PRESS/83
30October 1997
INTER-AGENCY TRADE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED
FOR LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
AHigh-Level Meeting ofsixinter-governmental agencies, trade ministers from 38least-
developed countries (LDCs) anddelegates from other WTO andUNCTAD member governments
endorsed atrade assistance programme designed tohelpLDCs increase theirability totrade.
Key elements ofthetwo-day meeting, which concluded on28October, included
announcements ofexisting orimproved preferential market access measures forLDCs by19
developing anddeveloped countries1anddebates onbuilding trade capacity andencouraging
investment inleast-developed countries. OneWTO member, Hong Kong (China), saiditwilldonate
USD 1.25million totheWTO 'strustfundfortechnical assistance.
Inhisopening remarks, Mr.Renato Ruggiero, Director-General oftheWTO said: "Iam
confident thattheresults ofthismeeting willliveuptoallourexpectations thattrade -andthe
multilateral trading system -candeliver concrete results tothose countries which areatpresent most
inneedofourcollective support, butwhich Iardently hopewillbecounted among themostdynamic
trading nations ofthe21stcentury". Healsounderlined theimportance ofinformation technology and
theneedfortrade officials from LDCs tohavethenecessary computer infrastructure sothatthey
could access keyelectronic information websites attheWTO inGeneva andelsewhere.
Inhisreport ofthemeeting, H.E.Mr.JanPronk, Minister ofDevelopment Cooperation, (the
Netherlands) andChairman oftheHigh-Level Meeting onIntegrated Initiatives forLeast-Developed
Countries 'Trade Development, said:"From consultations heldbothbefore andduring theHigh-Level
Meeting withagreat number ofparticipants, aswellasfrom thediscussions inthetwothematic
roundtables, Inotethatthere iswide support forthecontent oftherecommendations made. I
therefore takeitthatparticipants would expect metorequest theWTO Secretariat toconvey these
recommendations forconsideration totheappropriate inter-governmental organization aswellasto
thegovernments oftheleast-developed countries andtheirdevelopment andtrading partners."
97-4765 MORE
1Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, European Communities, Hungary, India, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and
theUnited States. PRESS/83
Page2/3
During themeeting, 12countries -Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar,
Mali, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Vanuatu andZambia -werethefocus ofseparate roundtable sessions
inwhich therespective trade Ministers presented theirneeds fortrade-related technical assistance to
thesixintergovernmental agencies involved inthemeeting. Theagencies, theInternational Monetary
Fund, theInternational Trade Centre, theUNDevelopment Programme, theUNConference onTrade
andDevelopment, theWorld Bank andtheWTO proposed programmes oftechnical assistance each
agency would provide tothecountry concerned.
The12roundtable sessions arepilotcases andrepresent afirststepinapplying anintegrated
framework approach fortrade-related technical assistance toagroup of21other least-developed
countries which haveasked toparticipate inthe"Integrated Framework forTrade-related Technical
Assistance". Thesixinter-governmental agencies aretoreview theneeds assessments ofthese
countries by15March 1998 andprovide them withaprogramme oftechnical assistance activities.
TheDirector-General oftheWTO wasasked toprepare byMay1998, thetimeofthenextWTO
Ministerial Conference inGeneva, afullreport ontheoutcome andfollow-up ofthemeeting and
announcements ofimplementation oftheautonomous market access measures andcommitments in
favour ofLDCs.
END