RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59  
 
31 Janua ry 2024 
(24-0797) Page: 1/41 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Fifty-Ninth Session on Aid for Trade    
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF  14 NOVEMBER  2023  
Chairperson:  H.E. M r José Sánchez -Fung (Dominican Republic ) 
CONTENTS  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF AID -FOR-TRADE WORK ACTIVITIES  ................................ ..... 1 
I. Mainstreaming  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  1 
II. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities  ................................ .............  9 
III. Regional Dimension  ................................ ................................ ..............................  33 
IV. Private Sector  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 39 
V. Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation and Development Effectiveness  .... 40 
C. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 40 
 
A. ADOPTION  OF THE AGENDA  
1.  On 14 November 2023, the Committee on Trade and Development  (CTD)  Aid for Trade held its 
59th session . The meeting was chaired by  H.E. M r José Sánchez -Fung, of  the Dominican Republic . 
The agenda  was circulated  on 4 October 2023 in WTO/AIR/ COMTD/AFT/2 7/REV.1 . For the first time 
in the CTD, an annotated agenda together with a corrigendum was issued on 7 and 10 November , 
respectively,  in documents JOB/COMTD/AFT/3  and Corr.1.  
2.   The Chair made two changes to the agenda, proposing that agenda  sub-item (II) Mainstreaming 
(b) Update on Members and Observers trade and development strategies precede sub-item ( I) 
"Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities ". 
3.  With these modifica tions, the agenda was adopted .  
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF AID -FOR-TRADE WORK ACTIVITIES  
I. MAINSTREAMING  
4.  The representative of Bhutan  gave the following statement:  
5.  It is a special honor and privilege for Bhutan to be given this opportunity to participate in this 
important CTD Aid for Trade meeting today and share our perspectives and experiences.   
6.  With changing global trade dynamics and continuous efforts made by cou ntries to align with the 
WTO's framework, Aid for trade has been a critical catalyst in mainstreaming the trade agenda and 
supporting the inclusive growth of our ‘Least Developed Country’ status.  
7.  For Bhutan, trade is not just a mechanism for economic growt h but a vital pathway towards 
sustainable development and economic self -resilience. As a Landlocked Least Developed Country, 
Bhutan is confronted with inherent challenges and limitations to further its economic development 
goals.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 2 - 
 
  8.  Our trade mainstreaming jo urney started with a comprehensive Diagnostic Trade Integration 
study (DTIS) in 2011, supported by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF). The DTIS has helped 
us to identify, through a thorough consultative process, trade development priorities to be inte grated 
into the national development and sector strategies. The DTIS has provided a roadmap for the 
Government as well other development partners to channel AfT resources to the most needed 
priorities, and to ensure concerted implementation in the national  agenda.  
9.  In 2020, Bhutan updated the DTIS and make it a comprehensive trade strategy in support of 
economic diversification. The DTIS provided a clear analysis of new priorities and challenges ahead 
for the growth of the Bhutanese economy with specific act ion plans for relevant stakeholders. The 
study underscored the instrumental role of trade facilitation and trade agreements in creating a 
favourable trading environment for Bhutan with focus on Bhutan’s trade competitiveness and long -
term policy recommenda tions. It also covered insights into the smooth transitioning of Bhutan from 
the LDC category and on the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on Bhutan's economy. Given the 
limited aid for trade development in the country, EIF has proven to be an important supp ort measure 
for trade and development, and Bhutan is committed to make the best use of the programme.  
10.  Further, built on the DTIS analysis and priorities identified, Bhutan worked with UNDP and EIF 
to develop and launch the National Export Strategy (NES) in  November 2022. The Strategy has 
served as an instrumental document in the formulation of the 13th FYP through diagnostic review 
and assessment of the impediments faced by the export sector, and providing strategic 
recommendations towards addressing them a t various spectrums of institutional, legal, and 
regulatory front concerning supply side constraints; trade and business infrastructure; standards 
and certification issues etc.  
11.  I am happy to inform you here that few agencies such as  Bhutan Food and Drug A uthority 
(BFDA) already have a satellite laboratory in 6 entry points with basic facilities and rapid test kits 
which were some of the recommendations of the NES 2022. Similarly, IT/ITES sector has been 
prioritized for promotion under the FDI Policy with n o minimum investment requirement and the 
same is located in the IT Park, Thimphu. Additionally, other recommendations in NES 2022 were 
also included in the 13th FY plans and programs of the respective agencies.  
12.  Nevertheless, having an export strategy and trade mainstreamed in the national development 
plan is just a necessary condition but not sufficient to boost trade in a sustainable and inclusive 
manner. What is equally important is building trade capacity so that national stakeholders, 
particularly SMEs , women, youth could participate in the global trade and benefit from it. In this 
regard, Aid -for-trade, specifically the support of the EIF and other partners such as International 
Trade Center (ITC), UNDP, UNCTAD, World Bank, UNESCAP, EU, Japan etc . have been instrumental 
in furthering trade, commerce and associated sectors, particularly in terms of the capacity building 
of private sectors and the institutions mandated for trade promotion.  
13.  The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment as the lead age ncy for the implementation 
of Trade related technical assistance programs in Bhutan have successfully identified numerous 
challenges faced by the private sector such as inadequacy of the facilities to meet export 
requirements, testing , certification, expor t information, market access, shortage of manpower, and 
transport and transit issues and addressed  them with appropriate measures and interventions.  
Further, through EIF and partners agencies support, several activities were implemented to expand 
and impr ove the quality of existing products, support new enterprises, and promote export.  
14.  Towards supporting MSMEs including the exporters, the following business infrastructure were 
successfully completed, that is, opening of Brand Bhutan Store/ two outlets in Australia and USA, 
the establishment of six raw materials banks in Eastern Bhutan; production of Drumdhen (carpet) 
in Zhemgang, and one -stop centre  for export packaging and photography centre . Support also 
extended for training on Branding, packaging, labelling, natural dying, and felting to more than 40 
MSMEs, survivors of Domestic Violence and Gender based  Violence (DV/GBV), housewives, school 
dropout youths and other vulnerable women.  
15.  On the quality infrastructure front, the BFDA was supported to upgrad e the National Food 
Testing Laboratory (NFTL) through equipment support in collaboration with the Asian Development 
Bank, and Bhutan Standard Bureau (BSB) in development of   standards and certifications for 18 
select products.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 3 - 
 
