WTO Calls for Applications for 2022 Trade, Public Health Workshop

The WTO will hold its annual Trade and Public Health Workshop in Geneva from 28 November to 2 December 2022, with a special focus on pandemic preparedness and response. The deadline to submit applications to participate is 30 September 2022.

The 16th WTO Trade and Public Health Workshop, organized in close collaboration with the Secretariats of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), takes a holistic approach to the interlinkages between public health, trade, and intellectual property.

The Workshop will focus on pandemic preparedness and response. As in past years, the Workshop will build on the 2nd Edition of the WHO-WIPO-WTO Trilateral Study “Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation: Intersections between Public Health, Intellectual Property and Trade”, as well as the updated COVID-19 information note.

What is the workshop about?

In an intensive, one-week programme, delivered by expert speakers with different backgrounds and expertise, participants will examine the role that multilateral trade agreements play as part of the wider efforts to meet increasingly urgent public health needs. Participants will also engage in targeted practical case studies designed to examine key policy tools and effectively apply them to foster public health outcomes. An outline of the draft programme is enclosed.

Who should apply?

The Trade and Public Health Workshop is designed for public sector policymakers who already have an advanced understanding of issues at the intersection of trade, intellectual property (IP) and public health, and who have practical experience in policy processes in these fields. Candidates should be proficient in English, the working language of the Workshop.

The WTO Secretariat has funding available for 30 participants from WTO Members and Observers eligible to benefit from technical assistance activities. Five additional places will be available for self-funded participants, including from developed Members.

How to apply?

Government officials from Members and Observers eligible to benefit from WTO training activities are invited to apply by 30 September 2022.

Visit WTO’s official website for more information.