2021 part3

85/ Korea contributes CHF 290,000 to help developing countries participate in global trade

8 SEPTEMBER 2021

The Republic of Korea has contributed CHF 290,000 to support the WTO’s efforts to help developing countries improve their trading capacity and participate fully in global trade negotiations. This donation to the WTO’s Global Trust Fund will finance training workshops aimed at helping government officials to better understand and implement WTO agreements and improve their negotiating capacities.

Over 2,900 activities have been organized since the fund was created in 2001.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “We thank the Republic of Korea for its continued support to the Global Trust Fund, which plays an important role in building the negotiating capacity of developing and least-developed members and ensuring their voices are heard in global trade talks. The WTO’s technical assistance activities provide developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) with the opportunity to further their development objectives and to better integrate into the global economy.”

The WTO Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Taeho Lee, said: “Korea has always been a staunch supporter of the WTO’s capacity building programme for developing countries and LDCs. My government’s annual voluntary contribution to the GTF demonstrates Korea’s willingness to help facilitate the economic development of these countries through the multilateral trading system. I sincerely hope that this contribution will be used meaningfully, particularly at this difficult time of COVID-19.”

Overall, the Republic of Korea has donated CHF 5.9 million to the various WTO trust funds over nearly 20 years.

Source: wto.org