World Trade Organization resource centre opens in Afghanistan
A one-stop shop on topics and affairs related to Afghanistan and WTO is inaugurated at Kabul University
Online catalogues, latest publications, periodicals and key books on World Trade Organization (WTO) - you can now find it all at the WTO Resource Centre in Kabul University. Anyone with a question on Afghanistan and WTO will be able to find the answer. A subscription to the WTO i-library is also available which ensures full access to online catalogues and latest publications.
A first for Afghanistan, the centre provides resources for research on the WTO and international trade matters, and represents an investment in Afghanistan’s young people.
Once the COVID-19 situation subsides, students will resume visits to Kabul University and be able to access the facility to examine Afghanistan’s commitments since its accession to the WTO.
Seen as a sign of the country building a business-friendly environment, the 2016 accession of Afghanistan to the WTO received international acknowledgement and created opportunities for Afghanistan to access international markets.
The centre, which took six months to establish, houses key texts on WTO agreements and trade policy matters, and is equipped to host conferences and seminars.
The inauguration of the centre was attended by Hamidullah Farooqi, Chancellor of Kabul University and Advisor to the President of Afghanistan, ITC National Coordinator Siddiqullah Mujadiddi, and Hamza Aslami, Dean of Faculty of Economics, Kabul University, among others.
The centre was established as part of the EU-funded Advancing Afghan Trade (AAT) Project. The International Trade Centre implemented phase 1 of this project between 2016-2020 to support Afghanistan in using trade as a lever for economic growth, regional integration and reducing poverty.
Delivered by university lecturers trained at the Centre for WTO Studies in India, the centre will also augment Kabul University’s course on WTO affairs.