  16.  At the institutional level,  Bhutan has offered trade -related capacity building, supported the 
construction of basic infrastructure critical for private sector growth, and facilitated discussions with 
partner agencies to improve and promote trade; establishing institutional linkages and better 
coordination among relevant technical agencies in the country to build necessary support levels and 
facilities for the development of the private sector. Furthermore, the development of the E -
commerce policy in 2019 and the e -regulations Portal in 2022 has helped generate additional 
domestic and foreign investments worth over USD 372 million.  
17.  Chair, on the WTO front, we are delighted to inform that Bhutan, after a hiatus of almost 15 
years, has resumed its WTO accession in April 2023. Following t he approval from the Government, 
several capacity building activities - both virtual and physical - were undertaken by the WTO and 
development partners. Bhutan’s WTO Negotiating Team with members from relevant agencies was 
constituted, and two technical co mmittees were constituted (Technical Committee for Goods led by 
the Department of Trade and Technical Committee for Services led by the Department of Industry). 
Updated Draft Working Party Report, Market Access Offer on Goods, Action plans and the Schedule  
of services have been finalized and shared with the WTO Secretariat.  
18.  With this brief update, I would like to thank the CTD for giving me the opportunity to update 
our progress and extend our gratitude to the EIF, donor agencies, development partners and WTO 
secretariat for the continued support and assistance.  We look forward to continued support from 
development partners and this has become even more imperative with Bhutan’s LDC graduation in 
Dec 2023 and WTO accession which will require sustained suppo rt and collaboration from 
international development partners.  
19.  In response to the presentation of Bhutan, the representative of India expressed his 
congratulations to Bhutan on the progress they have made and in the context of Aid for Trade. He 
thanked the role of UNDP and the EIF for helping Bhutan in their export strategy and their process 
of graduation and WTO accession process. He w ished all the best of l uck and success during the 
negotiation at the WTO accession process. He expressed that India and Bhutan profit f rom an 
excellent relation over the years that started with the treaty of friendship and cooperation signed in 
1949 which was revised for the last time in 2007.   
20.  The representative of Nepal , on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed his gratitude and 
congratulated Director General Mr Sonam for the important updates. The representative stated that 
the LDC group took good note tha t Bhutan has updated Diagnostic Trade Integrated Study (DTIS) 
and launched in 2021 which includes bankable projects most needed for the national trade 
development.  
21.  He stated that, s imilarly, in 2022, the National Export Strategy was formulated and launche d. 
It was conveyed that the National Export Strategy and the DTIS recommendations were incorporated 
into the national plans (13th Five -Year Plan and ten -year strategic plan of Bhutan) with a strong 
focus on the development of trade -related initiatives, mar ket expansion, trade diversification, 
enhancing exports, and increasing trade in services such as digital trade, tourism, and investments.  
22.  The representative  of Nepal  noted that the LDC Group was pleased to hear that Bhutan has 
expediated the accession pro cess to the WTO. The LDC Group  affirmed it looked forward to 
welcom ing Bhutan as a Member of the WTO as soon as possible and extend ed its solidarity for 
smooth accession to the WTO. He also congratulated  Bhutan  for its graduation from LDC category.  
23.  Finally, he highlighted the role of the EIF and other agencies for their support in formulating the 
strategic policy papers and urged for continued assistance in their implementation, wishing for the 
successful execution of those policies.  
24.  The representative of the European Union  thanked the Chair and the WTO Secretariat for the 
agenda item on Members ' trade and development strategies, which is a specific implementation 
point from the Aid-for-Trade Work P rogramme 2023 -2024. He also thanked Bhutan for its pertinent 
presentation.  
25.  He stated that the European Union has a bilateral programme  of grant assistance to Bhutan for 
this budgetary period of 2021 -2027, which increased in volume from the last period.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 4 - 
 
