ITC, WTO work to build Uzbekistan’s negotiating skills on market access

As the country moves toward joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), the country’s team needs to be skilled to negotiate a fair deal that will gain entry for traders into international markets and at the same ensure local business can compete against imports.

That’s why the International Trade Centre (ITC) organized a day-long training. This initiative was born out of collaboration between the ITC and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) in Tashkent.

The training was aimed at trade negotiators and policymakers. It is part of an 11-course programme offered to accelerate long-term institutional trade capacity in support of Uzbekistan’s WTO membership.  For the training, the WTO Secretariat collaborated with the ITC through the WTO Chairs Programme. 

Around 35 people joined the training on the UWED campus. Among them were members of Uzbekistan’s negotiating team, representatives from various governmental bodies, and students from UWED itself.

The training comprised lectures given by experts from the WTO Secretariat’s Market Access Division, with modules on market access and tariff negotiations, non-tariff issues and quantitative restrictions, and import licensing procedures. 

Umid Yakubkhodjaev, the Dean of Faculty at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, guided discussions on WTO market access, delving into the intricacies of Uzbekistan’s economy.

Participants said they gained valuable insights into WTO market access and accession negotiations.

Collaboration under the WTO Chairs Programme

WTO Secretariat participation in the training was facilitated by the WTO Chairs Programme. This programme was set up in 2010 by the WTO to enhance knowledge and understanding of the global trading system among academics and policymakers in developing countries. UWED joined the programme in 2022.