The training course on trade in services for governments of countries acceding to the World Trade Organization is taking place at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. Turkmenistan, which has the status of an “acceding country”, is represented by representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations and the Central Bank.

The speakers of the five-day course are WTO staff: specialists from the Accession Section, the Committee on Trade and Financial Services, lawyers on trade in services and investment provide valuable materials on various areas of trade in services in the WTO context.

The training course aims to provide a detailed overview of the structure and key commitments of the WTO Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), as well as to study the practice of drawing up the Schedule of Specific Commitments on Services, which is an extremely important document in the process of accession to the WTO. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the main trends and developments in global trade in services.

The course aims to provide a detailed overview of the structure and key commitments of the WTO Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), as well as an examination of the practice of drawing up the Schedule of Specific Commitments on Services, which is a critical document in the WTO accession process. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to become familiar with the main trends and developments in global trade in services.

A significant part of the course consists of practical exercises on drafting a model Schedule of Specific Commitments for various services sectors, as well as sharing experiences with accession negotiators from WTO member countries. This kind of practice contributes to an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of GATS, and also allows identifying key aspects and nuances that can have a significant impact on the development of the services sector. In addition, studying the experience of countries that have already gone through the negotiation process helps to master best practices and avoid common mistakes, which in turn increases the chances of successful accession to the WTO. It is also important to note that sharing experiences with former negotiators provides a unique opportunity to learn about the strategies and approaches used by other countries, which can be a useful lesson in preparing for your own negotiations.

The training course, which runs from 7 to 12 April, provides an excellent opportunity to listen to experts on trade in services and to gain insight into this specific area of trade within the WTO.

The importance of such a course also lies in the development of networking between participants representing different countries and regions. This allows for the creation of international links that can have a long-term impact on future negotiations and cooperation in the field of trade in services. Thus, this course is not only educational, but also a strategically important step in the development of national programs for integration into the global economy and preparation for the most important stages of our country's accession to the WTO.

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