  26.  In addition, he highlighted several programs and instruments that support the EU Global 
Gateway partnership with Bhutan :   
• Firstly, the European Union is facilitating a EUR 150 million loan investment from the 
European Investment Bank  through its [EFSD+] investment guarantees and blended finance 
instruments, specifically for renewable energy and solar and mini -hydro projects.  
• Secondly, thr ough a programme with the International Finance Corporation (Accelerating 
Climate Smart Infrastructure in South Asia), the European Union supports the Royal 
Monetary Authority of Bhutan through the Bhutan  SME A2F project, supporting climate smart 
agricultu re and agribusiness. This aims to develop financial infrastructure services to support 
MSME finance and  develop green and gender finance.  
• Thirdly, through its Sustainable Agri -Food Systems budget support programme  
(EUR 15 million), the European Union is h elping to build climat e-friendly agriculture systems, 
improve agricultural diversification self -sufficiency and export potential.  
27.  The representative of the Asian Development Bank  (AsDB)  congratulated Bhutan on the National 
Export Strategy, which is a visionary roadmap for sustainable development advancement. She stated 
that the strategy is structured at a critical juncture in Bhutan's history. The strategy directly 
addresses the need for  diversifying, and A sDB is fully committed to supporting Bhutan in this journey 
not only in financial assistance but also in strategic advice and sharing of best practices.  
28.  She recognized the pivotal role of diversification in enhancing Bhutan's economic role in the 
new global trade landscape. The representative looked forward to continuing collaboration with all 
developing countries facing similar challenges.  
29.  The representative of  Fiji, on behalf of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group (ACP Group) , 
congratulated Bhutan and took note of Bhutan 's update on its export development strategy, some 
aspects of which are highly applicable to its economies.  
30.  He acknowledged the critical role played by UNDP and EIF in this exercise. He stated that 
graduating from  the LDC category means losing several preferential accesses to export markets. 
The burden that economies face is real and requires full support following graduation. As noted in 
Bhutan's report, the official development assistance landscape and preferenti al access to export 
markets will change against the backdrop of the impending global recession, the COVID -19 
pandemic, rising prices, and climate change. Among other things, she affirmed that despite the 
challenging realities faced by Bhutan, they maintain  a forward -looking approach, from which many 
economies could learn. For instance, their new reality calls for the diversification of the economy, as 
highlighted in Bhutan's 12th Five -Year Plan – a step in the right direction . This is also complemented 
by renewed collaboration, cooperation, and coordination among policy institutions, the production 
industry, customs authorities, and the banking sector within Bhutan.  
31.  Finally, the representative wished Bhutan well in all its economic and development plans and  
looked forward to Bhutan's completion of accession requirements with the ACP Group's continued 
support.  
32.  The representative of Chad supported the statement made by Nepal on behalf of the LDC 
countries and congratulated Bhutan for its presentation. Regardin g Bhutan's restart of its accession 
process to the WTO, while also considering graduation, he asked how they c ould reconcile the issues 
between acceding to the WTO and graduating from an LDC  country. The second question pertained 
to Bhutan's specific needs to implement the principal axes of its plan. He affirmed that this may help 
LDCs adopt similar approaches to those of Bhutan.  
33.  The representative of the United Nations Development Program  congratulated Bhutan for its 
presentation and commended its successful launch of the Export Development Strategy. She 
highlighted that the UNDP worked alongside Bhutan's national Government, stakeholders, and 
partners to promote an inclusive process to ident ify national priorities. She mentioned that the UNDP 
looks forward to continuing to work with Bhutan and ensuring the full realization of its development 
strategy and graduation from the LDC category. Finally, she affirmed the necessity to continue 
coopera tion, including empowering communities, especially youth and women, through agribusiness WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 5 - 
 
  and entrepreneurship, enhancing human capital, agriculture productivity, and socio -economic 
development for all.  
34.  In response to the comments and questions, Bhutan's  representative addressed the issue of 
reconciling WTO accession with LDC graduation. He conveyed that it was a challenging decision that 
underwent multiple considerations. Ultimately, the cabinet decided that Bhutan should proceed with 
LDC graduation.  
35.  From a practical perspective, considering the substantial transformations in both the 
government and private sectors, it was deemed timely and well -considered across various sectors. 
The representative acknowledged the challenges posed by these significant step s and emphasized 
the necessity of working to address them collectively.  
36.  Regarding the specificities of increasing exports and gross domestic product (GDP), the 
representative shared that Bhutan has undergone an extensive transformation exercise in the past  
one and a half years and is currently in the implementation phase. To facilitate this transformation, 
Bhutan needed to amend 45 different legislations. At the national level, there is a target to double 
the country's GDP from USD 2.5 billion to USD 5 bill ion by 2029 and USD 10 billion by 2034.  
37.  With this mission in mind, the representative outlined various initiatives. For instance, he 
mentioned that there are plans to open another international airport in the south of the country, 
which will be further ex panded with support from different development partners. He also highlighted 
that e fforts are underway to enhance regional connectivity, and the private sector, particularly 
MSMEs and the manufacturing sector, is targeted to increase its contributions from  8% to 15% of 
the GDP. Additionally, Bhutan has signed a transit agreement to improve trade imports and exports 
with neighbouring  countries and beyond. He concluded affirming that t he entire civil service structure 
has undergone reform, consolidating into only nine ministries to align functions and mandates more 
efficiently.  
38.  The representative of The Gambia  gave the following statemen t:  
39.  The development landscape of The Gambia is a complex and intertwined web of challenges and 
opportunities spanning many areas. A thorough review and analysis of this landscape is critical to 
developing a sound and robust development plan. The review and analysis of the national 
development context organised and presented along six clusters: (i) Governance and democrati c 
reforms; (ii) Macroeconomic stability, growth and private sector development; (iii) Human capital 
development; (iv) Agriculture, natural resources, environment and climate change; (v) Social 
development; and (vi) Energy, infrastructure and digital connec tivity for sustainable and inclusive 
development.  
40.  In view of the recent shocks and crises driven by global and regional factors, issues relating to 
fragility and vulnerability are analysed with the aim of improving understanding of how the country 
can buil d and/or strengthen resilience and better prepare the nation for future shocks. A 
comprehensive analysis of the national development context is available as an accompanying 
document to the RF -NDP. 
41.  The Government of The Gambia 's new Recovery Focused Nationa l Development Plan (RF -NDP 
2023 - 2027) charts the recovery of The Gambia from COVID -19, climate change and other shocks. 
The plan is a successor to the elapsed NDP 2018 -2022 developed under the leadership of the Ministry 
of Finance and Economic Affairs (M oFEA). The preparation of the new plan adopts a "whole of society " 
approach to provide a blueprint that articulates the medium -term transformational aspirations of the 
country.  
42.  The plan has been formulated and will be implemented in a challenging global an d regional 
economic context, and continuous uncertainties are expected to have adverse impacts on developing 
countries, including The Gambia. This context is characterized by a contraction in economic activities 
in the main advanced economies and China, wh ich are worsening the current and trade account 
balances of The Gambia through lower external demand for Gambian exported goods and services. 
The global inflationary pressures being experienced are putting pressures on domestic prices through 
imported food  and energy prices, and the tightening of monetary policy in the major advanced 
economies are increasing the cost of debt servicing in developing countries like The Gambia. WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 6 - 
 
