News and insights on WTO Technical Assistance programmes. |
- On the Horizon: Key Upcoming Activities
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- WTO e-Learning Platform Gets a Learner-Friendly Upgrade
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- UK Gives CHF 850,000 to Boost Developing Economies’ Capacity to Negotiate Trade Deals
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- Weekly Round-Up: Other News and Highlights
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📍 Seoul, Republic of Korea | 📅 28–29 July 2025
WTO to Participate in APEC Workshop on Technical Barriers to Trade in FTAs |
The WTO Secretariat will join a two-day regional workshop organised by the Asia-pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to discuss recent developments in how Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) are addressed in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
The WTO Secretariat will support the workshop by delivering an overview of the TBT Agreement and providing updates on developments in the WTO TBT Committee. The WTO representative will also actively engage in discussions throughout the sessions, in particular by highlighting the usefulness of the ePing tool for officials working on TBT issues. |
Your Pace, Your Progress: Explore the New WTO e-Learning Experience |
The upgraded WTO e-Learning platform now offers greater flexibility in assessments:
✅ Extended exam time limits
✅ Retake opportunities for final exams
✅ Enhanced dashboard tools to track your progress
Empowering e-Learners to succeed on their own pace.
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The WTO e-Learning programme offers a range of training courses through a comprehensive online platform, covering WTO agreements and various aspects of international trade.
Enrol for free in the WTO e-Learning programme and gain access to an ever-expanding catalogue of training courses designed to help you navigate the dynamic world of global trade. |
UK gives CHF 850,000 to boost developing economies’ capacity to negotiate trade deals |
The WTO Global Trust Fund has received a contribution of GBP 750,000 (just over CHF 850,000) from the United Kingdom for 2025 to support the WTO’s training activities with a particular focus on services. The UK’s contribution will help developing economies and least developed countries (LDCs) to deepen their expertise on WTO issues so that they can participate fully in negotiating and implementing trade rules. |
Regional Trade Policy Course concludes in Rwanda for English-speaking African officials |
A WTO Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC), organized in partnership with the University of Rwanda, concluded on 18 July in Kigali. The eight-week training programme brought together 28 government officials from 17 English-speaking African WTO members and observers for intensive training on the multilateral trading system, with a particular focus on WTO Agreements, negotiation techniques, and regional trade challenges in the African context. |
Nigerian Officials Deepen Expertise on Trade in Services at National Workshop |
Government officials and stakeholders gathered in Abuja from 16 to 18 July for a national workshop on trade in services organized under the WTO’s Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) initiative. The activity aimed to build participants’ knowledge of global trends in services trade and to strengthen their capacity to assess and formulate effective national policies in this area.
The programme highlighted the role of trade in services in supporting development objectives, particularly in the context of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Participants explored the scope and disciplines of the GATS, including scheduling commitments and links with regional trade agreements. Interactive sessions covered trade statistics, regulatory audits, and key tools under the TS4D initiative, such as the Global Services Trade Data Hub and the WTO-World Bank Services Trade Competitiveness Checklist.
Using Nigeria’s recent regulatory audit as a case study, participants examined the country’s existing services trade regime and engaged in hands-on exercises to identify policy gaps, simulate commitment drafting, and assess competitiveness. They also reviewed tools such as the Services Trade Policy Database and the Services Trade Restrictiveness Index to benchmark Nigeria’s performance in key sectors. |
Asia-Pacific Officials Explore E-Commerce and Digital Trade in Virtual WTO Workshop |
Government officials from across the Asia-Pacific region convened virtually from 16 to 18 July for a regional workshop on e-commerce. The activity aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of key WTO frameworks and regional initiatives shaping the global digital economy.
The workshop opened with a review of current trends in global electronic commerce, highlighting evolving commercial models, digital technologies, and market dynamics. Participants engaged in sessions exploring the role of e-commerce in Regional Trade Agreements and Digital Economy Agreements, including the growing involvement of Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the digital trade landscape.
The programme provided a comprehensive overview of e-commerce-related discussions within the WTO, including the Work Programme on E-Commerce, the moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, and the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-Commerce. Sessions also covered the relevance of WTO agreements such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) to digital trade.
Participants explored broader digital governance themes, including artificial intelligence (AI) standards and emerging regulatory approaches across international bodies. Through interactive discussions and regional experience sharing, the workshop fostered dialogue on the future of e-commerce governance and digital economy integration in the Asia-Pacific region. |
GCC Standardization Organization Officials Visit WTO for Targeted Learning Session |
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Representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization (GSO) visited the WTO on 16 July for a half-day study session designed to enhance understanding of key WTO agreements relevant to standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment.
The visit began with an overview of the WTO’s structure, mandate, and guiding principles presented by the Arab and Middle East Regional Desk at the WTO’s Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation. Sessions focused on two cornerstone WTO agreements: the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement). WTO experts led detailed briefings on the respective agreements and their committees, providing insights into how they promote food safety, animal and plant health, and fair trade through transparent, science-based measures.
The visit concluded with a session on transparency requirements under the SPS and TBT Agreements, including a demonstration of the WTO’s ePing platform, which allows stakeholders to track and engage with regulatory notifications globally. |
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Coordinated and managed by ITTC |
A core function of the WTO, technical assistance and capacity-building activities seek to enhance professional and institutional trade capacities in developing and least-developed WTO member and observer governments. They provide beneficiaries with enhanced know-how to take full advantage of the opportunities from the rules-based multilateral trading system and address potential challenges. Within the WTO Secretariat, the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) oversees these activities. |
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