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Versión Español | July 2013

SEDI News

OAS-WTO: 16 Years Building Trade Capacity in the Americas

"The economic pulse of the XXI century will be defined by a country’s ability to further and improve its integration into the global market. The Western Hemisphere must fight to stay relevant given the rise of powerful emerging economies in other regions of the world." highlighted Fernando Ocampo, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica at this year’s “Advanced Training Course for Government Officials on Multilateral and Regional Trade Issues for the Americas” held from June 10 to 21, 2013 in Washington DC.

Since 1998, the OAS has partnered with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and, since 2006, with the George Washington University Law School in offering the Advanced Training Course. Sixteen years after its inception, the course continues to be a unique source for strengthening the institutional capacity of Latin American governments in the area of trade. Among the 600 + alumni to date, a significant number have been promoted to higher-level positions and many have served their countries as chief trade negotiators, vice ministers and even ministers.

In a region where most countries have already reached a trade to GDP ratio of over 50% (World Bank, 2013), taking full advantage of the opportunities created by trade ensures growth with equity and broad-based economic development. Countries in the region seeking to promote local goods and services beyond national borders have signed more than 75 free trade agreements since 1996 (see OAS/SICE), which is why strengthening the capacity of government officials and institutions to negotiate and implement these trade agreements is critical for the development of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

A total of 22 participants including 19 government officials from 12 Latin-American countries with direct responsibility for trade and development issues and 3 representatives from Embassies and Permanent Missions to the OAS convened at George Washington University, covering the most relevant issues of the multilateral and regional trade agenda. Case studies and practical exercises allowed participants to apply the knowledge gained in the technical sessions, which were imparted by a roster of experts from the WTO, OAS and other international organizations such as the IDB and ECLAC, as well as speakers from government agencies, law firms, think tanks, and academic institutions such as Harvard University.

Mr. Edgar Manual Vásquez Vela, a former participant of the course, now Chief Negotiator of Peru for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), participated this year as a guest speaker. He highlighted the careful mix of structure, contents, speakers and participants of the course, noting that "In my experience, this combination of factors allows significant results to be achieved in terms of improving participants’ skills, strengthening the institutions from which they come from, and the construction of an extensive network of contacts between American government officials, thus meeting the objectives of the co-organizing institutions."

Beyond the training sessions, the network of alumni has an established online community for ongoing interaction among government officials on trade issues. Moreover, as one of this year’s participant’s reports, participants often act as multipliers in their countries, further expanding the reach of the course in the region. Participant Ms. Marina García del Río, Legal Advisor at the Secretariat of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Argentina explains: "Back in my country, I organized a meeting with my co-workers at the Ministry, where I shared my new insights on the different topics covered in the course." She continued by adding that "we trust that the organizers and sponsors of this course will continue to repeat this activity every year, allowing other public officials to continue their training in this dynamic and important area for the governments our region."

After many years and changes in the regional and multilateral trade agenda, the OAS- continues to work with member States and partners in strengthening their capacity to further their insertion into the global market. Vice Minister Ocampo elaborates: "The course has become an exemplary forum for the Americas to exchange knowledge and experience on trade policy, enabling the continuous update of public officials and improving the human resources devoted to trade negotiations."

This year’s course was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada and the World Trade Organization (WTO). For additional information, please visit the course’s website.

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