RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/W/96
5 April 2002
(02-1772)
Committee on Trade and Development
REPORT ON THE 2001 ACTIVITIES OF THE TRAINING INSTITUTE1:
Note by the Secretariat
Introduction
1 Members will recall that in June 2001, the Director-General decided to reconstitute the
Secretariat's Training Division as the WTO Training Institute. The Division's activities were
consequently extended beyond traditional twelve-week trade policy courses to include also: training
of trainers, a diversified range of short trade policy courses, distance-learning services, and co-
operation with universities and other institutions of learning in curriculum development on WTO and
trade-related issues.
2 Consequently, the Training Institute defined, by July 2001, additional objectives for the "new
activities" and progressively implemented the extended mandate which it had been asked to carry out.
It should be noted that no additional (financial and/or human) resources had been allocated at that
time to the Institute for that purpose2.
Activities conducted in 2001
3 In 2001, the WTO organized in Geneva three Residential trade policy courses (TPCs). The
training activities were delivered with the expert assistance and cooperation of virtually all WTO
Divisions. Ad hoc support from outside consultants was also used and joint activities were conducted
with other international organizations. The courses were conducted in English (16th and 18th TPCs)
and in French (17th TPC).3 The main features of these courses are presented in Annexes I-III.
4 The Government of Switzerland hosted three short study tours and financed three Workshops
on Negotiating Techniques. Longer one-week study t ours have not been organized in order to make
savings which eventually were used to finance eight additional fellowships as well as to allow for
more time to cover the programme.
5 Eighty-eight officials from eighty-five countri es/customs territories participated in the
Courses. Eighty fellowships were granted for the year. Eight auditors were self-financed.
6 At the end of the two-year cycle (2000-2001), 89% of the total number of eligible countries /
customs territories (153) had been offered at least one fellowship or had had access to TPC's as self-
financed auditors.
                                                     
1 A number of activities carried out by other WTO Divisions/Groups could be classified as "training ".
The present report only refers to the activities conducted by the Training Institute.
2 It is only on 12 December 2001 that the General Council, guided by the Ministerial Declaration
adopted at Doha, approved a revised budget proposal encompassing, inter alia , the doubling of training
capacities over a transitional year allowing it, in princi ple, to be fully operational in 2003. As reflected in the
approved budget, the doubling was meant to imply only doubling the number of the three-month trade policycourses from three to six annually.
3 One TPC in Spanish will take place between April and July 2002.WT/COMTD/W/96
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7 During 2001, a modernised evaluation system has been progressively and then consistently
used by the Training Institute to assess the quality of its training delivery and to adapt the courses
programme and teaching methods to evolving needs. Detailed evaluation reports on each course are
available upon request at the Training Institute.
8 The Training Institute also organized two one-day induction courses, opened to Geneva-based
Permanent Missions, Geneva-based IGO staff, and WTO Staff members. These courses seek to
familiarize participants with the main feature of the organization, its role and functioning. They also
allow them to familiarise themselves with tools available to access WTO documents and other WTO-
related information. In 2001, approximately sixty people participated to the induction courses.
9 In connection with the extended mandate of the Institute, activities which were previously
conducted by other Divisions of the Secretariat (essentially the Technical Cooperation Division) are
now carried out by the Training Institute. In that context one one-week specialized course on Dispute
Settlement was organized in Autumn 2001. Among th e 30 participants, one from an LDC was granted
a fellowship. These courses are open to all Members pursuant to Article 27.3 of the Understanding on
Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes. The activity is conducted in close
cooperation with the Legal Affairs Division and the Secretariat of the Appellate Body. The main
features of this course is presented in Annexe IV.
10 As to the "new functions" assigned to the Training Institute, the following has been
progressively set in motion:
11 The first phase of a Training-of-trainers project has been elaborated with the objective to train
WTO Staff involved in delivering training and technical assistance on training techniques. Following
an international tender, a firm has been selected to conduct a series of three-day courses, starting in
February 2002, for as many as 160 WTO staff members involved in training and technicalcooperation design and delivery.
12 In the area of distance learning, a project was elaborated in late 2001 to allow for the launch
of an internet-based pilot course in 2002. An international tender procedure allowed identifying a
firm, which has been mandated to develop the pilot project with the Training Institute and the otherWTO Divisions involved. In parallel, contacts were made with the World Bank with a view todelivering in 2002 series of video-conferences on WTO issues with the active participation of
developing countries through the Global Lear ning Network developed by the World Bank.
13 A number of contacts were initiated with potential partners in the context of the strengthening
of cooperation between the WTO Secretariat and the academic community, in particular in developing
countries.
14 The successful delivery of the activities delivered in 2001 by the Training institute as well as
the development of new projects would not have been possible without the active involvement of
WTO operational divisions, other international organizations active in WTO-related fields, as well as
Members which continue to support training activities.
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                                    Page 3
ANNEX I
16TH TRADE POLICY COURSE
Course number416th (4th course of the current Cycle 2000-2001)
Dates 15 January – 6 April 2001 (twelve weeks)
Language English
Participating countries /
customs territories granteda FellowshipBahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Dominica, Ethiopia,
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Gambia, Georgia, India,
Jamaica, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Malta, Republic of Moldova, St.
Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Swaziland,
Tonga, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam, and Zimbabwe.
Participating countries /
customs territories self-
financedChinese Taipei; Hong Kong, China; Saudi Arabia; and Singapore
Study Tour Switzerland (one day in Bern – Swiss authorities and World Trade
Institute; one day in Bienne – Swiss Watchmakers Federation)
Visits ISO, ITC(WTO-UNCTAD), ITU, UNCTAD, WIPO
Other participating
organizationsWCO, World Bank
Guest speakers Mr. Chambovey (Permanent Mission of Switzerland)
Mr. Nayyar (Permanent Mission of Pakistan)
Mr. Ambassador Corrales (Permanent Mission of Venezuela)Ms. Maryns (Permanent Mission of Jamaica)
Mr. Moroz (Permanent Mission of Canada)
Ms. Duran (AITIC)
Consultants Mr. Saner (CSEND) – Workshop of Negotiating Techniques
Mr. Winham (Nova Scotia University) – Trade Negotiations
Simulation Exercise
Financing Fellowships and WTO Running costs: WTO Regular Budget 2001
Workshop on Negotiating Techniques (Consultant fees): Earmarked
extrabudgetary financing by Switzerland.
                                                     
