The Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (trapca) was inaugurated in December 2006, with the mandate of providing training and technical expertise on trade issues to professionals in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and low income Sub-Saharan African countries. Situated in Arusha, Tanzania, the Centre operates under the auspices of ESAMI and Lund University in Sweden. The overall aim of the training activities of trapca is to bring new perspectives to world trade, to inspire the creation of networks in LDCs and low income Sub-Saharan African countries and to develop competencies for strengthening the capacity of these countries to engage within the international trading systems with a view of overcoming the constraints to utilise the development-related opportunities provided by trade. The training activities of trapca are premised on the belief that LDCs and low income Sub-Saharan African countries are not able to reap the benefits of globalisation and international trade due to inadequate capacity and knowledge in trade issues.