In his address to the participants, the Director-General congratulated the participants for completing the training programme. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi invited them to transform the qualities and the spirit they had demonstrated during the courses into good and efficient work for their respective countries and expressed the hope that the knowledge and skills imparted to the participants during the courses would be disseminated by them to as wide a public as possible. The Director-General also recalled that Trade Policy Courses were initiated fifty years ago, under the auspices of the GATT. Since then one hundred and eleven such courses have been organized both under the GATT and the WTO.

On behalf of the participants in the two courses, Ms. Pai Ching Koong (Singapore) thanked the Director-General for his message and expressed "the appreciation of all the participants to the WTO Secretariat for a successful three-month training programme, during which participants have built up useful knowledge and honed their skills in the operations of the multilateral trading system".

The Diploma Ceremony was chaired by Mr. Paul Rolian, Director of the ITTC. Paul Rolian invited the participants to keep alive the network of contacts, which has been consolidated during this Geneva-based activity. Looking back at the twelve weeks of training, and speaking on behalf of the participants in the 31st TPC, Mrs. Maura Felix (Saint Lucia) stated that "like those who have gone before us, we will intend to translate this invaluable opportunity into tangible results which we hope will result in the success of the Hong Kong Ministerial and the successful conclusion of the Doha Round of Negotiations". Mr. Raymond C. W. Chen (Hong Kong, China) on behalf of the participants in the 32nd TPC, confirmed that the participants had developed a good understanding of the various aspects of the WTO, including the rules and disciplines developed under the auspices of the WTO. He also underlined the progress made in the participants' analytical and negotiating skills, and in their ability to make use of the available tools facilitating the access to the relevant trade-related information and data.

Trade Policy Courses are expected to allow beneficiaries to contribute to the promotion of a more active participation of their countries in the work of the WTO. Throughout the three-month training, officials become acquainted, through lectures, debates, attendance at WTO meetings and simulation exercises, with virtually all the issues dealt with within the framework of the WTO. Visits to other international organizations located in Geneva also provide an opportunity to become familiar with trade-related aspects of the work conducted by these organizations.

In 2005, two other TPCs will take place in Geneva and five similar courses, organized in cooperation with regional academic partners, have already been or will be held in Jamaica, Hong Kong-China, Morocco, Chile, and Namibia. A series of shorter courses will complement the Geneva-based programme while a large number of national and regional technical cooperation activities will take place in the field as part of the 2005 WTO Technical Cooperation and Training Plan.
  

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31st WTO TRADE POLICY COURSE (in English)
Geneva, 17 January - 8 April 2005

  
32nd WTO TRADE POLICY COURSE (in English)
Geneva, 17 January - 8 April 2005