CTPL Online Certificate Program in Trade Negotiations Skills


February 25-27 & March 4-6, 2025

 

Instructors:    

Rosemina Nathoo, Associate Director and International Legal Counsel, CTPL

Phil Rourke, Executive Director, CTPL

Format:

This training program will be delivered online in 3-hour sessions over 6 days. Each session runs from 9am to 12pm Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Tuesday, February 25
9:00am Welcome and Introductions (Join in Main Room)

  • Course objectives
  • Roundtable introductions with participants
9:20-9:40am Presentation: Online Negotiations vs. P2P Negotiations

Increasingly, governments are using online platforms for trade negotiations. This session will provide tips on how to manage the differences between virtual and in-person negotiations.
9:40-11:15am Simulation: Plurilateral Negotiation Exercise

Group will be divided into 3 teams with the aim of achieving a negotiated settlement.
11:15-11:30am Health Break
11:30am-12:00pm Debrief and Q+A Session

  • Debrief on Simulation Exercise
  • Q+A session with instructors
Wednesday, February 26
9:00-9:30am Applying Simulation Exercise to Trade Negotiations
9:30-10:00am Presentation: CTPL Trade Negotiations Mapping Tool

This session introduces the participants to the CTPL Trade Negotiation Mapping Tool to assist with developing an effective negotiation strategy.
10:00-10:15am Health Break
10:15-11:15am Presentation: Designing a trade negotiation stakeholder engagement strategy

This session outlines a framework to determine how to develop a strategy to address a bilateral trade issue to be addressed.
11:15-11:30am Health Break
11:30am-12:00pm Practical Tips on Implementing an effective trade negotiations stakeholder engagement strategy
Thursday, February 27
9:00-9:30am Presentation and Discussion: Negotiating Stalemates

This session will introduce strategies and tactics to create, respond to, manage, and resolve stalemates in trade negotiations.
9:30-10:45am Simulation: Negotiating Stalemates

Participants break out in teams to prepare for, and negotiate a stalemate that can arise in trade negotiations.
10:45-11:00am Health Break
11:00-11:30am Continuation of simulation
11:30am-12:00pm Debrief with instructors
Tuesday, March 4
9:00-9:45am Presentation and Discussion: Legal Drafting in Trade Negotiations

This session will offer insights on the principles of drafting text in trade agreements and tactics in the use of draft text to help finalise the negotiation of a chapter in a trade agreement
9:45-10:15am Drafting Case Exercise

Participants engage in an exercise designed to test their understanding of the rules of procedure on text development in trade negotiations
10:15-10:30am Health Break
10:30-11:00am Discussion and debrief on case exercise
11:00-11:15am Health Break
11:15-11:40am Presentation and Discussion: Role of Lawyers in Trade Negotiations

This session will offer insights into how to engage legal advisors when developing an effective negotiation strategy.
11:40am-12:00pm Q+A Session with Instructors
Wednesday, March 5
9:00-9:30am Preparing for the End Game in trade negotiations

Presentation on the CTPL “Three-Meetings-Out” Mapping Tool to manage effectively an end game in a trade negotiation
9:30-10:15am Simulation: End game in Canada-US FTA Negotiations

Participants are divided into a Canadian and US team to negotiate the end game in the Canada-US FTA negotiations.  Teams prepare their strategy with coaches using the CTPL Trade Negotiation Mapping Tool and the CTPL “Three-Meetings-Out” Mapping Tool
10:15-10:30am Health Break
10:30-11:30am Round 1: End game in Canada-US FTA Negotiations
11:30am-12:00pm Teams debrief with coaches and prepare for Round 2
Thursday, March 6
9:00-9:30am Teams meet with coaches to prepare for Round 2
9:30-11:00am Round 2: End game in Canada-US FTA Negotiations
11:00-11:15am Health Break
11:15am-12:00pm Debrief on simulation and lessons learned to be applied
12:00pm End of Course