WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
9 February 2023  
(23-0973) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Aid for Trade    
 
  
AID-FOR-TRADE MONITORING AND EVALUATION  
BACKGROUND NOTE  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  This background note explains the monitoring and evaluation exercise that lies at the heart of 
the Aid -for-Trade (AfT ) Initiative. It recalls the rationale for the AfT monitoring and evaluation (M&E) 
exercise, its purpose and what it seeks to track, the process by which it is conducted, participants, 
content, and the frequency with which it has been conducted. The backgr ound note also considers 
Members' perspectives on how the M&E exercise could be updated. The note includes an outline 
agenda for a Symposium at which the M&E exercise will be discussed further.  
2  RATIONALE  
2.1.  The Aid -for-Trade monitoring and evaluation exercise  stems from the recommendations that 
the WTO Task Force on Aid for Trade issued in document WT/AFT/1 in 2006.1 Strengthening 
Monitoring and Evaluation is one of the objectives of the Task Force's recommendations for 
operationalizing Aid for Trade. In this  section, progress in monitoring and evaluation is seen as 
"essential in building confidence that increased Aid for Trade will be delivered and effectively used" . 
It is also set to "provide strong incentives to both donors and recipients to advance the Aid -for-Trade 
agenda" . 
2.2.  The recommendations of the Task Force provide for the results of the M&E exercise to be 
presented at a periodic global review " based on reports from several different sources, to be 
published […] on the WTO webpage: from the country lev el; from donors; from the regional level; 
from relevant multilateral agencies; and, from the private sector. " The periodicity of Global Reviews 
has been biennial, starting in 2009, with the eight h Review completed in 2022. Exceptionally, a 
Stocktaking Even t was held in place of the 2021 Global Review, reflecting the impact of the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  
3  AIMS AND OBJECTIVES  
3.1.  The objective of the monitoring and evaluation exercise is to track Aid -for-Trade financing and 
whether it is achieving its intended results .2 The monitoring and evaluation exercise aims to:  
• contribute to policy coherence by providing information on how trade issues are being 
integrated into development strategies (i.e. trade mainstreaming) by partner countries, 
Regional Economic Communities a nd Transport Corridors  (RECT/TCs) , donors and 
South -South partners;  
• offer perspectives on Aid-for-Trade needs, support received, the efficacy of assistance, 
and the future direction for trade and development needs and support;  and 
 
1 WTO, Recommendations of the Task Force on Aid for Trade, WT/AFT/1 . 
2 Report by the Director -General, Follow up to the Aid -for-Trade Task Force Recommendations, WTO 
Monitoring and Evaluation, JOB(06)/262 . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
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  • highlight how Aid for Tra de is contributing to specific themes highlighted by Members in 
the AfT Work Programmes.  
3.2.  The monitoring and evaluation exercise is conducted at three levels .3  
• Assessing Flows : Analysis is undertaken by Organisation for Economic Co -operation and 
Development (OECD) to track where AfT resources are being provided, for which purpose 
and by which organizations, with a view to promoting transparency on commitments and 
disbursements.   
The Task Force defined Aid for Trade as projects and programmes which have been 
identified as trade -related development priorities in the recipient country's national 
development strategies. A monitoring definition is also set out in the WT/AFT/1 
Recomme ndations that includes the following categories: (a) Trade policy and regulations; 
(b) Trade development; (c) Trade -related infrastructure; (d) Building productive capacity; 
(e) Trade -related adjustment; and (f) Other trade -related needs. This is the defin ition on 
which the OECD's reports Aid -for-Trade statistics on financial flows.4 
• Self-assessment questionnaires : Developing and least developed countries, bilateral 
donors, South -South assistance providers and relevant international financial organisations 
(including regional and multilateral development banks) are asked to respond to the 
self-assessment questionnaires that examine the process of trade mainstreaming into 
development strategies, on the scope and effectiveness of their Aid-for-Trade activities, 
and address specific thematic questions identified in the Aid -for-Trade Work Programmes.  
• Case stories : Self -assessment questionnaire  respondents  are invited to  provide links to 
projects or programmes that they wish to showcase that discuss the effectiveness of 
Aid-for-Trade support provided.  
4  PROCESS  
4.1.  To date, eight monitoring exercises have taken place based on the structure outlined in the 
Task Force recommendations. The monitoring exercises have proceeded as follows:  
• Self-assessment design : At this stage, Members adopt the Work Programme for the 
coming biennium, discuss perspectives to be surveyed, comment on draft 
questionnaires and launch the monitoring and evaluation exercise. This process is run 
through the CTD Aid -for-Trade Committee.  
 
