Country specific training programmes

The ACWL responds to the training needs of its Members and the LDCs by offering country-specific tailormade training programmes at the request of their governments. These programmes are free of charge and enable capital- and Geneva-based officials to participate in the ACWL’s training activities and to seek advice on specific matters of WTO law. For reasons of budget and fairness, the ACWL cannot cover its own travel or accommodation expenses, which means that it provides on-site training in capitals only when the requesting Member or LDC, or an outside sponsor, can cover these costs. Hence, training programmes are normally conducted by videoconference to capitalbased officials or at the ACWL’s offices for visiting delegations.

Our country-specific training programmes have greatly increased in number and complexity in recent years. For example, between 2012-2017, the ACWL conducted an average of seven country-specific training courses per year. This figure increased to almost twelve per year between 2018-2024. In 2024, the ACWL conducted a total of 20 country-specific training courses, the most in a single year to date. Thus, the ACWL has provided more detailed and advanced programmes, tailored to the needs of ACWL developing country Members and the LDCs (for instance, in 2024, one programme involved ten 3-hour virtual sessions on trade remedies). The chart on the next page depicts the evolution of the country-specific training programmes since 2012.

The topics covered in the 20 training programmes held in 2024 included: trade remedies, GATT, SPS and TBT measures, trade in services, the TRIPS Agreement, the Agreement on Agriculture, and dispute settlement procedures. These training programmes were held in English, Spanish and French. Most of the programmes were conducted online (12 out of 20). On average, these programmes consisted of 4 sessions each. Since these training programmes are provided upon request and may cover confidential issues, the ACWL does not disclose the identity of the Member or LDC involved. On pages 44-45, the ACWL provides a list of these activities, including the number of sessions, the duration, and the topics covered for each training programme. The ACWL will continue its country-specific training programmes in 2025.