Regional workshops are increasingly moving away from providing basic explanations to more advanced levels of training. In line with the ITTC's Progressive Learning Strategy (PLS), they help to promote higher levels of learning and to increase participants' trade capacity.

The focus of the training is on in‑depth coverage of the economic and legal aspects of WTO rules, disciplines and procedures, including hands‑on experience in preparing and analysing relevant notifications from WTO members.  A two-year cycle is followed for most topics, bearing in mind that all WTO agreements are systematically covered through Geneva-based training as well as through intermediate trade policy courses.

The level of expertise required  by participants is specified in the letter of invitation. It is the responsibility of the beneficiary countries to ensure that attendees have the required level of knowledge and expertise or are dealing with the issues under discussion. The course participants acquire in-depth knowledge of a specific area of WTO activity or WTO agreement. A selection process is conducted for most activities. Regional technical assistance is organized in the following areas:

• agriculture
• dispute settlement
• government procurement
• non-agricultural market access
• regional trade agreements
• rules (anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing duties, safeguards, state trading)
• sanitary and phytosanitary measures
• services negotiations and the General Agreement on Trade in Services
• technical barriers to trade
• trade and development, including special and differential treatment and small economies
• trade and environment
• trade facilitation
• trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) (e.g. geographical indications, TRIPS and public health, biotechnology/traditional knowledge/biodiversity, enforcement).