Officers and partners of the Seychelles Department of Trade will improve their negotiating skills through a one-week training programme, facilitated by the World Trade Organization (WTO), starting on Monday.
The training is expected to give the participants the required skills to negotiate on trade issues not only in the Seychelles but on behalf of other nations and organisations. "The training will help all the participants to better understand how trade negotiations work and include both theory and practical sessions during the workshop," senior WTO trade officer Veronique Brutus told reporters.
The trade department is mandated to negotiate agreements for the Seychelles.
Local authorities and personnel from the customs division, the Seychelles Bureau of Standards, agriculture, fisheries, and other departments are taking part in the training.
During the workshop, the participants will learn about the WTO, the basic concepts of negotiations, related techniques and will do simulated negotiation exercises.
The training will be led by Willie Chatsika, head of Africa WTO, and training officer Franziska Kirschke.
"The WTO is set up primarily for the benefit of its members, and our primary purpose is to help the members implement the agreements they themselves have negotiated," said Chatsika.
He added that these training programmes would help member countries, such as Seychelles, to understand the rules and disciplines of the WTO so that they could then use them to their advantage.
"We hope that by the end of the week, the participants will be better equipped to negotiate various areas of international trade on behalf of the Seychelles," said Chatsika said.
The WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
The Seychelles has been a member of the WTO since 2015.
