Stories

Training course in the Philippines on trade policy for private and public participants

28 October 2011
ITC News

A four-day training course on Trade Policy and Negotiations took place at the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) between 25 and 28 October, 2011, in Manila. The programme was jointly organized by Universal Access to Competiveness and Trade (U-ACT), a locally based private sector advocacy and research think tank and ITC. It was the third consecutive year ITC has been invited by U-ACT to be partners in the running of the programme. ITC staff and representatives from local government agencies and academic institutions conducted the training programme.

Over 30 private sector and public officials from various business associations, trading firms and government ministries and departments participated in the training course. Approximately half of the participants were from the private sector with the other half being from the public sector, all of whom were self paying attendees. The training course covered an integrated module based approach on the business implications of the agreements in goods and services, the elements of trade policy and regulatory reform that determine the export competitiveness of enterprises as well as the emerging issues in bilateral, regional and multilateral treaties; investments, disputes and trade remedies.

Within the Philippines, U-ACT is the driver of private sector in the conduct of trade policy and economic competitiveness activities by analyzing trade policy and economic competitiveness activities by analyzing trade policies and agreements, championing institutional reforms, and developing strategic interventions for economic, industry, and economic reforms and adjustment measures.

ITC’s Business and Trade Policy (BTP) Section promotes the participation of the private sector in the formulation of national trade policy and positions in international trade negotiations. We do this through technical trainings on trade policy issues, so that organizations representing the private sector are better equipped to advocate their interests.