2021 part 2

96/ EU donates EUR 1 million to enhance developing countries’ negotiating skill-set

15 JUNE 2021

The European Union has contributed EUR 1 million (just over CHF 1 million) over the period 2021-2022 to help developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) participate effectively in global trade negotiations. This donation to the WTO’s Global Trust Fund will finance training and other capacity-building activities for government officials to help them better understand and implement WTO agreements and to enhance their negotiating skills.

Over 2,900 activities have been organised under this fund over the past 20 years.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “Trade has the potential to help economies grow, make businesses prosper and improve peoples’ lives across the world. The EU’s generous donation will help ensure that trade officials from developing countries and LDCs have the know-how to make this a reality.”

The European Union’s WTO Ambassador, João Aguiar Machado, said: “Increasing global challenges call for more multilateral governance and rules-based international cooperation. This is needed not least in international trade, which plays a major role in promoting economic growth and helping countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But multilateralism can only function properly with the participation of all countries. This donation seeks to ensure that all WTO members, especially LDCs, can effectively take part in the work and deliberations of the WTO.”

Overall, the EU has donated approximately EUR 26.5 million (CHF 28.5 million) to the various WTO trust funds in addition to individual contributions from EU member states.

Source: wto.org