Uzbekistan trade officials trained in Bern
Specialized training strengthens Uzbek officials’ trade knowledge ahead of WTO accession.
With the assistance of the International Trade Centre (ITC), seven Uzbek government officials participated in trade-related courses offered by the World Trade Institute (WTI) during its Winter Academy in January and February 2023, in Bern, Switzerland.
Attending the course formed part of ongoing ITC support offered to Uzbekistan 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 of the Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade. One works on tariff and non-tariff regulatory measures and the other two deal with cooperation with the WTO and with countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States. They participated in Winter Academy courses offered in:
- The WTO Law on Border Measures and Trade Facilitation
- Anti-Dumping and Safeguard Measures
- Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
- The Law and Policy of Trade in Services
The courses were taught by longstanding 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 global trade body.
Chance to meet peers
Apart from the substantive value of the courses, the officials’ participation in Bern also meant they could meet international experts as well as peers from other countries.
The training took place 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 multidisciplinary 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 the World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan (UWED) based in Tashkent.
About the project
The ITC is the implementing partner of the European Union’s Facilitating the process of Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO project. The five-year initiative seeks to support Uzbekistan's development plans to modernize its economy by leveraging its WTO accession process. The overarching objective of the project is to contribute to the country’s economic development.