• Survey stage:  Aid-for-Trade stakeholders (i.e. developing countries, South -South 
partners, bilateral and multilateral donors and regional economic 
communities/transport corridors) are invited to complete the self -assessment 
questionnaires. The OECD and WT O engage in outreach activities to publicise the M&E 
exercise and encourage responses.  
 
• Analysis of Aid -for-Trade financing flows by the OECD:  Data on official development 
assistance committed and disbursed to developing countries and reported to the 
Creditor Reporting System (CRS) is collected and analysed by the OECD using the 
monitoring definition set out in the WT/AFT/1 .5 
 
3 Report by the Director -General, Follow up to the Aid -for-Trade Task Force Recommendations, WTO 
Monitoring and Evaluation, JOB(06) /262. 
4 https://www.oecd.org/dac/aft/aid -for-tradestatisticalqueries.htm . 
5 Managed by the Organisation for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD), the Creditor 
Reportin g System is a database that collects  data on Aid activity.  The CRS covers around 90 percent of all 
Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Other Official Flows (OOF) and was identified by the Task Force as 
the best available data source for tracking glob al Aid-for-Trade flows. The CRS aid -activity database, 
established in 1967, is the internationally recognised source of data on aid activities (allowing for geographical 
and sectoral breakdowns) and is widely used by governments, organisations, and researc hers to review ODA 
and OOF trends over time and between agencies. T here is a time -lag of 18 months for the data to be collected, 
reported,  and made available online. For example, statistics for 2021 commitments and disbursements will be 
reported in mid -2023 (Aid for Trade at a Glance 2013, WTO).  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
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  • Dissemination of results : The information collected through the surveys and submitted 
to the CRS are analysed and compiled into rep orts published on the WTO and OECD 
websites .6 In addition to publishing the results of the analysis of the monitoring and 
evaluation exercise on the Internet, workshops are organised to present them to 
Members under the auspices of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) Aid  
for Trade at the WTO. The M&E exercise is analysed together in the publications 
co-authored by the WTO and the OECD, together with contributions from other 
partners.  
 
• At the 2022 Global Review, two reports were issued that analyse the monitoring and 
evaluation survey:  
- Aid for Trade Global Review: Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade , 2022 (WTO)  
- Aid for Trade at a Glance 2022: Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade  (OECD & 
WTO)7 
• Global Review : Eight successive Aid -for-Trade Global Reviews (and one Stocktaking 
Event) have been held in Geneva to allow the trade and development community to 
review the status of Aid for Trade, discuss countries' development priorities and guide 
future efforts unde r the Initiative. Summar ies of discussions held at each Global 
Review are compiled on the WTO Aid -for-Trade website.8 
4.2.  The table below shows the years in which M&E exercises have been conducted, as well as the 
theme on which the M&E exercise and Review s focused. Monitoring and evaluation exercises are 
carried out once every two years, except in 2020, as the COVID -19 pandemic prevented such efforts.  
Table 1. Theme of the M&E exercise and Global Review of Aid for Trade  
# Year Theme  
1 2007 First Global Review of Aid for Trade  
2 2009 Maintaining Momentum  
3 2011 Showing Results  
4 2013 Connecting to Value Chains  
5 2015 Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth  
6 2017 Promoting Connectivity  
7 2019 Supporting Economic Diversification and Empowerment  
8 2022 Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade  
Source: WTO  
5  MONITORING AND EVALUATION EXERCISE IN NUMBERS  
5.1.  The surveys carried out in the context of the monitoring and evaluation exercises have enjoyed 
good levels of participation. Engagement is geographically diverse and by Members at all levels of 
development, including LDCs – see Figure 1 overleaf .   
 
6 Respectively www.wto.org/aidfortrade  and http://aid4trade.org . 
7 In terms of dissemination of results, we note that, for example, the Global Review 2019 had 1587 
participants and the Aid for Trade at a Glance publication was viewed over 60,000 times.  
8 The latest summary report is available under document symbol WT/COMTD/AFT/W/92 and can be 
downloaded from www.wto.org/aidfortrade . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
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  Figure 1: Responses to the M&E questionnaire, by participant category (2011 -2022)  
 
 
 
Source: Aid for Trade at a Glance 2022, WTO  
5.2.  Successive monitoring and evaluation exercises have been widely circulated and published in 
order to obtain the broadest possible coverage of views from the different stakeholders in the 
Initiative, in terms of the category of participant (developing count ry, regional economic community  
and transport corridor , South -South partner, or donor) and in terms of geographical representation. 
As an example, the following graphs illustrate these aspects within the results received in 2022.  
Figure 2: Partner Country Responses by Continent  
 
Source: Aid for Trade at a Glance 2022, WTO  
  
WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
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  Figure 3: Responses to the M&E exercise by Respondent  
 
