Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) will launch a joint training programme on WTO issues for developing countries on Monday, 8 May 2000 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.

The meeting will be opened by Ms. Kayoko Mizuta, ESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary, H.E. Mr. Goanpot Asvinvichit, Deputy Minister of Commerce, Royal Thai Government, H.E. Mr. Niels Kaas Dyrlund, Ambassador, Royal Danish Embassy and Mr. Primitivo Gómez-Torán, Counsellor, Technical Cooperation Division, WTO.

The First WTO/ESCAP Trade Policy Course on the WTO and the Multilateral Trading System for Developing Countries will run from 8-26 May 2000. It is targeted at capital-based middle-ranking government officials with prior working experience of WTO related issues from ESCAP developing countries. Issues to be covered include WTO agreements specific to agriculture, textiles and clothing, trade in services as well as market access issues, antidumping measures, special and differential treatment, and the dispute settlement system of the WTO. The Government of Denmark is funding the three-week programme.

ESCAP and WTO consider training activities in WTO-related issues as one of their priorities in ongoing trade-related assistance to developing countries. According to the organizers, human resource capacity building is a critical determinant of a country’s ability to participate more effectively in the international trading system. As a result, ESCAP and WTO have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that envisages an extensive programme of training on WTO issues for developing countries. This course represents the first of a series of jointly organized training activities. Through this cooperative effort, ESCAP and WTO expect that developing countries will benefit from a more extensive, target-oriented and cost-effective training programme.

"Membership to the WTO is an onerous task for developing countries as they continue to struggle with implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements. Furthermore, events such as the Seattle Ministerial Conference are stark testimony of the fragilities and widening inequities of global trade and production structures. Future trade negotiations, therefore, need to focus on development and on ensuring a more equitable distribution of benefits accruing from trade liberalization," said an ESCAP senior official.

NOTE TO EDITORS: You or your representatives are cordially invited to attend the opening session at 9:00 a.m., Monday, 8 May 2000 in Conference Room 4 of the United Nations Conference Centre, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue.