The advent of globalization has extended international commercial exchanges to the West African region. The region’s natural environment is being degraded due to processes such as intensive farming, natural hazards and climate change, urbanization, industrialization, and pollution. At the regional level, a number of measures for environmental management have been developed and implemented in response to these impacts associated with the process of globalization. To consider and become acquainted with environment and trade-related measures applicable within the West African regional context, a Training Workshop on Environment and Trade was conducted between 3 and 6 February, 2004. Fourteen Magistrates, representatives of Ministries, Environmental Agencies, and Universities, participated in the workshop.

Objectives
 Increase knowledge about the place of the environment in trade related negotiations and intellectual property frameworks.
 National human resource and legislative capacity building in West African countries.

Outcomes
 Enhanced knowledge about the relationship between multilateral environmental agreements, trade and intellectual property regimes.

Partners
 Agglomerated Community of La Rochelle
 AIF
 CNUCED
 Department of Charante-Maritime
 French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
 University of Rochelle