  Furthermore, the tight global financial conditions pose challenges in accessing ade quate financing 
for our development. Finally, there are heightened fears of erosions in the advances made in health, 
education, environmental protection and livelihoods with the possibility of reversing gains in poverty 
reduction and increasing household f ragilities and vulnerabilities, and potentially undermining gains 
in democratic governance.  
43.  The Government will therefore endeavour to build the resilience of our institutions and people 
in responding to these and other shocks, given the likelihood they w ill reoccur and the need to factor 
them in our development planning. An overriding consideration of Government is to ensure that the 
transformational aspirations of Gambian citizens are addressed.  
44.  The new strategic framework clearly presents  the priorities  of Government over the next five 
years taken into consideration the challenging external environment triggered by the global 
economic, climatic,  and other shocks.  
45.  The overall goal of the RF -NDP 2023 -2027, the associated strategic objectives, anchored in 
seven  pillars expressed into 30 outcomes and 189 indicators. These outcomes, covering all 
dimensions of national development. The RF -NDP 2023 -2027 builds upon the gains made in the 
previous plan (NDP 2018 -2021) and seeks to assure continuity within a new c ontext.  
46.  The overall goal of RF -NDP is to consolidate gains in democratic governance, accelerate green 
economic and social transformation and build resilience to shocks and crisis. The Plan has three 
strategic objectives of the RF -NDP are:  
1. Build household and c ommunity resilience to address shocks and crises arising from 
climate change, economic volatility and to counter the effects of disease pandemics 
(COVID -19); 
2. Consolidate gains and address critical development gaps in governance and in economic 
and socia l transformation; and  
3. Strengthen accountability, build partnerships and set up robust and sustainable 
resource mobilisation strategies for enhanced delivery and development outcomes.  
 
47.  The RF -NDP predicated on seven pillars are as follows:  
1. Resilience  to Shocks and Crises;  
2. Governance Reforms;  
3. Macroeconomic Stability and Growth;  
4. Human Capital Development;  
5. Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change;  
6. Empowerment, Social Inclusion and Leaving No One Behind; and  
7. Energy,  Infrastructure and ICT/digital Connectivity.  
 
Accountability for Delivery of Development Results  
48.  The g overnment is committed to ensuring that the Plan is fully implemented, monitored and 
regularly reported on in order to ensure transparency, accountabilit y and impact. The plan has a 
comprehensive monitoring framework to achieve each of the 30 outcomes and 189 indicators. In 
addition, it has a robust and inclusive institutional framework to ensure effective coordination of the 
implementation of the Plan whi ch will provide the necessary oversight.  
49.  It is my pleasure on behalf of the Government of The Gambia to share some of the results and 
impact of EIF programmes at the National level, particularly in the area of environmental 
sustainability, and provide some  lesson learnt. The EIF Programme aims to enhance the capacity of 
The Gambia to engage and maximise trade for national development. This requires the building of 
the institutional and human capacities of the key drivers of trade in the country as a means o f 
mainstreaming trade in the national development process.  
50.  The EIF has be en supporting the Gambia since 2007 to address its supply side constraints.  
Since then, the Gambia has benefitted from almost ten EIF funded projects reaching an amount 
slightly above USD 7 Million. The supports provided have been in areas including Diagnostic Trade WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 7 - 
 
