An ongoing regional trade policy course underway, hosted in Trinidad and Tobago, will provide participants with specific training about the international trading system, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said in a statement.
Zhang's statement came in the form of a pre-recorded video message to Regional Trade Policy Course participants and made public in a WTO news release issued Tuesday. Making the training program's opening on July 17, Zhang said the training is an opportunity for participants to reflect on how international trade works.
"This regional course will place a specific focus on the regional trade policy context and its linkages with the WTO agreements," Zhang said. "It will also allow you to discuss how the multilateral trading system can be strengthened, reformed and modernized. I think this is a very important reflection — which is particularly in tune with the global debate on the relevance of the global trading system."
Trinidad and Tobago is hosting the course for for Caribbean WTO members and observers, in partnership with the University of West Indies (UWI)'s St Augustine Campus. The course is expected to run until Sept. 8, to g to a press release by WTO.
The course is a capacity-building program that marks the second time the Caribbean has hosted such a program with UWI, following their initial collaboration in 2019.
The courses, offered by the WTO Secretariat, are intermediate-level programs designed for participants from developing and least-developed countries. These courses are an essential component of the WTO's Technical Assistance progressive learning strategy, which aims to enable participants to advance progressively to higher levels of learning in the field of trade policy.
"The establishment of this course is a testament to the strong partnership between the WTO and the UWI, demonstrating our shared commitment to advancing trade policies and fostering regional integration," UWI Faculty of Social Sciences Dean Acolla Lewis-Cameron said in the news release. "To the participants, I encourage you to make the most of this invaluable opportunity. The knowledge gained here will enhance your personal and professional development and contribute to the collective advancement of trade in the Caribbean."
"It is good to see a wide range of Caribbean professionals having registered for this very significant area of training," Jacqueline Laguardia-Martinez, acting director of UWI's Institute of International Relations, said in the news release. "This is an indication of your foresight, vision and understanding of the requirements to be effective and competitive in an evolving global trade environment.”