Training sessions highlighted the resources available on the WTO website, including databases for Tariff Analysis Online, Documents Online, dispute settlement, regional trade agreements, and accessions commitments. Participants also learned about the Agriculture Information Management System, the Integrated Trade Intelligence Portal (I-TIP) for goods and services, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Information Management Systems, the Notification Submission Systems, and the WTO's E-Campus courses.

The colloquium underlined the need to improve reporting by RCs, so that a better assessment can be made of the impact of the RC Programme, and emphasized the importance of local institutional support to ensure the successful contribution of RCs to domestic policy discussions. A presentation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo illustrated ways in which RCs can successfully operate. 

The WTO said it would endeavour to involve RCs more actively in its exchanges with other government agencies, and would seek to implement in 2016-17 an interactive programme of activities using Skype, webinars and video conferences.  

RC Programme

The RC Programme enables government officials, the private sector and academic institutions, mainly from least-developed countries (LDCs), to use the WTO's trade-related IT resources to increase awareness of WTO issues among national stakeholders. There are currently 63 active Reference Centres around the world engaged in organizing trade-related outreach and technical activities in their respective countries.

In 2015, the WTO established nine new Reference Centres: seven in Africa, one in the Middle East and one in Central Asia. These are located in Chad, Lesotho, Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Uganda and Equatorial Guinea. 

In 2016-17, the WTO will seek to strengthen its network of Reference Centres in LDCs.