Tuesday, May 9, 2017

A national workshop on facilitating the movement of professionals through mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) was held at the University of Mauritius from 9 to 10 May 2017. The workshop is part of the WTO Chair’s programme to support and promote trade-related academic activities by universities and research institutions.
A mutual recognition agreement (MRA) is an international agreement by which countries agree to recognize one another's professional qualifications to enable professionals to move across borders.
Twenty-four participants from government agencies and professional bodies involved in the designing and negotiations of MRAs benefited from the workshop. The course aimed at enhancing participants' ability to negotiate MRAs by improving their understanding of rules in the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) related to the recognition of professional qualifications, and the movement of persons supplying professional services.
The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the opportunities and challenges arising from the negotiation and implementation of MRAs for their professional services sectors. It also looked at regional practices and experiences regarding MRAs with a view to drawing some lessons for Mauritius.