Referring to the recent statements by the Director-General of the WTO, Mr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Mr Paul Rolian drew attention to the obstacles now holding up the negotiations of the "Doha Development Agenda" and to the difficulties currently faced by the negotiators in trying to attain the objectives which had been set by the Ministers for the end of July. It was therefore against this rather gloomy background that the 33rd Trade Policy Course ended. The Director of the Institute urged the participants to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills so as to be ready to help their negotiating colleagues in their efforts to achieve a successful conclusion to the negotiations.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr Alexis Watre-Assonio (Central African Republic) thanked Mr Rolian for his remarks and noted that the course had "provided the participants with an opportunity to broaden the international network through the various contacts that we have been able to make with ... experts ... and participants". He added that the latter "are committed to using to good effect the knowledge acquired ... by making due restitution during the seminars [and] workshops [to be organized] in our respective countries by inviting all shades of national opinion involved in the formulation and implementation of trade policy". Urging "the senior officials of this Organization to make available to the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation the appropriate resources for strengthening and increasing the technical cooperation already initiated ...", he called on the WTO "not to slacken its efforts" to support the developing countries in their "attempts to apply faithfully the principles of the Organization in their respective countries in order to promote integrated international trade".

The final three-month Trade Policy Course to be held in Geneva in 2005 will take place from 19 September to 9 December in English. Introductory courses on the WTO for the least developed countries and several other specialized courses, including those on trade negotiations, the settlement of disputes and the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, will complete the training activities carried out this year by the Institute of Training and Technical Cooperation at the Headquarters of the Organization. In parallel with these training activities organized in Geneva, five regional trade policy courses lasting three months will also be organized in the field this year in conjunction with local and regional partner institutions.
  

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