In her opening address, Mrs Kadišienė underlined the current challenges facing the multilateral trading system and the importance of the WTO's trade rules for assisting the development of small and medium-sized countries. She encouraged participants to adopt a constructive approach to the course and to maximize its benefits by exchanging ideas with each other and with the experts making presentations.

The course will focus on helping participants develop and apply practical skills on issues such as: trade policy analysis, formulation and implementation; trade negotiations; dispute settlement; and trade monitoring. Both the legal and economic aspects of WTO rules and disciplines will be examined in a series of interactive sessions including case studies, simulations and exercises. Roundtable discussions will provide a platform for practical exchanges, sharing of experiences and best practices as well as debating present-day trade-related topics. Participants will be expected to prepare and deliver a presentation related to a trade policy topic.

The ATPC represents the highest level of training (level 3) in the WTO's progressive learning programme and is targeted at participants who already possess a sound knowledge of the WTO and its agreements.

List of participants: