Twenty-three officials, representing 20 English-speaking African countries, are attending the course. This is the second course of its kind held in Nairobi. The first one took place from July to October 2002.

This course, usually referred to as a "regional" trade policy course, is based on the courses offered for over 40 years by the GATT/WTO in Geneva. Its primary objective is to provide government officials with a solid grounding on the WTO and trade policy issues confronting WTO members. The curriculum covers the whole range of policy issues within the WTO's remit, including issues up for negotiation under the Doha Agenda.

In addition, participants will benefit from the contribution of resource persons from the region who will co-teach with WTO lecturers. This arrangement provides participants with a regional perspective on the topics covered in the programme. This contribution is rendered possible through the partnership that exists between the WTO Secretariat and the University of Nairobi. Another objective of this project is to transfer progressively ownership of the activity to the partner institution.

In preparation for the course, regional resource persons attended a one-week orientation in Geneva in March. This meeting aimed to provide resource persons with a thorough overview of the status of work on the Doha Agenda. It also provided an opportunity for regional lecturers to discuss the course, to meet and plan with their co-lecturers from the WTO, and to review and discuss common research interests.

Over 20 regionally-based resource persons will be participating in the course and will discuss with the participants their experience as academics and researchers, and also as advisers to governments on trade policies and positions in the WTO negotiations.

  

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