In his welcome remarks at the ceremony, joined by Ambassadors to the WTO from the donor and beneficiary countries of the programmes, DDG Zhang thanked France, Ireland and the Netherlands for their voluntary contributions to the funding of the two programmes, and congratulated and encouraged the selected participants.

“Observe, listen, learn, contribute, develop your autonomy and network with as many colleagues as possible. Work hard and promote team spirit and teamwork. I strongly encourage you to make the most of your time here, which is also a challenging but exciting period for the WTO,” he said.

A total of 18 officials were selected for the FIMIP this year. Funded by France and Ireland, this programme helps the permanent missions of developing and least-developed WTO members and observers that are short of capacity to better follow WTO-related work, while also giving the officials the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the functioning of the organization. Participants in the programme work in their respective permanent missions to the WTO in Geneva.

Ellen Verdure, France's Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO, said: “FIMIP is a programme that we are very attached to. Not only does it deliver excellent results, it also demonstrates our commitment to an inclusive multilateral trading system. The technical assistance provided to developing and least-developed countries enables as many people as possible to become an integral part of this rules-based system and to reap the full benefits of trade.”

Ireland's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Noel White, also welcomed the programme's consistency with Ireland's overall policy engagement around expanding the multilateral space for trade. “Hearing your concerns and priorities, engaging closer with you, understanding and being able to actively listen to the work you do allow us, as equal participants with you in the multilateral space, to be more effective in achieving our common and shared goals,” he told participants.

The 14 government officials selected for the NTP, which is funded by the Netherlands, will improve their understanding of the WTO and the multilateral trading system through on-the-job training in various divisions of the WTO Secretariat.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the WTO, Audrey Goosen, congratulated participants on their selection. Taking the example of Nigeria's current Ambassador to the WTO, who is an alumnus of the programme, she stressed that the NTP was a unique opportunity to contribute to the work of the WTO while making trade work as an engine for sustainable economic growth in their respective countries.