The ACWL is pleased to announce that the 2025-2026 cycle of its Secondment Programme for Trade Lawyers has begun. On 1 October 2025, four government lawyers, Ms Anuja Dutta from Nepal, Mr. Andhika Juliansyah from Indonesia, Ms Fabienne Kone from Côte d’Ivoire and, Mr. Antonio Paredes from Peru joined the ACWL as the newest participants in the Secondment Programme. These lawyers were selected from 71 eligible candidates that were nominated by the governments.
The Secondment Programme gives lawyers from the governments of least-developed countries (LDCs) and developing country ACWL Members the opportunity to broaden their professional experience in the field of WTO law by joining the ACWL’s staff as paid trainees for a nine-month term. The Programme provides the seconded lawyers with both theoretical training and practical experience in WTO law and an opportunity to participate actively in WTO dispute settlement proceedings.
To date, 70 lawyers from 22 different developing countries and 15 LDCs have been trained under the Programme, including 46 women and 24 men.
Ms Anuja Dutta, Mr. Andhika Juliansyah, Ms Fabienne Kone and, Mr. Antonio Paredes will remain at the ACWL until 30 June 2026, when they will return to their government positions.
In June 2025, Ms Elif Bilgen Eris from Türkiye, Ms Rukiya Ibrahim from Kenya, Mr. Pa Ousman Jabang from The Gambia and Ms Naruetra Prasertsilp from Thailand, completed their Secondments and returned to their government positions.
Invitations to nominate candidates for the 2026-2027 term of the Secondment Programme will be sent in February to ACWL developing country Members and to the LDCs that are entitled to the services of the ACWL
29 January 2026