  Integration Study Update (DTISU), institutional capacity building, trade facilitation and 
mainstreaming, trade and digital  economy assessment, SheTrades and COVID -19 Recovery in 
partnership with ITC, sustainability support and productive capacity development in agriculture and 
fisheries subsectors. Some achievements include – 2013 DTISU, the cargo complex at the Banjul 
intern ational Airport, the etrade assessment, mainstreaming trade into new Green Recovery NDP 
and the Jokalente platform among others. Some of these projects have closed while others are on 
the verge of being closed but their results and impacts remain at the na tional level.   
51.  The support of EIF towards the mainstreaming of trade in The Gambia National Development 
Plan is at three stages. Firstly, is the identification of trade priorities through the various DTIS 
framework, secondly, is the support to the trade m ulti-sectoral technical working group during the 
formulation process and finally, is the support to the implementation of the trade priorities as 
identified in the National Development Plan.  
52.  The Gambia through EIF, conducted its first Diagnostic Trade Int egration study in 2007 and 
updated the study in 2013. Through these studies and other related supports, we are able to identify 
the country 's trade prioritise as well as mainstream them in the national development Plan and in  
certain priority productive se ctor policies such as agriculture and fisheries sectors. The result of 
these studies, further guide Government in its export diversification efforts for broader trade 
development.  
53.  The second stage of EIF support to the Gambia development planning process is the support to 
the Trade multi -sectoral technical working group meetings. Considering that trade cut across 
different sector, these meetings provide a platform where  different trade cross cutting issues are 
diagnose, analyse, discuss and agreed upon pri or to their mainstreaming in the national development 
plan. The platform also ensures  that our approached to the identification of trade priorities at the 
national level is well coordinated to avoid silo trade development. The EIF through its projects 
support the technical meetings of the group through the My Ministry as chair of the committee.  
54.  The third stage of EIF support to the Gambia development -planning process is the support to 
the implementation of the trade priorities as identified in the National  Development Plan. As we 
prepare to launch the new Green Recovery Focus NDP (2023 -2027) which has already secured 
cabinet approval, the EIF has already started supporting the Gambia to implement outcome 3.2, 
which focuses on the development of green value chains, SEZs and Agropols. The EIF support is on 
project proposal development that seeks to address these issues by accessing trade related climate 
financing. The proposal is at its final stage and the Government of the Gambia will organise a 
resource mobi lisation event in December 2023.  
55.  The aim of the project proposal is to establish Climate Resilient Sustainable Special Economic 
Zone (SEZ) along the Senegambia trade corridor as well as three Agropols at three strategic 
administrative agricultural growth centres in the country. The objective is to enhance the country 
industrial transformation, agricultural productivity and food security and expanding national, 
regional and cross -border trade, to take advantage of the ECOWAS trade liberalisation Scheme and 
AfCFTA to support the Gambian economy.  
56.  This project is fully aligned with Government 's private sector and agricultural development 
programmes in the new national development plan and is also part of the activities to implement 
the AfCFTA National implementation Strategy by repositioning the Gambia to fully integrate into the 
regional and c ontinental markets through agricultural and industrial transformation. It has the 
following main components among others:  
1. A functional and operational special economic zone in the Trans Gambia Corridor  
2. Enhanced infrastructure and utilities for light  manufacturing and processing  
3. Marketing infrastructure and food quality control systems are improved and more 
climate change resilient  
4. Productive and resilient food and nature -based products value chains are established 
and sustainably operational  
5. Developed digital and climate resilient technologies in agro -food and nature -based 
products value chains  
6. Enhanced value chain innovation and human capital development  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 8 - 
 
  7. Productive private sector investments along the value chains are facilitated and 
promoted  
8. Improve Access to Financing facilities  
9. Established and operational Public -Private Partnerships (PPPs)  
 
57.  With these crucial EIF interventions in supporting The Gambia to address its supply side 
constraints through institutional capacity buildin g, value chain enhancement and trade 
mainstreaming and as we approached the end of EIF phase two, Government of The Gambia would 
like to reiterate the need to extend EIF beyond the current phase to continue to support LDCs like 
the Gambia to support their demand driven trade mainstreaming priorities . 
58.  In response to The Gambia statement, Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group , thanked the 
representative of The Gambia for the important presentations on behalf of excellency Permanent 
Secretary. The LDC Group expressed its sincere gratitude to The Gambia for the informative and 
comprehensive presentation on The Gambia 's Green Recovery Focused National Developmen t Plan 
2023-2027.  
59.  He highlighted that LDCs are the ones that have been facing several challenges due to climate 
change despite their minimum roles in carbon emissions and environmental degradation. In this 
regard, he shared that The Gambia has developed a  Green Recovery Focused National Development 
Plan, which includes the priority areas, indicators, and outcomes of great value to them.  
60.  The representative affirmed that d eveloping a Climate Finance Proposal to access trade -related 
climate finance was insightful and w ould receive significant attention from the development partners. 
He mentioned that i mplementing these projects w ould enhance climate -smart production and 
resilient agriculture value chain s.  
61.  Finally, the LDC Group thanked the EIF for the suppor t and urged for continued assistance for 
the smooth implementation . The representative wished for the best implementation of the National 
Development Plan of The Gambia.  
62.  Türkiye's representative expressed gratitude to The Gambia for its important presentation and 
acknowledged the significance of Aid for Trade in developing critical trade infrastructure while 
supporting climate -friendly, resilient, and economically inclusive outcomes. In this conte xt, as a 
donor coordinator for The Gambia, Türkiye  commanded support in improving trade -related capacity 
and the economic development of The Gambia. The country also recognized the active involvement 
of the Government of The Gambia. The representative highlighted that the Government's 
commitment to addressing trade -related constraints and mobilizing resources would contribute to 
the project's success. In this regard, Türkiye  committed to continue its support.  
63.  The representative of the European Union  extende d its gratitude to The Gambia for its statement 
and introduced a complementary point related to Aid for Trade and trade facilitation. He affirmed 
that "The Gambia Port of Banjul" project is anticipated to augment the port's capacity to meet current 
and fut ure demands, enhance port operations for increased t raffic c apacity, and reduce ship waiting 
time, consequently improving economic performance. Additionally, he mentioned that the project is 
expected to reinforce the capacity and financial standing of The Gambia Ports Authority, enhancing 
its position in any PPP arrangements implemented at the port.  
64.  The representative of the United Kingdom  expressed his gratitude for the annotated agenda 
and congratulated Bhutan for its renewed focus on WTO accession, upco ming graduation from LDC 
status, and the development of its Export Strategy. He acknowledged the support from UNDP, the 
EIF, and DTIS that has played a crucial role in developing the Export Strategy. He thanked The 
Gambia and acknowledged the role of the E IF in mainstreaming trade into its national development 
strategy.  
65.  The representative from the  African Development Bank  expressed gratitude to The Gambia for 
its presentation. He highlighted that t hirteen operations with The Gambia amounting to USD 188 
million have been conducted, and several of these projects focus ed on the transport sector. He 
stated that t he African Development Bank has been also involved in the Trans Gambia bridge project, 
which is expected to provide renewed trade opportunities.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 9 - 
 
