Newest UNITAR-FAO “Agriculture in Trade Agreements” Course in Arabic Concluded

3 December 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) wrapped up their newest course, “Agriculture in Trade Agreements” on 30 October 2025. Delivered in Arabic, this course is the latest development in the 15-year-long UNITAR-FAO partnership.

The 2025 course brought together 88 government officials and practitioners from across 20 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Women represented 45 of the 88 participants, aligning with UNITAR and FAO’s shared commitment to promoting gender equality and women’s leadership in public institutions. The cohort included government officials from ministries of agriculture, trade, and economy, as well as practitioners from customs administrations, inspection services, universities, and farmers’ organizations.

The 4-week FAO-UNITAR course paired FAO’s technical expertise with UNITAR’s experience in adult learning and online delivery. It enabled participants to engage with complex trade rules in a way that is directly relevant to their daily responsibilities. The course covered topics such as non-tariff measures under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement and trends in Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) that affect agricultural trade and policies.

It combined self-paced learning with weekly expert-led webinars and discussion on UNITAR’s e-learning platform. Such hybrid teaching accommodates the different schedules of working professionals and is best adapted to adult learners. Accordingly, it received very positive results, with 97 percent of participants indicating approval in a post-course evaluation survey.

I greatly benefited from the content …. The course enhanced my understanding of the theoretical and practical dimensions of international trade agreements in the agricultural sector. I learned how to analyse the provisions of these agreements and their effects on agricultural markets, in addition to understanding the legal and commercial mechanisms that govern agricultural trade between countries.

– 2025 Training Participant

The participants overwhelmingly indicated that the course was highly effective. More than 88 percent reported that they fully or mostly achieved each of the course learning objectives. Participants found it particularly useful for developing their understanding of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and navigating regional trade agreements. They appreciated the practical case studies and contextual familiarity and applicability to their countries, mentioning these consistently as major selling points of the course.

The course broadened my perspective and may allow me to become one of the agricultural negotiators [in my country] in the future, especially in discussions on proposals put forward by WTO members.

– 2025 Training Participant

Both delivery and teaching style were highly rated, at 99 percent. The participants particularly appreciated the availability of mentors, the responsiveness of the UNITAR team to all inquiries, and the flexibility of the self-paced e-learning platform. Operational support from UNITAR was also received very positively, with all participants stating their satisfaction with it.