada

Mr. Wayne FRANCIS

Guyana

Miss Derise Avione WILLIAMS

Guyana

Miss Sueanna Juanita DAVID

Jamaica

Mr. Audel Jason CUNNINGHAM

Jamaica

Mr. Carlton WEDDERBURN

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Mr. Jason Darrell CHRISTOPHER

Saint Lucia

Mrs. Clenie Martina Jacinta GREER-LACASCADE

Saint Lucia

Miss Patricia Anthia JOSHUA

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Mr. Elvis Anthony ABBEY

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Miss Gatlin ROBERTS

Suriname

Mr. Roy Guno Hein KING

Suriname

Miss Merlin Angela GOUT

Trinidad and Tobago

Miss Roma COLLYMORE

Trinidad and Tobago

Ms. Jo-Anne BEHARRY