News from the ACWL
ACWL selects trainees for Secondment Programme for Trade Lawyers
The ACWL has appointed the first lawyers under the Secondment Programme for Trade Lawyers. The two lawyers, Ms. Mpho Palime of Lesotho and Ms. Olga Dios of Paraguay will join the ACWL from 19 September 2005. The lawyers will join the ACWL for a period of nine months, during which they will receive training in WTO law and procedure. Ms. Palime and Ms. Dios will rejoin their respective governments upon completion of the programme.
Ms. Palime joins the ACWL from the least developed country of Lesotho, where she was recently appointed Principal Legal Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Ms. Palime is a graduate of the National University of Lesotho, and has attended a number of WTO trade policy courses and regional seminars. She has also been seconded to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an organisation aimed at fostering the economic development of countries in Southern and Central Africa.
Ms. Dios is a graduate of the Universidad Catolica de Asuncion in Paraguay. She also holds a Masters in Law from Georgetown University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. Ms. Dios has been an attorney in both private and public practice, and as an employee of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was recently the coordinator of a team that prepared for Paraguay's trade policy review at the WTO. Ms. Dios speaks fluent Spanish, English and French.
Ms. Palime and Ms. Dios were chosen from 53 candidates. At the General Assembly meeting of 30 June 2005, the ACWL's Executive Director, Mr. Roessler expressed his appreciation to ACWL Members and to least developed countries for their positive response to the launch of the Programme. Mr. Roessler commented on the high quality of applications, and expressed his hope that Members would continue to support the Programme in the future.
The selection process for the 2006-2007 ACWL Secondment Programme for Trade Lawyers will be launched in February 2006. Details of the selection process will be made available here.