Tuesday, April 26, 2016

At the request of the University Cheik Anta Diop in Senegal, a member of the WTO Chairs Programme, a training course was held on 26-28 April to help graduate students, university professors and government officials gain a better understanding of WTO-related issues.
Many participants from the Ministry of Trade attended the training course at the university. Indeed, an aim of the master's in international trade and commercial diplomacy proposed by the Chair in Senegal is to enrol officials from various ministries (especially trade) and other national agencies. Therefore, many participants were already familiar with WTO-related issues, especially trade agreements and trade regulations at both the regional and multilateral levels.
Through interaction with WTO representatives, and within the group, participants were able to pose questions about trade-related issues and learn about the latest developments. The focus on Africa was highly appreciated by the participants, who asked many questions about the participation of African countries in the Doha Round negotiations and the post-Nairobi trade agenda.
The course was delivered by WTO staff and local academics as well as by an expert from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie based at the Trade Ministry, who acted as a discussant during the course. The Chair, represented by Professor Mbaye, expressed his appreciation of this course and said that he hoped new courses of this type could be held in the future.
Initiatives of this type have proven to be highly effective in maintaining a dialogue with trade officials, generating new research ideas, and creating opportunities for academic networking.