Uzbekistan trade officials undergo training in Bern
28.03.2023 1088
With the assistance of the International Trade Centre (ITC), seven Uzbekistan government officials participated in a range of trade-related courses offered by the World Trade Institute (WTI) during its Winter Academy between January and February 2023, in Berne, Switzerland.
Attendance of the course formed part of ongoing support offered to Uzbekistan by the ITC with funding from the European Union (EU) to boost expertise and know-how as the country negotiates to become a World Trade Organization (WTO) member.
The seven senior officials represented three state departments – one on tariff and non-tariff regulatory measures and the other two dealing, respectively, with cooperation with the WTO and with CIS countries. They participated in Winter Academy courses offered in their areas of work. The courses were, namely, on the WTO Law on Border Measures and Trade Facilitation; Anti-Dumping and Safeguard Measures; Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and a course on the Law and Policy of Trade in Services.
The courses were offered by longstanding WTO specialists. The knowledge will enable the officials to practically apply WTO rules and requirements in their areas of responsibility once Uzbekistan is a member of the WTO.
Chance to meet peers
Apart from the substantive value of the courses, the officials’ participation in Berne also meant they were able to meet relevant international experts as well as peers from other countries in their areas of work.
The training was facilitated under the EU-funded project ‘Facilitating the process of Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO’, of which the ITC is the implementing partner.
The WTI is internationally acknowledged as a multidiciplinary academic centre focusing on advancing graduate and post-graduate education about the function and effects of global trade. The institute has been involved in other efforts to build trade-oriented knowledge in Uzbekistan. Apart from offering online and on-the-ground training to Uzbekistan’s officials, the WTI was also commissioned by the ITC to develop a tailor-made trade law course that will be taught by the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan (UWED) based in Tashkent.