00-1685 MOREPRESS RELEASE
PRESS/176
26 April 2000
14th WTO Trade Policy Course gets underway
The 14th WTO Trade Policy Course, which is being held in Spanish, has been inaugurated
today in Geneva by Mr. Miguel Rodriguez Me ndoza, Deputy Director-General of the WTO.
Speaking on behalf of Director-General Mike Moore, Mr. Rodriguez welcomed the 24 participants
coming from 20 WTO Members and Observers and one regional integration secretariat.
In his welcoming statement, Mr. Rodriguez highlighted four elements which differentiate the
current multilateral trading system administered by the WTO from the GATT system which was in
place until 1994:  i) a new profile of the organization, with more than two thirds of the Members made
up by developing countries and economies in transition;  ii) a broader scope of coverage of policymeasures, including policies which were formerly solely under national jurisdiction;  iii) a common
set of binding obligations for all Members, not precluding special and differential treatment for
developing countries; and iv) an improved dispute settlement mechanism.
The aim of the training courses is to provide th e participants with greater understanding of trade
policy matters, the functioning of the multilateral tradin g system and the work of the WTO.  The courses
also address the provisions of the agreements resulting from the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade
negotiations and the rights and obligations of WTO Members. Offered in English twice every year and
in French and Spanish every second year, the cour ses are open to officials from developing, least-
developed countries/customs territories and ec onomies in transition, including countries/customs
territories which are not WTO Members.
The courses have a practical orientation and are designed to help participating officials, who
already have responsibilities for the formulation and conduct of foreign trade policy in their respective
governments, to perform their functions more effectively, and to promote a more active and effective
participation of their countries in the multilateral tr ading system.  Apart from a series of lectures on
WTO law, the programme includes participation in seminars and group discussions, a workshop on
negotiating techniques and simulation exercises for conducting trade negotiations and for settling trade
disputes. The participants also attend official meetings.PRESS/176
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MOREDuring the course, the participants undertake a one-week study tour abroad as well as shorter
study tours in Switzerland, which include visits to in stitutions and enterprises connected with foreign
trade.  Spain will host the study tour abroad for the participants of the fourteenth Course.  In addition to
WTO Secretariat officials, many guest lecturers, in cluding senior officials of government delegations
and international organizations, as well as academics, are invited to address the participants.
The course has a duration of 12 weeks during which participants, all developing-country trade
officials, will attend lectures, workshops, study tours and simulations on the WTO Agreements and
related issues.  The participants  of the 14th TPC come from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,
Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guat emala, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Mozambique,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela and the
Mercosur Secretariat.
The 14th WTO Trade Policy Course is the third one to be held in Spanish since the creation of
the WTO in 1995. The year 2000 marks the 45th anniversary of the training courses organized by the
WTO and its predecessor, GATT. Since 1955, GATT/WTO has organized 98 regular courses for
more than 1,800 officials from over 160 countries or customs territories.PRESS/176
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MORELISTA DE PARTICIPANTES
Argentina Sr. Luis Ariel CASTILLO, Secretario de Embajada y Cónsul de 1era. clase,
Dirección de Asuntos Económicos Multilaterales, Ministerio de Relaciones
Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto, Buenos Aires.
Bolivia Sra. Norah VELASCO ORELLANOS, Jefe de la Unidad de Acuerdos,
Vice-Ministerio de Inversión y Privatización, Ministerio de Comercio
Exterior e Inversión, Edificio Palacio de Comunicación, La Paz.
Chile Sr. Felipe Eugenio LOPEANDIA WIELANDT, Asistente, Departamento de
Servicios, Inversiones y Transporte Aéreo, Dirección General de Relaciones
Económicas Internacionales, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Santiago.
Colombia Sr. Alberto LORA AGUANCHA, Asesor, Subdirección de Relaciones de
Integración y Organismos Multilaterales, Ministerio de Comercio Exterior,
Bogotá.
