To join the World Trade Organization (WTO) or not is a decision Bhutan is struggling to make. And even as the country debates and weighs the pros and cons of joining WTO, representatives from various government departments and agencies involved in trade or trade related issues are being trained on Capacity building on International Trade in the capital.
The training is funded by the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiation in Singapore as part of their technical assistance to aid development by increasing knowledge of trade negotiations and building capacity of the government and business leaders in Asia Pacific region to better participate in economic globalisation.
Bhutan applied for the World Trade Organization membership in 1999. In the following year, the country was granted the status of observer nation. Since then, Bhutan has made a progressive achievement both at bilateral and international negotiations front with a few steps away from becoming a WTO member.
The accession process came to a halt when the new government stressed on a broader debate on the advantages and disadvantages of joining WTO. According to a senior government official, government did not want to gamble the country’s future. Another important area of concern was impacts that joining WTO would bring on the development philosophy of Gross National Happiness.
The Head of Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiation in Singapore, Debora Elms said in terms of trade, Bhutan though a small country will gain equal rights among trading giants at the WTO.
The three-day training is focused on representatives of government agencies and departments. It aims to enhance understanding of international trade and World Trade Organization among larger group of stake holders.
The training cover a range of topics related to international trade. The topics include managing global free trade, trade in services, trade related intellectual property rights, non-tariff barriers and current issues in international trade.
Training related to World Trade Organization and International trade will also be extended to private sector in the future.
