The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Advanced Course on Trade and Environment was attended by 25 officials from trade and/or environment ministries. There was not a single South African in attendance.
The advanced course (Level 3) targeted officials who already possess a sound knowledge or are directly involved with issues at the interface of trade and environment at national and international levels. It aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of the key aspects of the relationship between trade and the environment as well as to update them on latest developments. The course also looked into the relevant WTO provisions and activities related to the linkages between trade and environmental policies, covering topics such as fisheries subsidies, transport, environmental goods, climate change and biodiversity.
In addition, the course provided participants with the tools to identify and discuss a wide range of topics at the nexus between trade and environmental protection, including several dedicated databases such as the Environmental Database and the Multilateral Environmental Agreement Matrix. Information tools such as the ePing for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) measures were also covered. The teaching methodology included roundtable discussions, workshops, lectures, exercises and simulations. Participants also had the opportunity to attend the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) meeting held during the course and follow it up with a simulation exercise of a CTE meeting organised the day after.
During the two weeks, participants were actively engaged in a group project aimed at using trade as a tool to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030. Each group was assigned an SDG and tasked with identifying specific challenges and solutions, drawing upon their own domestic realities and experiences. At the end of the course, participants presented their shared vision, strategies and action plans which showcased how trade and trade policies can play a positive role in supporting the SDGs.