4 16 since 1995. 78 courses were also held under the GATT (not counting Special and Short TPCs).WT/COMTD/W/96
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ANNEX II
17TH TRADE POLICY COURSE
Course number517th (5th course of the Cycle 2000-2001)
Dates 23 April – 13 July 2001 (twelve weeks)
Language French
Participating countries /
customs territories granteda FellowshipAlbania, Angola, Benin, Burkina Fa so, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon,
Guinea, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco,
Mauritania, Niger, Central African Rep., Dem. Rep. of Congo,
Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Tadjikistan, Chad, Togo,
Tunisia.
Participating countries /
customs territories self-financedMauritius, Thailand
Study Tour Switzerland (one day in Bern – Swiss authorities; one day in Bienne –
Swiss Watchmakers Federation)
Visits ISO, ITC (WTO-UNCTAD), ITU, UNCTAD, WIPO
Other participating
organizationsWCO, World Bank
Guest speakers none
Consultants Mr. Saner (CSEND) – Workshop on Negotiating Techniques
Mr. Winham (Nova Scotia University) – Trade Negotiations
Simulation Exercise
Financing Fellowships and WTO Running costs: WTO Regular Budget 2001
Workshop on Negotiating Techniques (Consultant fees): Earmarked
extrabudgetary financing by Switzerland.
                                                     
5 17 since 1995.WT/COMTD/W/96
                                    Page 5
ANNEX III
18TH TRADE POLICY COURSE
Course number618th (6th and last course of the Cycle 2000-2001)
Dates 17 September – 30 November 2001 (eleven weeks)
Language English
Participating countries /
customs territories granteda FellowshipAzerbaijan, Barbados, Botswana, Ch ina, Comoros, Croatia, Cyprus,
Ecuador, Fiji, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Macau-China, Mozambique,
Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Sierra
Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic,
Chinese Taipei, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Participating countries /
customs territories self-
financedHong Kong-China, Thailand
Study Tour Switzerland (one day in Bern – Swiss authorities)
Visits ISO, ITC (WTO-UNCTAD), UNCTAD, WIPO
Other participating
organizationsWCO, World Bank
Guest speakers Mr. Chambovey (Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the WTO)
H.E. Mr. Jara (Permanent Mission of Chile ot the WTO)
Ms. Liang (Permanent Mission of Singapore to the WTO)
Mr. Kumar (Permanent Mission of India to the WTO)
Consultants Mr. Saner (CSEND) – Workshop on Negotiating Techniques
Mr. Winham (Nova Scotia University) – Trade Negotiations
Simulation Exercise
Financing Fellowships and WTO Running costs: WTO Regular Budget 2001
Workshop on Negotiating Techniques (Consultant fees): Earmarked
extrabudgetary financing by Switzerland.
                                                     
6 18 since 1995.WT/COMTD/W/96
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ANNEX IV
SPECIALIZED COURSE ON DISPUTE SETTLEMENT RULES AND PROCEDURES
Course number 1st , under the supervision of the Training Institute (20 similar courses
took place previously, most of them under the supervision of the
Technical Cooperation Division).
Dates 10-14 December 2001 (one week)
Language English, with interpretation in French and Spanish (documentationprovided in the three languages)
Participating countries /
customs territories
* Fellowship granted
(eleven LDCs invited)Australia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark,
Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, European Commission, France, Honduras,
Hong Kong China, Korea, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, *Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Philippines,
Romania,  Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Turkey,
Venezuela, Zimbabwe
Observer(s) UNCTAD
Study Tour none
Visits none
Other participating
organizationsnone
Guest speakers none
Consultants none
Financing WTO Running costs: WTO Regular Budget 2001
Fellowships (only for invited LDCs): TA Trust Fund (participation of
other countries / customs territories are self-financed)
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