  66.  The U nited Nations Development Programme  (UNDP)  thanked The Gambia for successfully 
launching their Green Recovery National Development Strategy 2023 -2027. Intending to deliver 
good governance and accountability, social cohesion, and national reconciliation, and a revitalized 
and transformed economy fo r The Gambia, the representative stated that the UNDP currently works 
at the forefront in 117  countries to expand people's choices for a fairer and sustainable future and 
build a world envisioned by the 2030 Agenda.  
67.  Through its strategic plan from 2022 -2025, the UNDP is collaborating with countries to expand 
human capabilities, enabling one million people to escape multidimensional poverty, supporting 
access to green energy for 700 million people, and promoting the investment of over USD 1 trillion 
of publi c expenditure and private capital in Sustainable Development Goals.  The representative 
expressed that UNDP looks forward to working closely with the Government of The Gambia to 
implement the national development strategy.  
68.  Samoa, on behalf of the ACP Group , congratulated The Gambia's plans for the launch of  its new 
national development strategy for 2023 -2027. She highlighted that the ACP Group has also taken 
note of EIF's role in supporting LDC s realize their trade and development objectives such as 
strength ening The Gambia's participation in the regional and global markets. The representative 
affirmed that The Gambia's economic model is unique; the ACP Group is  amazed by The Gambia's 
bold efforts to maintain an open and liberal trading environment for improv ed integration as an LDC.  
69.  The representative of the United States  expressed gratitude to the representatives of the 
multilateral development banks, Bhutan and The Gambia, for their insightful presentations. She 
mentioned that in the digitalization of impor t-export documentation, the U S stands ready to continue 
its strong commitment to implementing the trade agreement for trade facilitation and to persist in 
advancing communication and learning agendas. Regarding graduation, the representative 
acknowledged t hat the United States is pleased with the value that national action plans and 
long-term strategic plans bring to the conversation. These contributions are fact -based and 
objective, allowing for a detailed understanding of the future economic growth of a c ountry.  
70.  The representative of Cameroon  expressed gratitude to Bhutan and The Gambia for their 
respective presentations regarding the National Export Strategy and The Gambian Government for 
launching the National Recovery Plan for 2023 -2027. He welcomed the efforts made by Bhutan in 
developing the infrastructure program despite the various challenges faced by the country. The 
representative noted all the projects implemented through the partnership between the countries 
and the EU, aiming at the modernization and development of infrastructure, a long with strategies 
facilitating access to international markets. Additionally, he encouraged Bhutan to pursue WTO 
Membership and congratulated it on graduating as an LDC country.  
II. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES  
71.  Under this agenda item, the International Financial Institutions  reported on their latest 
Aid-for-Trade activities.  
72.  Statement by the African Development Bank  (AfDB ): 
73.  Good morning to you all. My name is Abou FALL, Principal Trade Policy Officer at the 
Industrialisation and Trade Development Department at the African Development Bank Group. It is 
a pleasure to deliver report today on the status of the African Development Bank’s trade and 
development initiatives.  
74.  African economies have weathered through m ultiple shocks in the past years, particularly the 
debilitating impact of COVID - 19, an uncertain global environment characterized by the tightening 
of global financial conditions, spillover effects of the war in Ukraine, and persistent climatic threats.  
75.  Against this background, Africa has shown remarkable resilience, evident in the projected 
consolidation of economic growth in the medium term. The outlook for the continent remains positive 
and stable, with a projected rebound to 4 percent in 2023 and furth er consolidation to 4.3 percent 
in 2024. The Bank 's projections show that 18 African countries will experience growth rates 
surpassing 5 percent in 2023, a number expected to increase to 22 in 2024. It is also of critical 
importance to increase investments  and build a more resilient trading system through the WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 10 - 
 
