📋 Tender Overview
A WTO Regional Trade Policy Course is under way in Shanghai for 25 government officials from 15 WTO members and observers in the Asia-Pacific region. This eight-week training programme is the second organized in collaboration with the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE). It is due to conclude on 5 July.
In a video message at the opening session, WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said that the course would provide participants with an opportunity to discuss ways of strengthening the multilateral trading system and to learn about other topical issues, such as fisheries subsidies. In this regard, he called on members to speed up the ratification process of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
“To date, we have received 73 ratifications, of which 11 come from the Asia-Pacific members. I thank and congratulate those 11 members who have ratified the Agreement and urge those who have not yet done so to fast-track their instruments of acceptance,” said DDG Zhang.
Yong Han, Director General of the Department of WTO Affairs at China's Ministry of Commerce, encouraged participants to deepen their knowledge of WTO issues, with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of their daily work and maintaining an inclusive approach in the multilateral trading system. He highlighted China's contributions to the WTO's capacity building programmes and to the rules-based multilateral trading system overall. China will also continue stimulating economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, Mr Han stressed.
Ming Qi, Chairman of the SUIBE Council, praised the long-standing partnership between the university and the WTO, which extends to the WTO Chairs Programme.
The course aims to deepen participants' understanding of the functioning of the WTO and its agreements, rules and procedures. With the support and guidance of experts from the WTO and the region, as well as SUIBE's academic team, emphasis in this course is placed on the Asia-Pacific trade policy context and its links to the WTO agreements. The training also seeks to increase participants' autonomy to work on WTO issues by improving their ability to access and use WTO information resources and the legal texts.
