News and insights on WTO Technical Assistance programmes |
- Acknowledging Donors
- Coming Up: key activities in early 2026
- E-Learning: third course of the Cotton Series now available in three languages
- Spotlight: farewell to 54 participants in long-term placement programmes
- Round-Up: top news and highlights
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Season’s greetings from the WTO Technical Assistance team! |
We look forward to sharing future updates and insights on WTO TA programmes. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
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WTO technical assistance and capacity-building programmes are financed through the WTO Secretariat’s regular budget, supplemented by extra-budgetary funds. Extra-budgetary resources – provided through WTO Members’ voluntary contributions – remain essential to supporting the delivery of technical assistance activities for beneficiaries.
We sincerely thank the donors whose voluntary contributions continued to enable the implementation of the TA Plan in 2025. As of mid-December, the following donors have contributed to support WTO technical assistance: Austria, China, Hong Kong, China, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, and the United Kingdom.
The ongoing and future commitments from WTO Members will contribute to the robustness and inclusivity of the global trading system, directly benefiting thousands of trade officials and their economies. |
Note: The examples below are non-exhaustive and reflect the activities scheduled to date.
For the latest schedule of forthcoming activities, please consult the Technical Assistance Management System (TAMS) regularly. |
📍Singapore | 📅 13-15 January 2026
Singapore-WTO 6th Trade Policy Dialogue on the World Trading System |
This three-day Trade Policy Dialogue will provide a forum for senior trade officials to exchange views and deepen their understanding of the current state of play of key WTO negotiating issues in the lead-up to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14).
The programme will address a range of priority topics for the multilateral trading system, including agriculture and food security, the global trading environment, WTO reform, dispute settlement, plurilateral initiatives, and development. Each session will begin with a factual overview, followed by open and interactive discussions among participants to encourage peer-level exchange and strategic reflection.
By fostering informed dialogue among senior officials, the programme aims to support participants’ preparation for MC14 and to reinforce the importance of the rules-based multilateral trading system and the WTO’s central role in addressing current and emerging global trade challenges. |
📍 Benin | 📅 13-17 April 2026
Regional workshop for French-speaking African countries on
Trade in Services and Digital Trade |
This workshop will bring together officials from French-speaking African countries to deepen their understanding of trade in services and the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), with particular emphasis on the growing role of digital trade.
Through a combination of presentations, interactive exercises, case studies, and peer learning, participants will gain hands-on experience using analytical tools such as I-TIP Services to support national policy formulation and trade negotiations. The workshop will also address how digital technologies are reshaping traditional modes of services supply and the implications for policy and regulation in African economies. |
Third course in the E-Learning Cotton Series now available in three languages |
Enhance your understanding of the development assistance aspects of cotton and access key sources of information through this newly released course. |
Explore other courses on the e-Learning platform |
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. |
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INSIGHTS |
SPOTLIGHT: WTO Celebrates Conclusion of Four TA Programmes in Geneva |
December marked an important milestone for WTO technical assistance, as four flagship programmes reached completion after a year of immersive training and applied learning. Together, they provided hands-on experience to 54 participants from developing and least-developed WTO Members and Observers, strengthening individual skills and institutional capacity.
The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) engages early-career professionals within the WTO Secretariat, offering them the opportunity to work across divisions, build practical expertise, and contribute to policy work and operational support.
The Netherlands Talent Programme (NTP) enables mid-level officials to gain firsthand experience of WTO work in Geneva, deepening their understanding of the multilateral trading system, trade policy formulation, and implementation.
Through the French-Irish Mission Programme (FIMIP), officials are assigned to their countries' permanent missions to the WTO in Geneva, enabling them to participate directly in WTO committees and meetings and to strengthen their capacity to represent national interests in multilateral trade settings.
Under the Group Coordinators' Support Programme (GCSP), government officials serving as regional group coordinators carry out coordination-related duties at their countries’ permanent missions in Geneva. |
📅 13 October – 28 November 2025
Virtual Introductory Trade Policy Course for LDCs (VITPC) |
Delivered virtually over seven weeks, the course provided government officials from least-developed countries (LDCs) with a solid foundation in trade policy and the multilateral trading system. The programme was structured around six modules covering: (i) the introduction, history and functioning of the WTO; (ii) databases and other analytical tools; (iii) basic principles and exceptions in the multilateral trading system; (iv) selected WTO Agreements; (v) practical work at the WTO; and (vi) revision and the final examination.
The programme combined guided self-study with live interactive sessions, practical exercises, and exchanges with WTO Secretariat staff and experienced delegates. Participants also benefited from continuous coaching throughout the course. |
📍Geneva | 📅 1-5 December 2025 | WTO–World Bank Training for Government Officials on New Tools for Services Trade and Development |
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The launch of a new Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) training programme marked an important step in strengthening capacity to harness services trade for development.
The programme introduced participants to a new suite of analytical tools designed to support evidence-based services trade policymaking. Through hands-on training, officials learned how to use the Trade in Services Competitiveness Dashboard, an interactive application designed to help policymakers assess their economies' services performance, benchmark it against peers, and facilitate strategy development and policy prioritization in services trade. Participants also tested the Services Trade Policy Database (STPD) and the Services Trade Restrictions Index (STRI) to explore services trade policies and regulatory barriers.
The training further highlighted how TS4D analytics can support dialogue with development partners and inform the design of targeted technical assistance. |
📅 01 October – 27 November 2025
Virtual Course on Essentials for SPS Committee Participation |
This virtual course brought together 26 participants over a two-month period, with weekly live sessions complemented by assignments and group work on the virtual classroom.
Sessions combined presentations (including by participants), Q&As, quizzes, simulations, panel discussions, and one-to-one exchanges, with contributions from SPS delegates from Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and India, as well as the SPS Committee Chair and the STDF.
A follow-up session is scheduled for February 2026 for participants to report on progress in implementing their action points to support more effective engagement in SPS Committee work. |
📍Kuwait | 📅 25-27 November 2025 | WTO-IMF-CEF
Regional Workshop on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies |
Over 3 days, participants explored the provisions of this newly entered into force Agreement, learning more about its disciplines and the possible technical assistance and capacity building through the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism. During the workshop, participants from the Members that had already ratified the AFS shared their experiences and exchanged views with other participants on the challenges and lessons learned. |
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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