Source: Aid for Trade at a Glance 2022, WTO  
5.3.  The M&E exercise also quantitatively tracks Aid-for-Trade flows. A total of USD 556 b illion has 
been disbursed since the Initiative was launched.  
Figure 4: Aid -for-Trade Disbursements and Commitments, 2006 -2020  
 
Source: Aid for Trade at a Glance 2022, OECD  
5.4.  The OECD's Creditor Reporting System brings together Aid -for-Trade data in a struct ure 
modelled on the different categories of Aid for Trade as identified by the Aid -for-Trade Task Force in 
document WT/AFT/1. The system also offers search options such as capturing flows by region, by 
economic sector, by partner country, by donor, by purp ose code, etc.  
5.5.  Aid-for-Trade funds provided by South -South partners are not reporting to the OECD's 
Development Assistance Committee (DAC). South -South partners provide information on the 
support that they provide to other developing countries in the CTD Aid-for-Trade Committee and in 
responses to the M&E exercise.  
5.6.  With regard to the participation of South -South partners, it is worth mentioning their 
participation in the AfT monitoring exercise. Table 2  shows their participation in recent years.  
WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
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  Table 2. P roviders of South -South Cooperation Participating in the AfT M&E exercise  
Year  Providers of South -South Cooperation Participating in the AfT M&E exercise  
2022 China, Colombia, Indonesia, Turkey  
2019 China, Colombia, Indonesia, Singapore, Turkey  
2017 Brazil, Chile, Indonesia  
2015 Chile, China, Indonesia  
2013 Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Oman  
2011 Argentina; Brazil; Chile; China; Colombia; Ecuador; India; Indonesia; Mexico; Oman  
Source: WTO  
6  COMMENTS ON THE M&E EXERCISE  
6.1.  During the consultations on the preparation of the Aid -for-Trade Work Programme for 
2023-2024, suggestions were made by two Members with regard to updating the monitoring and 
evaluation exercise.  
6.2.  One Member highlighted the nee d for:  
• An overhaul of the monitoring and evaluation exercise, which should be inclusive with greater 
partnership and ownership by partner countries. A greater focus on local accountability will 
provide incentives to strengthen local ownership and managemen t for results. This would 
encourage all key actors to honour commitments, meet local needs, improve effectiveness, 
and reinforce mutual accountability. It would bring enhanced transparency, scrutiny, and 
dialogue. It would foster synergies between trade an d other economic policy areas in 
developing countries, for effective aid delivery as embodied in the Paris Declaration on Aid 
Effectiveness.  
 
• A monitoring exercise that follows the path from demand, i.e., mainstreaming and 
prioritization, to trade -related projects and programmes, through outputs such as enhanced 
capacity to trade, and the impacts in terms of improved trade performance and lower level 
of poverty, etc.  
 
• The Aid -for-Trade monitoring framework should evolve to specifically incorporate the 
recipient country 's perspective through an analysis by categorization of Aid for Trade in 
accordance with the recommendations of the task force (para D of W/AFT/1); analysing the 
nature of aid (grant  or concessional loans); ownership and common understanding of  the 
recipient country in the area of analysis of impact; review of survey format hence  making it 
more objective; incorporating of assessment parameters as set in Paris Agreement and 
ACCARA Accord. " 
6.3.  Another Member would like the surveys to be more periodic  and more focused on the work of 
the Committee. The Member would like the questions to be more specific and less academic, thus 
easier to answer for partner countries.  
7  SYMPOSIUM OF AID -FOR-TRADE MONITORING AND EVALUATION  
7.1.  A Symposium on the Monitoring and E valuation exercise is planned to examine how the M&E 
function of the Aid -for-Trade Initiative is organized and delivered with a view to ensuring that the 
Initiative remains focused on its objectives.  
7.2.  An outline agenda for the Symposium can be found in Ann ex. 
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  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/94  
 
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  ANNEX  
SYMPOSIUM ON THE AID -FOR-TRADE MONITORING AND EVALUATION EXERCISE  
Date (tbc)  
 
In this Symposium, presenters will exchange perspectives on how the Aid -for-Trade Monitoring and 
Evaluation Exercise has been conducted since the launch of the Aid -for-Trade Initiative in 2006 and 
share insights on how the exercise could be improved.  
 
DRAFT AGENDA  
 
INTRODUCTION  
 Opening remarks  
SESSION 1  How the Aid -for-Trade Monitoring and Evaluation Exercise has been 
conducted to date  
 
• WTO 
• OECD  
Question and Answer session  
SESSION 2  
 Perspectives on the Aid -for-Trade Monitoring and Evaluation Exercise  
 
• Members' perspectives  
Question and Answer session  
SESSION 3  
 Views of M&E partner organizations  
• Perspectives of partner organizations  
Question and Answer session    
 
__________  CONCLUSION  Closing remarks  
 
Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development