“As Namibia tries to use the WTO to advance its economic development, we want our journalists to be better informed about the organization and the highly-technical issues it deals with,?Permanent Secretary Andrew Paulus Ndishishi told the participants.

“We welcome the fact that Namibia had specifically requested a WTO workshop for its journalists as an integral part of its technical cooperation programme,?said Mr. Keith Rockwell, Director of the WTO Information and Media Relations Division.

The two-day workshop covered the following topics: introduction to the WTO, trade and development, dispute settlement, the Doha Development Agenda, and using the WTO website as a research tool.

Nineteen media representatives participated in the workshop held at the Manpower Convention Centre in Windhoek: Chmwe Kaira and Desie Hweita of The Namibia Economist, Tonderai Katswara of The Namibian, Petrina Demas of Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Lapaka Ueyulu of NBC Radio-Oshiwambo, Suoma Negumbo of NBC, Elizabeth Kalambo Mule of the Namibia Review, Daniela Schoneburg Schultz of Allgemeine Zeitung, Natasha Scheidt of NBC German Radio, Djami Balthazar Daniel of NBC, Conrad Serogwe of NBC Raido-Tswana, Uzeraije Tjazeura of NBC Radio-Otjiherero, Fillemon Enkali of NBC, Eve Black of National Radio, Pearl Coetzee of NAMPA, Mornay Louw of NBC, Elli Stella Imalwa, NBC Radio News, Collen Gwai of the Republikein, and Charity Mwiya of the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr. Benjamin Katjipuka of Namibia's WTO office in Geneva and Ms. Ndinelao Hietha-Ndingoya of the Ministry of Trade and Industry assisted the WTO Information and Media Relations Division in organizing the workshop, which was funded through the Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP).