As our world becomes progressively globalized, as nations no longer remain isolated and apart from the world community, it is ever more important that those involved in trade negotiations fully understand the history, the issues, the nuances and the ramifications of their work.

Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), underscored the urgency of this when he spoke to the graduating class of the Philippine Global Trade eLearning Program in December of 2006. “The dynamics of trade have changed. In the last 10 years… developing countries’ share in international trade has increased from roughly 1/3 to 1/2. Trade,” he declared, “has been much more prominent as an economic force during the last 50 years…” In fact, in recent years the value of global trade has exceeded $9 trillion.

Heretofore, the call for trade policy development and negotiation training has been answered by workshops and conferences, and practical knowledge has come largely through on-the-job mentoring. Workshops, however, are expensive, temporary, and often out of the reach of many. The growing demand for those with trade expertise has rapidly outstripped the number of people who benefit by on-the-job experience.

Earth Council Geneva has responded to this capacity building void with its country based programs