WTO NEWS: 2004 NEWS ITEMS
9 June 2004
WTO TRAINING COURSES
Official inauguration of WTO/University of Hong Kong Regional Trade Policy Course for Asia/Pacific
The official inauguration of the first WTO Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC) for Asia/Pacific in partnership with the University of Hong Kong took place on Wednesday 9 June in Hong Kong, China. Government officials from 31 Asia-Pacific countries are taking part in the three-month course which is held at the University of Hong Kong and runs from 7 June to 27 August 2004. The course has been designed with the needs of the Asia-Pacific region in mind and is being delivered by both WTO officials and trade specialists from the region.
SEE ALSO:
>
press releases
> news archives
> Supachai Panitchpakdi's speeches
The RTPC was officially inaugurated by Mr. Paul Rolian, Director of
the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation, and Dr. Victor
Fung, Chairman of the Council of the University of Hong Kong. Many
representatives from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government,
private industry, academia, as well asa number of Consular officials
attended the inauguration ceremony.
In his opening address, Mr. Rolian, on behalf of the Director-General of the
WTO, welcomed participants to the course. He expressed his gratitude to the
University of Hong Kong for their supportive partnership in delivering the
RTPC, and for their demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment to the project.
He went on to say that the main objective of the Asia-Pacific RTPC was to
increase the number of government officials in the region with a solid
foundation of knowledge on the WTO, allowing them to contribute to the
promotion of more active participation by their countries in the work of the
WTO and increase the capacity of governments in the region to articulate and
defend their national interests. Further objectives included building
institutional partnerships at the regional level for capacity building
activities: establishing joint lecturing arrangements with academics and
specialists from the region; and developing research on WTO tropics between
universities and institutions in the region and international organizations,
including the WTO.
In his speech, Dr. Fung said that the RTPC would address the need for
developing countries to strengthen the skills and knowledge of their
government officials to face the challenges of the Doha Development Agenda.
He also said that the course would be well supported by the research and
capacity-building activities of the East Asian International Economic Law
and Policy (EAIEL) programme of the University of Hong Kong, the first
multidisciplinary programme in Hong Kong focusing strategically on issues of
compliance with WTO obligations.
Both Mr. Rolian and Dr. Fung wished participants every success in their
course and encouraged them to take maximum benefit from the opportunities
offered by the RTPC.
RTPCs 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 first
introduced in 2002 and have since been held in Africa and in the Caribbean.
It is anticipated that the courses will be extended to the Latin American
region in 2005.
List of
the participants
back to top
Afghanistan |
Mr. Ghulam DASTGIR, Director, Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce |
Bangladesh |
Mr. Pradip ROYHAN, Senior Assistant Secretary, WTO Cell, Bangladesh Secretariat, Ministry of Commerce |
Bhutan |
Mr. Tandin TSHERING, Regional Director, Regional Trade and Industry Office, Ministry of Trade and Industry |
Brunei Darussalam |
Mrs. Kamilah HAJI MOHO HANIFAH, Special Duties Officer, International Relations and Trade Development Division, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources |
Cambodia |
Mr. Yuvaroath TAN, Deputy Chief, Trade in Services BureauAsean and International Organisation Department, Ministry of Commerce |
China |
Mr. Defeng E, Director, Division of Agriculture, Department for WTO Affairs, Ministry of Commerce |
Fiji |
Mr. Laitia Saqarere KOROIWASA, Acting Senior Assistant Secretary, Economic International Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade |
Hong Kong, China |
Ms Sui King LAI, Trade Officer, Regional
Cooperation Division |
Hong Kong, China |
Mr. Tommy Yiu-Wai LAI, Assistant Secretary |
India |
Mr. Anil AGGARWAL, Deputy Director General of
Foreign Trade |
Indonesia |
Mr. Boris SITUMORANG, Head, New Issues-WTO Division, Directorate for Multilateral Co-operation, Directorate General for Industry and International Trade Co-operation, Ministry of Industry and Trade |
Kiribati |
Miss Roreti ERITAI, Senior Trade Promotion Officer, Trade Promotion Division, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives |
Korea |
Mr. Yung-Suh PARK, Deputy Director Responsible for Trade Committee in OECD, Economic Organisations Division, International Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade |
Lao People's Dem. Rep. |
Mr. Somphouang PHIENPHINITH, Deputy General
Director, |
Macao, China |
Miss Vai Man LEUNG, Senior Officer, International Economic Affairs Division, Macao Economic Services |
Malaysia |
Mr. Said RASHIDI, Assistant Director, Multilateral Trade Policy and Negotiations Division, Ministry of International Trade and Industry |
Maldives |
Mr. Ahmed NASHEED, Chief Customs Officer, Valuation and Tariff Division, Maldives Customs Service, Ministry of Trade and Industries |
Mongolia |
Miss Nomuundari Na GALSANDORJ, Assistant Researcher of International Trade Policy, Trade Policy and Cooperation Department, Ministry of Trade and Industry |
Myanmar |
Miss Win Min PHYOE, Assistant Director, WTO and International Organisation Section, International Trade Promotion Department, Directorate of Trade |
Nepal |
Mr. Prem Prasad GHIMIRE, Section Officer, WTO Division, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies |
Pakistan |
Mr. Muhammad Usman QURESHI, Section Officer, Export General Wing, Ministry of Commerce |
Papua New Guinea |
Mr. Matthew Tewi N'DREWEI, Senior Foreign Service Officer, Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Immigration |
Philippines |
Mrs. Maribel Gozun MARGES, Chief Fiber
Development Officer |
Samoa
|
Miss Azaria LESA, Foreign Investment Registrar, Industry Development and Investment Unit, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour |
Singapore |
Mr. Joshua LEE, Assistant Director,
Directorate Trade Division |
Sri Lanka |
Mr. Wesly Wimal Hemachandra ABEYNEYAKAGE, Assistant Director of Commerce, Regional and Bilateral Relations and Trade Promotion Division, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs |
Chinese Taipei |
Mr. Bochia NI, Officer/Secretary, Section of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs |
Thailand |
Miss Juntra SIRIUTHAIKORN, Trade Officer, Bureau of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Department of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce |
Tonga |
Mr. Tevita Kilisimasi HA'APAI, Market Development Officer, Tonga Trade Division, Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industry |
Tuvalu |
Mrs. Palipa LAUTI, Business Training Officer, Department of Industries, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Industries |
Vanuatu |
Mr. Taman Noel MALOSU, Principal Trade and Tariff Officer, Tariff, Trades and Industry Support Unit, Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue Department |
Viet Nam |
Miss Phuong Dzung DO, Expert, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Industry |