MOREPRESS RELEASE
PRESS/280
13 March 2002
(02-1327)
INTRODUCTION COURSE ON WTO
FOR LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES BEGINS
Government officials from 22 least-developed countries attended yesterday the opening
session of the Introduction Course on WTO. The brief ceremony was chaired by Mr. AblasséOuedraogo, Deputy Director-General of the WTO, who, on behalf of Mike Moore, welcomed all the
participants.
Mr. Ouedraogo underlined that the participants will have a real opportunity to increase their
knowledge and understanding of the WTO, its work and what it constitutes for the least-developed
countries. "It is an opportunity to learn from inside, as the course takes place in Geneva, at the WTOHeadquarters", said the Deputy Director-General.
For the first time, the introduction course, which lasts three weeks, is financed through the
regular budget of the Organization. It is also the first time that the programme, centered on practical
and concrete presentations, is developed in close co-operation with the International Trade Center(ITC).
Throughout the three-week training, which will end on 28 March, the 22 participating
officials will become acquainted, through lectures and round-tables, with the essential aspects of theWTO, a general picture of all the agreements, how the WTO functions and the basic principles of the
multilateral trading system.
During their stay at the WTO, participants will also have the possibility to attend a meeting of
the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries and to debate with experts and practitioners on thevarious aspects of the "Doha Development Agenda" la unched at the last session of the Ministerial
Conference of the WTO held last November in the capital of Qatar.
The WTO Training Institute's mandate includes organizing the traditional three-month trade
policy courses, which were instituted already under the GATT, in 1955, but also covers the
development of activities in the following areas: training for trainers, a diversified range of short-term
trade policy courses, distance-learning services, as well as increased co-operation with universities
and other institutions of learning handling WTO and trade-related issues. Since November 2001, theInstitute is advised by a Consultative Board.
The list of participants of the Introduction Course to the WTO is annexed.PRESS/280
Page 2
MORELIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Bangladesh Mr. Md. Jainal ABEDIN, Deputy Secr etary, Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh
Secretariat, Dhaka.
Bhutan Mr. Phub TSHERING, Executive En gineer, Ministry of Communications,
Bhutan Telecom, Authority MOC, Kawajangsa.
Cambodia Mr. Sovithiea UNG, Official WTO Office, ASEAN and International
Organizations Department, Mini stry of Commerce, Phnom Penh.
Cape Verde Mr. Carlos Jorge GOMES DOS ANJOS, Cabinet Director, Ministry of Tourism,
Industry and Commerce, Praia.
Eritrea Miss Selamawit ZEWOLDI WELDESLA SSIE, Junior Expert, International
Trade Relations Department, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Asmara.
Ethiopia Mr. Belete ALEMU, Senior Expert , Ministry of Trade and Industry, Addis
Ababa.
The Gambia Mr. Lamin DAMPHA, Investment Ec onomist, Department of State for Trade,
Industry and Employment, Banjul.
Lao People's 
Dem. Rep.Mr. Santisouk PHOUNESAVATH, Technical Official, Ministry of Commerce,
Foreign Trade Department, Vientiane.
Lesotho Mr. Tumelo Ephraim RABOLETSI, Assistant Administrative Secretary,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maseru.
Malawi Mrs. Fanny Bibi K ANDAYA, Senior I ndustrial Development Officer, Ministry
of Commerce and Industry, Lilongwe.
Maldives Miss Mariyam HAMID, Senior Secretary, International Cooperation Division,
Ministry of Trade and Industries, Male.
Mozambique Mr. Agonias Antonio MACIA, Head of Department, Ministry of Industry and
Trade, Maputo.
Myanmar Mr. Win THAN, Assistant Director, International Trade Promotion Department,
Directorate of Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Yangon.
Nepal Mr. Arjun Raj PANT, Section Officer , Ministry of Industry, Commerce and
Supplies, Singh Durbar, Kathmandu.
Samoa Mr. Kunta Lancelot MARGRAFF, Se nior Industry, Development Officer,
Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry, Apia.
Sierra Leone Mrs. Nancy K.S. TENGBEH, Acting Senior Assistant,  Secretary, Ministry of
Trade, Industry and State Enterprises, Freetown.PRESS/280
Page 3
Solomon Islands Mr. Steveen KARA, Assistant Secret ary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Relations, Honiara.
Sudan Mr. Abdul Moneim TAHA, Chairman, Contract Division, Ministry of Justice,
Khartoum.
United Rep. of 
TanzaniaMr. Lucas Ndewonaona SARONGA, Principal Trade Officer III, Trade
Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dar-es-Salaam.
Uganda Mrs. Florence KATA, Acting Executive  Director, Ministry of Tourism, Trade
and Industry, Kampala.
Yemen Mr. Abdul-Hakim Sultan SALEH, Coordina tor Officer, Ministry of Supply and
Trade, Sana'a.
Zambia Mr. Sunday CHIKOTI, Trade and Investment Promotions Officer, Commerce
and Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Lusaka.
END