Presiding over the ceremony was Mr. Abderrahmane Rida, University Vice-President of Scientific Research, Cooperation and Partnership. Representatives from Ministries of Foreign Trade, Foreign Affairs, Higher Education, Staff Training and Scientific Research were among those in attendance.

Also present was Mr. Paul Rolian, Director of the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation. In his opening address Mr. Rolian welcomed all the participants on his own behalf and on behalf of the WTO Director-General, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi. He thanked Mohammed V ?Souissi University and its President for the excellent collaboration and spirit of partnership shown during the preparation of the 2004 trade policy course, which were sure to set the tone for the second edition of the course and bring it equal success. He encouraged the participants to make the most of the weeks ahead.

Mr. Moulay Hassan Alaoui then took the floor and spoke on behalf of Mr. Mustapha Mechahouri, Morocco's Minister of Foreign Trade. He noted that the regional trade policy course was a real opportunity to perfect African human resource training and better assimilate the concepts governing the WTO Agreements.

Twenty-five participants from twenty-two African countries will attend this regional course. Over the next twelve weeks, they will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the rules of the WTO and the way the organization operates. The individual courses will be given by WTO representatives and by regional representatives and will consist of presentations, discussions, practical work and simulation exercises.

This project for a partnership with higher education institutions in the developing countries was developed with a view to achieving three basic goals. The first is to increase the number of government officials in the developing countries by providing them with a sound knowledge base on WTO matters, and thus build up their governments' capacity to articulate and defend their national interests. The second objective is to build partnerships between the WTO and the institutions of the countries of a given region. The third objective is to establish research links between universities and other institutions of the region and the international organizations, including the WTO.

Regional trade policy courses are part of the WTO's technical assistance and capacity-building programme, and are modelled on three-month trade policy courses that have been organized by the GATT/WTO in Geneva for the last 50 years. They were first introduced in 2002, and have since been held in Africa, in the Asia/Pacific region and in the Caribbean. A regional course for Latin America will begin in September. It will be organized in partnership with the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile.

The course held in Rabat will end on 23 September 2005.
  

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