Official inauguration of WTO/University of Hong Kong Regional Trade Policy Course for Asia/Pacific

The official inauguration of the first WTO Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC) for Asia/Pacific in partnership with the University of Hong Kong took place on Wednesday 9 June in Hong Kong, China. Government officials from 31 Asia-Pacific countries are taking part in the three-month course which is held at the University of Hong Kong and runs from 7 June to 27 August 2004. The course has been designed with the needs of the Asia-Pacific region in mind and is being delivered by both WTO officials and trade specialists from the region.

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The RTPC was officially inaugurated by Mr. Paul Rolian, Director of the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation, and Dr. Victor Fung, Chairman of the Council of the University of Hong Kong. Many representatives from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, private industry, academia, as well asa number of Consular officials attended the inauguration ceremony.

In his opening address, Mr. Rolian, on behalf of the Director-General of the WTO, welcomed participants to the course. He expressed his gratitude to the University of Hong Kong for their supportive partnership in delivering the RTPC, and for their demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment to the project. He went on to say that the main objective of the Asia-Pacific RTPC was to increase the number of government officials in the region with a solid foundation of knowledge on the WTO, allowing them to contribute to the promotion of more active participation by their countries in the work of the WTO and increase the capacity of governments in the region to articulate and defend their national interests. Further objectives included building institutional partnerships at the regional level for capacity building activities: establishing joint lecturing arrangements with academics and specialists from the region; and developing research on WTO tropics between universities and institutions in the region and international organizations, including the WTO.

In his speech, Dr. Fung said that the RTPC would address the need for developing countries to strengthen the skills and knowledge of their government officials to face the challenges of the Doha Development Agenda. He also said that the course would be well supported by the research and capacity-building activities of the East Asian International Economic Law and Policy (EAIEL) programme of the University of Hong Kong, the first multidisciplinary programme in Hong Kong focusing strategically on issues of compliance with WTO obligations.

Both Mr. Rolian and Dr. Fung wished participants every success in their course and encouraged them to take maximum benefit from the opportunities offered by the RTPC.

RTPCs are part of the WTO's technical assistance and capacity building programme, and are modelled on three-month trade policy courses that have been organized by the GATT/WTO in Geneva for over 40 years. They were first introduced in 2002 and have since been held in Africa and in the Caribbean. It is anticipated that the courses will be extended to the Latin American region in 2005.

List of the participants back to top

Afghanistan	Mr. Ghulam DASTGIR, Director, Foreign Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce
Bangladesh	Mr. Pradip ROYHAN, Senior Assistant Secretary, WTO Cell, Bangladesh Secretariat, Ministry of Commerce
Bhutan	Mr. Tandin TSHERING, Regional Director, Regional Trade and Industry Office, Ministry of Trade and Industry
Brunei Darussalam	Mrs. Kamilah HAJI MOHO HANIFAH, Special Duties Officer, International Relations and Trade Development Division, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
Cambodia	Mr. Yuvaroath TAN, Deputy Chief, Trade in Services BureauAsean and International Organisation Department, Ministry of Commerce
China	Mr. Defeng E, Director, Division of Agriculture, Department for WTO Affairs, Ministry of Commerce
Fiji	Mr. Laitia Saqarere KOROIWASA, Acting Senior Assistant Secretary, Economic International Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade
Hong Kong, China	Ms Sui King LAI, Trade Officer, Regional Cooperation Division Trade and Industry Department
Hong Kong, China	Mr. Tommy Yiu-Wai LAI, Assistant Secretary Rehabilitation Division, Health Welfare and Food Bureau, Government Secretariat
India	Mr. Anil AGGARWAL, Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade Policy Division and Electronic Data Interchange Division, Directorate of Commerce
Indonesia	Mr. Boris SITUMORANG, Head, New Issues-WTO Division, Directorate for Multilateral Co-operation, Directorate General for Industry and International Trade Co-operation, Ministry of Industry and Trade
Kiribati	Miss Roreti ERITAI, Senior Trade Promotion Officer, Trade Promotion Division, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives
Korea	Mr. Yung-Suh PARK, Deputy Director Responsible for Trade Committee in OECD, Economic Organisations Division, International Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Lao People's Dem. Rep.	Mr. Somphouang PHIENPHINITH, Deputy General Director, Economic Research Institute for Trade, Ministry of Commerce
Macao, China	Miss Vai Man LEUNG, Senior Officer, International Economic Affairs Division, Macao Economic Services
Malaysia	Mr. Said RASHIDI, Assistant Director, Multilateral Trade Policy and Negotiations Division, Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Maldives	Mr. Ahmed NASHEED, Chief Customs Officer, Valuation and Tariff Division, Maldives Customs Service, Ministry of Trade and Industries
Mongolia	Miss Nomuundari Na GALSANDORJ, Assistant Researcher of International Trade Policy, Trade Policy and Cooperation Department, Ministry of Trade and Industry
Myanmar	Miss Win Min PHYOE, Assistant Director, WTO and International Organisation Section, International Trade Promotion Department, Directorate of Trade
Nepal	Mr. Prem Prasad GHIMIRE, Section Officer, WTO Division, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies
Pakistan	Mr. Muhammad Usman QURESHI, Section Officer, Export General Wing, Ministry of Commerce
Papua New Guinea	Mr. Matthew Tewi N'DREWEI, Senior Foreign Service Officer, Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Immigration
Philippines	Mrs. Maribel Gozun MARGES, Chief Fiber Development Officer WTO and SPS Affairs, Policy Research Services, Department of Agriculture
Samoa	Miss Azaria LESA, Foreign Investment Registrar, Industry Development and Investment Unit, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour
Singapore	Mr. Joshua LEE, Assistant Director, Directorate Trade Division Ministry of Trade and Industry, The Treasury
Sri Lanka	Mr. Wesly Wimal Hemachandra ABEYNEYAKAGE, Assistant Director of Commerce, Regional and Bilateral Relations and Trade Promotion Division, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Chinese Taipei	Mr. Bochia NI, Officer/Secretary, Section of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs
Thailand	Miss Juntra SIRIUTHAIKORN, Trade Officer, Bureau of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Department of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce
Tonga	Mr. Tevita Kilisimasi HA'APAI, Market Development Officer, Tonga Trade Division, Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industry
Tuvalu	Mrs. Palipa LAUTI, Business Training Officer, Department of Industries, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Industries
Vanuatu	Mr. Taman Noel MALOSU, Principal Trade and Tariff Officer, Tariff, Trades and Industry Support Unit, Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue Department
Viet Nam	Miss Phuong Dzung DO, Expert, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Industry