  Aid-for-Trade Initiative. This is even more critical with the start of trading under the African 
Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which is a key milestone for the African continent as it 
will help set up a single African market for 1.3b people in a US D 3.4 trillion economic bloc.         
Response from the Bank on the Crises  
76.  The African Development Bank Group has embarked on bold initiatives to support African 
countries alleviate these crises an d build the resilience of Africa and stimulate regional integration 
and trade, particularly under the AfCFTA.   
Bank 's COVID -19 Response  
77.  The Bank delivered a COVID -19 Emergency response to RMCs. These resources came from the 
concessional and non -concession al windows of the Bank Group, special funds, and repurposed 
resources of cancellable loans. To achieve this, the Bank launched a (UA7.4 billion) USD 10 Billion 
COVID Response Facility, dubbed the CRF. The Bank 's COVID Response Facility provided flexible 
support for sovereign and non -sovereign operations including:  USD 5.5 billion for sovereign 
operations in ADB countries (MICs);  USD 3.1 billion for sovereign and regional operations in ADF 
countries (LICs); and  USD 1.5 billion for non -sovereign operations (p rivate sector) in all African 
countries.  
Bank 's emergency food production plan for Africa  
78.  In 2022, the African Development Bank Group invested USD 1.5 billion (USD  1.3 billion from 
the ADB and the ADF  resources) in the African Emergency Food Production Facility (AEFPF) to boost 
the local production of cereals and oil grains as the most effective and efficient way to build the 
resilience of Africa 's food systems to respond to these circumstances and mit igate risks to supply in 
the short to medium term.  
Institutional and Capacity Building for greater and inclusive trade  
79.  The Bank has a strong record on building foundations to scale up intra -African trade through 
the "Integrate Africa"  and "Industrialize Africa" High-Fives with a strategy focus on areas such as 
the business environment, trade policy support to increase trade flows.  
80.  The Bank is supporting trade and continental integration through infrastructure projects, but 
also through soft infrastructure  interventions on transport and trade facilitation, including assistance 
to customs capacity enhancement, national quality policy strengthening (e.g., control laboratories), 
the elimination of non -tariff barriers and other constraints to cross -border trade  i.e., cumbersome 
rules of origin, non -tariff barriers (e.g., Sanitary and Phyto -sanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade). 
The Bank has built a comparative advantage on interventions that robustly support transport and 
trade facilitation, improving transi t and designing viable operations to support the effective 
implementation of the AfCFTA. Key operations in the foregoing regard include:  
- Multinational Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project that covers Zambia, Angola, and some parts 
of DR Congo. The LCTFP seeks to accelerate growth in domestic and cross -border trade along the 
Lobito Corridor through the implementation of harmonized trade facilitation instruments, the 
coordination of joint corridor development activities and through the effective parti cipation of small 
and medium enterprises (SMEs) in value chains and corridor trade.   
- Multinational Harmonization and Certification of African Standards for Dairy, Horticulture, Fisheries 
and Aquaculture Products Project to address and minimize the techn ical barriers to trade 
across -RMCs ' borders through the harmonization and certification of African standards for dairy, 
horticulture, fisheries, and aquaculture products.  
- EAC Capacity Building Project to strengthen the EAC institutional capacities throu gh the 
development/upgrading of systems reform and improve organizational effectiveness and tackle 
persistent barriers to the efficient movement of goods and services across borders.  
- Institutional Support Project to the AFCFTA Secretariat to enable the A fCFTA Secretariat and RMCs 
(with particular focus on transition countries), to streamline and embed national and regional trade WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 11 - 
 
  policy -related initiatives and move forward the African trade integration agenda through the effective 
implementation of the AfC FTA. 
- Multinational: Madagascar -Port de Beira: Corridor Development and Trade Facilitation Project to 
develop the productivity of SMEs and strengthen food safety and speed up the conditions for 
importing and exporting products at borders, as well as the m odernization of customs.  
- Multinational – Institutional Support to ECCAS for the Implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation 
Agreement to enhance the capacities of the ECCAS Commission regarding trade facilitation in order 
to increase its role of coordina tion of regional policy and support the capacity building of National 
Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFC) in ECCAS member countries in implementing the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement in Central Africa.  
- EAC Trade Portal Project, a tripartite collaboration with The Bank, EAC & UNCTAD to address the 
trade Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems capacity, low levels of online 
connectivity and inadequate transparency in cross -border trade; with the goal of feeding into a 
regional single window t o ease barriers to trade and reduce trading cost.  
- Africa Continental Single Window Feasibility Study to undertake a feasibility for a continental single 
window through integrating regional single windows, focusing on Single Customs Territories in 
selecte d RECs in Africa.  
The Africa Trade Fund – Unlocking Africa 's trade potential  
81.  The Africa Trade Fund is a CAD 15 million Single Donor Fund (Canada) managed by the African 
Development Bank with the objective of building a competitive African economy that is regionally 
and globally integrated. The Africa Trade Fund has four pillars – Trade facilitation; Developing 
products and markets; Building capacity for institutions; Growing the Bank 's knowledge to deliver. 
As of June 2022, the Fund supported 26 projects l ed by 25 institutions (7 Africa -wide institutions, 
5 regional bodies, 8 government agencies, 3 not -for-profit organizations, 2 private sector alliances), 
with 16 low -income economies benefiting, one third of projects focusing on empowering women.  
82.  The African Development Bank is seeking to mobilize additional resources, in the tune of 
USD 100 million to create the Africa Trade Fund 2.0 as a new Multi -Donor Trust Fund to scale -up 
technical assistance, institutional strengthening, and functional capacity development support to 
expand regional, continental, and international trade of Regional Member Countries (RMCs). Most 
importantly, the Fund will seek to coordinate an institutional approach and strategy to advance the 
preparedness and delivery of RMC actions in the implementation of the African Continental Free 
Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA).   
83.  In conclusion, Bank 's reaffirmed its commitment to raise its ambitions to support the continent 
in its development goals. To that effect, the Ban k's new Ten -Year Strategy will guide its efforts to 
scaling up Aid -for-Trade in order to promote and accelerate inclusive, climate -resilient growth and 
development, as it continues to make the High 5s and the Sustainable Development Goals a reality 
for Africa.    
84.  In response to the presentation of the African Development Bank, the representative of the 
European Union  congratulated the African Development Bank for the critical updates and the Chair 
and Secretariat for making the documents and the annotated a genda available before the formal 
meeting.  
85.  The representative of Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group , thanked the African Development 
Bank for the important updates and appreciated its support and initiative for building resilient 
development and trade infr astructures and enhancing inclusive trade in Africa.  
86.  The representative of Burkina Faso  inquired whether the African Development Bank, in its new 
strategy, considered the complexity of the crisis in its financing development plans.  
87.  In response to Burkina  Faso's query, the African Development Bank  stated that the new strategy 
considers ongoing global crises, such as the Russia -Ukraine conflict and climate change, and the 
resulting consequences regarding the fragility of certain states that are specifically  affected. The WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 12 - 
 
