Opening of the Regional Trade Policy Course for the Asia-Pacific Region in partnership with the National University of Singapore

The third Regional Trade Policy Course for the Asia-Pacific region, held in partnership with the National University of Singapore, opened on 18 May. A formal welcome was extended to the 25 government officials from developing countries, least-developed countries and countries in accession who will attend the course from 18 May to 7 August 2009 at a ceremony organized at the National University of Singapore.

The Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Koh Tin Fook, Director of Technical Cooperation Directorate, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, told the participants that w ith globalisation, the world economy had become intricately bound together. The RTPC is intended to help officials understand trade policy issues, international trade law and the functions of the WTO. Programmes like the RTPC helped the developing countries in building capacity to participate more effectively in the WTO and optimise the benefits of the multilateral trading system.

Dr. Hakim Ben Hammouda, Director, Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation, was represented at the ceremony by Mr. Raymond Krommenacker, Asia-Pacific Desk. Mr. Krommenacker welcomed the participants to the RTPC and encouraged them to take as much information and knowledge as possible away from the course. He hoped that their participation in the RTPC would give the participants a solid foundation of knowledge on the WTO and of the multilateral trading system, and that this would strengthen the capacity of Asia and Pacific economies to participate more fully in the negotiations.

For the first time in this region, the RTPC will have the support of a Patroness, Ms Indranee Rajah, Deputy Speaker Of Parliament and Director of Singapore Law Firm Drew & Napier. Ms Rajah will meet with the participants and seek to provide inspiration and guidance to them through her distinguished career and achievements.

RTPCs cover all aspects of the WTO work programme with a new emphasis, from 2009, on international trade theory and the aspects of trade policy making. The RTPC programme includes the basic principles of the WTO, trade in goods, trade in services, intellectual property, horizontal issues, as well as development issues and regional trade agreements. The RTPC programme is comprised of lectures, debates, simulation exercises, group presentations by participants and v isits to a small number of venues of trade related importance locally. The objective of the course is to widen participants' understanding of trade policy matters, the multilateral trading system, international trade law and the functioning of the WTO.

Participants were required to successfully complete a WTO eTraining Introductory Course on the WTO before participating in the RTPC. This prerequisite allows for participants to have a basic knowledge of the fundamentals of the WTO, thereby resulting in a greater harmonization of WTO-related knowledge within the group which, in turn, should provide a foundation on which more advanced information can be provided during the RTPC.

In addition to being held in partnership with an institution in the region, RTPCs are co-delivered by WTO officials and academics and trade experts from the region. The objectives of the co-training approach are to give the course a regional focus and relevance for participants and to foster networks among institutions of higher learning and their academics. Twenty-three regional experts will take part in the delivery of the Asia-Pacific RTPC.

  

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