Sr. Hugo Gilberto MARÍN BLANCO, Jefe , División de Investigación, Instituto
Colombiano de Comercio Exterior -INCOMEX, Bogotá
Cuba Srta. Rebeca Gertrudis GONZÁLEZ LÓPEZ, Especialista en Política Comercial,
Dirección de Organismos Internacionales, Ministerio de Comercio Exterior,Habana.
Ecuador Sr. Segundo Humberto JIMÉNEZ, Consejero del Servicio Exterior, Dirección de
Integración, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Quito.
El Salvador Sr. Francisco Alberto LIMA MENA,  Subdirector de Política Comercial y Asesor
del Despacho Vice-Ministerial, Dirección de Política Comercial, Ministerio
de Economía, San Salvador.
Guatemala Srta. Mónica Dessiree GUERRA GARRIDO, Consultora en Comercio Exterior,
Acceso a Mercados, Área de Política Comercial, Unidad de Políticas e
Información Estratégica, Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y
Alimentación, Ciudad Guatemala.
Guinea -
   BissauSr. Luis Filipe ARAÚJO, Director de la Inspección Comercial, Secretaría del
Estado de Comercio de la Industria, Turismo y Artesanado, Dirección
General del Comercio, Turismo y Artesanado, Bissau.
Guinea
   EcuatorialSr. Wenceslao OBIANG MENGUE, Jefe de Sección de Comercio Exterior,
Dirección  General de Comercio, Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y
Promoción de Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas,  Malabo.
Honduras Sr. Johel Nectalí ROMERO, Consejer o Legal, Integración Económica y Política
Comercial, Ministerio de Industria y Comercio, Tegucigalpa.PRESS/176
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ENDMercosur Sr. Carlos Eduardo PÉREZ DEL CAST ILLO, Técnico Contable, Sector Recursos
y Servicios, Secretaría Administrativa del MERCOSUR, Montevideo,
Uruguay
Mozambique Sr. Ribeiro Carlos JUNOT, Jefe, Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales,
Ministerio de la Industria, Comercio y Turismo, Maputo.
Nicaragua Sr. José Abraham MORENO, Respons able de Departamento, Departamento de
Prácticas Internacionales de Comercio, Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y
Comercio, Managua.
Srta. Urania RAUDEZ OBANDO, Analista Económico de Comercio Exterior,
Dirección de Organismos Internacionales, Ministerio de Fomento, Industria yComercio, Managua.
Panamá Srta. Mara Imelda PARDO BARAHONA, Economista Negociador, Dirección
Nacional de Negociaciones Comerciales, Vice-Ministerio de Comercio
Exterior, Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias, Panamá.
Paraguay Sra. Gilda Susana ARRÉLLAGA VELILLA, Directora de Negociaciones
Multilaterales, Subsecretaría de Integración, Ministerio de Integración,
Asunción.
Perú Sr. Pedro Antonio BRAVO CARRANZA,  Segundo Secretario, Departamento de
Coordinación de APEC, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Lima.
República
   DominicanaSrta. Isabel Antonia PADILLA ROMÁN, Ministro Consejero, División Europea,
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Santo Domingo.
Tailandia Srta. Kaewta SASIVANIJ, Economista , Departamento de la Economía Política
del Comercio, Ministerio del Comercio, Bangkok.
Uruguay Sra. María Ramona FRANCO OXLEY, Secretario de Primera del Servicio
Exterior, Dirección Organismos Económicos Internacionales, Ministerio de
Relaciones Exteriores, Montevideo.
Venezuela Sr. Luis Rafael ARRIAGA CARRILLO, Director General de Planificación
Políticas, Vice-Ministerio de la Agricultura y la Alimentación, Dirección
General de Planificación y Políticas, Ministerio de la Producción y el
Comercio, Caracas.
Sr. Luis Alberto RUSSIÁN CARRASQUEL, Director, Dirección de Normativas
del Mercado, Dirección General de Comercio Interior, Ministerio de la
Producción y el Comercio, Caracas.