WT/COMTD/AFT/W/99  
 
29 January 2024 
(24-0625) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Aid for Trade    
 
  
AID-FOR-TRADE GLOBAL REVIEW  26-28 JUNE 2024  
MAINSTREAMING TRADE  
THEMATIC SESSION  REQUEST FORM  
1.1.  The Aid-for-Trade Global Review will be held on 26-28 June 2024 . The theme of this year's 
Global Review is: "Mainstreaming  trade ". Members  agreed to organize a Global Review with this 
theme as the centrepiece of the Aid-for-Trade Work Programme for 202 3-24 "Partnerships for digital 
connectivity, food security and mainstream ing trade" ( WT/COMTD/AFT/W /95).  
1.2.  This information note  includes : 
•  A call for thematic session proposals ( Annex 1) ; and  
• An overview of the outline structure of the Global Review ( Annex 2).  
CALL FOR THEMATIC SESSION PROPOSALS  
1.3.  Proposals will be accepted for a total of 25 thematic session  slots  allocated  over the 
three  days of the Global Review . Thematic sessions should  address one of the three themes identified 
in the work programme: digital connectivity, food security and  mains treaming trade. The deadline 
for the submission of thematic session requests is  31 March 2024 . 
1.4.  In assigning  thematic session slots, priority  will be given to WTO Members and precedence  will 
be given to collaborative submissions made by groups of Members , and in particular by least 
developed countries (LDCs) . Proposals for thematic sessions may be submitted by Members,  
Observers and Observer Organizations and other stakeholders engaged in resear ch on, or the 
delivery of, Aid-for-Trade projects and programmes.  
1.5.  Members, Observers, Observer Organizations and other Aid-for-Trade stakeholders interested 
in organizing an event during the Global Review are encouraged to collaborate . The WTO Secretariat 
stands ready to support partnerships  and to discuss ideas  for thematic sessions.  
1.6.  The Global Review will be held in  an in-person meeting format. Requests to organize thematic 
sessions should be made using this online  form: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GR24SideEventsEN . (In the case of technical difficulty, the 
attached form in Annex 1 to this document can be submitted by email to: aft.wto@wto.org ).  
1.7.  Please note that thematic session organizers are responsible for all aspects of the sessions they 
run. This includes contacting, confirming and managing speakers (including financially supporting 
their travel  and visa support , if necessary). For thematic session organizers who may (e.g. for 
reasons of geographic remoteness) prefer a hybrid or remote format  they should indicate the 
preferred  video -conferencing platform s and be able to provide  troubleshooting on connections  for 
speakers and other common problems .  
1.8.  The attention of session organizers is also drawn to the need to ensur e geographic and 
gender ba lance  in speakers.  It is advisable to keep the list of speakers to a maximum of five per 
session.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/99  
 
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  1.9.  The WTO Secretariat will contact  applicants after the 31 March 2024 deadline  for thematic 
session requests. F urther practical details will be shared on how t o organize sessions and the likely 
scheduling of their events.   
OUTLINE STRUCTURE GLOBAL REVIEW  
1.10.   An outline of how the agenda  for the Aid for Trade Global Review will likely be structured can 
be found in Annex 2. Thematic sessions will be regrouped by theme on the different days . An effort 
will also be made to ensure that sessions organized on similar, or the same, topics are not scheduled 
concurrently . No more than three  sessions will be run in parallel at any one time.  
1.11.   The final agenda for the Global Review will be posted on the WTO website . Each session will 
be listed in the agenda. The agenda will provide the day and time of the event (all times listed in 
Central Europea n Time – CET), the title of the event, the organizer(s), and a short description of the 
session. It will also give a hyperlink to a dedicated session webpage and a link to register for the 
session  (for fully virtual sessions) . On this dedicated session web page, further details on the session, 
such as information on speakers and a registration link, will be provided . 
1.12.   Successful s ession organizers will be  encouraged to publicize the Aid -for-Trade Global Review  
and their session(s) through social media and ema il invitations to their own networks. The WTO will 
publicize the event on the WTO website, through social media and in communication with Members. 
Please note that the Twitter hashtags that will be used are: #A4T, #AidforTrade and #WTO. 
Additional hashtags  may also be added. Session organizers are invited to use these hashtags in their 
tweets.  
1.13.   After the Global Review,  brief report s of the session should be communicated to the 
Secretariat shortly after the event. Session reports should be submitted before 
Monday, 9 September  2024. 
1.14.   Questions about the event and information note should be addressed to the Secretariat at the 
following email address: aft.wto@wto.org . 
 
_______________  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/99  
 
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  ANNEX  1 
 
AID-FOR-TRADE GLOBAL REVIEW  2024 
MAINSTREAMING TRADE  
 
Thematic Session Request Form  
The Session Request Form should b e submitted using the following online form : 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GR24SideEventsEN . The form  may also be returned  in Word 
format by emailing  to: aft.wto@wto.org . The deadline for submissions is 31 March 2024 . 
1. SESSION THEMATIC FOCUS  
 
Food  
security   Digital 
connectivity   Mainstreaming  
trade   
 
2. FORMAT  
 
In-person  
 
(Preferred )  Hybrid  
(In-person audience, 
speakers can join 
online)   Virtual  
(all speakers 
and audience 
online)   
 
3. THEMATIC SESSION ORGANIZER (S)  
 
Session Host:  
Session Partners:  
 
4. CONTACT INFORMATION OF FOCAL POINT  
(i.e. Name, Title, Ministry/Organization, Email Address and Phone number):  
 
 
 
5. THEMATIC SESSION TITLE  
 
 
 
 
6. ABSTRACT ( NO MORE THAN 200 WORDS )  
(If accepted, this abstract will be used on the WTO website and in the event programme ) 
Please explain the session's purpose, main topics to be addressed, and how they are connected 
to the relevant theme, and expected outcomes of the session.  
 
 
7. INDICATIVE PROGRAMME, INCLUDING POTENTIAL  SPEAKERS  
(If accepted, session organizers will be given a final date by which to confirm their speakers ): 
Guidelines for identifying speakers:  
1. Strive for a gender -balanced panel  
2. Ensure geographical representation  
3. Ensure stakeholder representation  
4. Strive for a maximum of 5 speakers  
 
8. ADDITIONAL REMARKS  
(e.g. time zones, scheduling request , Preferred video conferencing software  (e.g. Zoom, etc. ): 
 
 
 
_________ _____ _   
  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/99  
 
- 4 - ANNEX 2  
AID-FOR-TRADE GLOBAL REVIEW 2024   
MAINSTREAMING TRADE  
 
Outline Agenda  
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
__________   Wednesday  
26 June  Thursday  
27 June   Friday  
28 June  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Morning   
 
Opening Session   
 
Plenary Session   
Food security focus  
 
  
 
Thematic Sessions  
 
 
 
 
Thematic Sessions  
 
  
 
Thematic Sessions   
 
Closing Plenary Session 
(Formal statements by 
Members and IOs)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Afternoon   
 
Regional perspectives 
Session(s)  
   
 
Thematic Sessions  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Thematic Sessions    
 
Plenary Session  
Digital connectivity focus 
 
 
Plenary Session  
Trade Mainstreaming  
(LDC focus ) 
  
Thematic Sessions  
 
 
Evening   
Reception  
  
Reception