WTO advanced course on trade in services concludes in Geneva

The LDCs participating in the course were Bangladesh, Madagascar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Nepal, Tanzania, The Gambia and Zambia. The acceding country was Bhutan. The full list of participating economies is available here.

Over five days, participants engaged in an intensive curriculum designed to deepen their understanding of the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The course covered the economic importance of services trade, domestic regulation, the impact of digital trade on economies’ trade performance, investment facilitation and environmental services. Participants were also able to analyze and formulate effective trade policies by gaining hands-on experience with analytical tools like the I-TIP database and services trade statistics.

The programme included a mix of presentations, practical exercises and in-depth discussions on emerging trade in services issues. Participants were particularly engaged in sessions on the latest developments in digital trade and the regulatory challenges associated with services trade. Interactive sessions allowed participants to apply their know-how to real-case scenarios, reinforcing their capacity to navigate complex trade issues.

Upon completing the course, Mr Hugo Ibarra said: “In my work at the Undersecretariat of Economic Affairs, which reports to Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am frequently in contact with the WTO for notifications of trade policies and other issues linked to the fulfilment of Chile’s WTO commitments. I also regularly refer to the GATS in our negotiation process for trade agreements. For these reasons, this type of course plays a very important role in our daily work.”

Mr Kutubo Jarju, a participant from The Gambia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, said: “As a trade professional engaged in multilateral and regional trade negotiations, my primary expectation from this advanced course was to significantly deepen my expertise in the evolving services trade landscape. The course provided me with an enriched understanding of the current issues, challenges and opportunities of services trade, particularly in the context of global and regional agreements.”

Ms Lavita Chan from Hong Kong, China’s Trade and Industry Department said: “I highly recommend the Advanced Trade in Services Course for government officials with services negotiation background and experience. Needless to say, the course contents were wide ranging, informative, up-to-date and inspirational. I was particularly impressed by the participants’ enthusiasm in sharing their points of view and domestic experience while the case studies and examples helped enrich our understanding and clarify complicated concepts. The participant-led reviews every morning were a very useful way to consolidate everything we learned and to promote teamwork.”

The course was organized jointly by the WTO Trade in Services Division and the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation.

List of participants

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