The project "Strengthening training capacities in international trade in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali" ran from 2000 to 2003. The overall aim of the project was to develop long-lasting training capacities for beneficiaries in the area of international trade and to promote the necessary institutional changes.

The project sought to strengthen trade and services structures in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali through developing human resources by:

• Implementing training on a national and regional level;
• Involving local stakeholders in international trade in the process of the definition and the implementation of training actions;
• Strengthening the capacities of the institutions selected and capable of implementing training of trainers courses and using e-learning methodology, while also contributing to regional cooperation and favoring market economy;
• Developing a cooperation network between the training centers;
• Designing, producing and updating quality pedagogical packages in order to respond to the needs of the beneficiary parties in the area of international trade, both in the private and in the public sector.

Over 340 participants were trained during the course of the project on the following subjects:

• Trade Liberalisation (Competition Law and Policy, Analysis of International Trade Policies)
• Trade, Environment and Development
• Multimodal transport, Logistics and Trade and Transport Facilitation
• Financing Procedure for International Trade
• Training of Instructors to traditional pedagogical techniques and to Distance Learning

Participants from the TrainForTrade courses were later educated to be co-trainers and trainers, in order to develop local training capacity. 29 trainers in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali were trained to disseminate, distribute and co-lead seminars and thematic teaching using face-to-face and distance learning methods.

The project had six main activities:

• Producing pedagogical material in conformity with the needs of the beneficiary countries, and the priorities set forth by the international agenda;
• Adapting/updating existing pedagogical materials to the local context;
• Implementing training courses and training of trainers (face-to-face and e-learning);
• Developing and implementing an evaluation system assessing the impact of the training activities;
• Creating national and regional coordination and follow-up structures;
• Producing studies and guides.

UNCTAD TrainForTrade collaborated closely with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS-UEMOA). The project was positively evaluated by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also funded the project.