Title of the activity
Advanced Course on WTO Accessions Rules
Activity Type
Thematic course/Workshop
Description
The objectives of the course are to:
Review the accession acquis on Accession Protocols;
Provide in-depth explanations of the WTO legal disciplines at issue in each section of a Working Party Report (which also generally mirrors the structure of a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime);
Familiarize participants with accession-specific documents that relate to certain WTO disciplines and that acceding Governments must complete, e.g. TBT Checklist, TRIPS Questionnaire, and Legislative Action Plans which summarize how acceding governments will develop WTO-consistent legal regimes;
Enhance the participants' knowledge of the content of recurring/typical commitment paragraphs contained in Article XII Members' Working Party Reports and how they relate to the legal disciplines at issue in those sections;
Prepare the participants for negotiations with Members concerning such commitment paragraphs;
Provide training on treaty interpretation, i.e. how commitment paragraphs are interpreted in the dispute settlement context; and
Expose the participants to Panel and Appellate Body Reports interpreting commitment paragraphs in Accession Protocols.
Review the accession acquis on Accession Protocols;
Provide in-depth explanations of the WTO legal disciplines at issue in each section of a Working Party Report (which also generally mirrors the structure of a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime);
Familiarize participants with accession-specific documents that relate to certain WTO disciplines and that acceding Governments must complete, e.g. TBT Checklist, TRIPS Questionnaire, and Legislative Action Plans which summarize how acceding governments will develop WTO-consistent legal regimes;
Enhance the participants' knowledge of the content of recurring/typical commitment paragraphs contained in Article XII Members' Working Party Reports and how they relate to the legal disciplines at issue in those sections;
Prepare the participants for negotiations with Members concerning such commitment paragraphs;
Provide training on treaty interpretation, i.e. how commitment paragraphs are interpreted in the dispute settlement context; and
Expose the participants to Panel and Appellate Body Reports interpreting commitment paragraphs in Accession Protocols.
Venue
Switzerland
City
Geneva
Trade topic
Accession
Start Date
End Date
Duration (days)
10
Activity Level
Pre-requisite
Successful completion of a WTO training activity, such as the E-learning modules on "WTO Accessions" and "Introduction to the WTO"; or commensurate knowledge and professional experience: • Be experts on accessions negotiations with an enhanced knowledge of WTO legal rules; • Have a background in economics and/or law; • Possess knowledge of the basic WTO principles with a focus on the General Agreement on Trade in Goods (GATT) and the WTO accession negotiations process; and, • Understand the structure of a Working Party Report and be generally familiar with commitment paragraphs. Possess an excellent ability to communicate in English both orally and in writing.
Language
English
Key Result
2. Acceding governments/territories are participating in accession negotiations
Key Output
2.1: Acceding governments/territories participants' knowledge on WTO substantive and procedural matters enhanced
Chapter
4. Geneva-based Advanced Thematic Courses and topic-specific symposia for Capital-based officials
Programme
TC19-31TC19-31.doc69.5 KB
Invited Members and Observers:
Algeria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Belarus
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Comoros
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Iran
Iraq
Lebanese Republic
Libya
Sao Tomé and Principe
Serbia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syrian Arab Republic
Timor-Leste
Uzbekistan