The recent workshop on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) concluded in Geneva. Peter Ta-Lin Shih, Chair of the WTO ITA Committee from Chinese Taipei, emphasized the agreement's significant impact on global IT trade. "The Information Technology Agreement and the 2015 ITA Expansion Agreement have been the WTO's most successful sectoral trade agreements, together helping to support and facilitate the phenomenal growth in trade in the IT sector since the agreements were signed," he stated.
The workshop focused on how the ITA contributes to affordable IT products, supports digital infrastructure, and aids integration into the global ICT value chain. Participants engaged in lectures, case studies, and presentations to understand how ITA membership can align with their national digital transformation objectives. They also developed analytical and technical skills by learning to use WTO databases and IT tools for policy formulation.
Patricien Tjletrawatie Bisoen from Suriname's Ministry of Economic Affairs appreciated the workshop’s practical approach. She said, "The information from trainers and the national experience shared by participants throughout the week increased my insight and knowledge of the ITA."
Michael Wairoma, Assistant Director of Trade at Kenya's Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, highlighted his enhanced technical skills: "The workshop helped enhance my knowledge of the ITA. I gained additional skills related to obtaining and interpreting ITA-related data from the WTO Tariff Analysis Online database, and understanding global value chains in the context of the ITA, trade facilitation, and policy formulation," he noted.