  strategy explores various financing alternatives for LDCs and developing countries, seeking to 
enhance partnerships for financing.  
88.  The representative of Chad congratulated the African Development Bank for the presentation 
and commented that financing is critical in the cycle of development projects. In Africa, a significant 
issue is access to energy. The representative affirmed that there is a need for sufficient energy to 
increase industry production, which would impact diversification. With out it, exports cannot be 
increased. He inquired about the African Development Bank's perspective on this matter and how 
industrial conditions can be created to enhance production and exports.  
89.  On behalf of the ACP Group, Samoa  conveyed its appreciation to the Chair and the Secretariat 
for organising the 59th Session of the Aid -for-Trade Meeting. Under that agenda item, the 
representative thanked the International Financial Institutions for providing the reports. The group 
recogni zed that these institutions are central in materiali zing and enhancing its member states' trade 
capacities.  
90.  In saying this, the ACP Group acknowledged that MSMEs are an area mostly underfunded in 
terms of access to trade finance and startups. Assisting MSMEs, in fact, directly contributes to 
women's and youth's economic empowerment. The group expressed an intere st in learning more 
about what the IFIs had done in this area. The representative affirmed that many international 
organi zations share information on their MSME support programs through the WTO Informal Working 
Group on MSMEs, and there may be scope for th e CTD A id for Trade to collaborate closely with the 
MSMEs Working Group significantly since MSME Day in 2024 will fall within the margins of the Global 
Aid for Trade Review.  
91.  The representative stated that MSMEs should remain a core focus for international financial 
institutions in assisting global economies, particularly for ACP member States that usually need more 
startups or visibility to attract financial support. The IFIs' views on how MSMEs could be best 
supported were also welcomed.  
92.  Secondly, she affi rmed that, as Members are aware, the ACP countries are among the 
vulnerable, most of whom are at the front line of climate change, natural disasters, and public health 
emergencies. The group expressed an interest in knowing how and what IFIs' recovery prog rams 
would enable businesses to recover from the immediate aftershocks. Additionally, she inquired about 
the access requirements to the IFIs' facilities.  
93.  Additionally, the group expressed an interest in how IFIs support countries in enhancing their 
digita l capabilities and bridging the existing digital divide, especially where most ACP member States 
are behind.  
94.  Statement by the Asian Development Bank (AsDB ):  
95.  With continuing strong domestic demand, developing Asia is forecast to grow by 4.7% in 2023 
and by  4.8% in 2024. At the same time, the PRC 's weak property sector poses a risk to the country 's 
recovery and could hold back growth in the region. High interest rates will keep financial stability 
risks elevated and food security challenges are re-emerging .  
96.  As for Trade indicators, they have been affected by a slowdown in global demand holding back 
exports in economies across the region, particularly for electronics and semiconductors. In the first 
half of 2023, the region 's exports slowed on slumping demand  for electronics and garments, 
although the downturn in the semiconductor cycle has flattened.  
97.  ADB's recently published the results of its Trade Finance Gaps, Growth and Jobs Survey allowing 
us to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by exp orting companies in Asia and the 
Pacific. Allow me to share with this Committee selected findings and recommendations that could 
help orient the Aid for Trade initiative.  
98.  The major trade challenge identified by the study is the widening global trade financ e gap 
estimated at  USD 2.5 trillion in 2022, marking an increase of 47% ( USD 0.8 trillion) from USD 1.7 
trillion in 2020. This increase results from the COVID -19 crisis and the related increase of trade WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 13 - 
 
  financing requests rejection rates. Ongoing systemic issues linked to macroeconomic factors, 
geopolitical tensions, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine a lso complicate matters.  
99.  Further, it is clear that trade policy and supply chains disruptions remain critical. In addition to 
access to trade financing, the major barriers to business for the rest of 2023 and 2024 include 
economic uncertainty (reported by 2 3% of surveyed firms), the changes in trade policies, including 
protectionism and nontariff barriers (raised by 16% of surveyed firms), and disruption in supply 
chains (with 14%).  
100.  This year, the 185 surveyed firms from 43 countries included businesses invo lved in various 
stages of the supply chain, including raw material sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, 
wholesale, and retail. And in 2022, the top two supply chain challenges cited by these companies 
were insufficient financing and high transp ortation costs.  
101.  To remedy to this situation, firms identified access to adequate financing (21%), reliable 
logistics (17%), and the use of digital technology (16%) and diversification of suppliers (15%) as 
the most crucial factors for resilient supply cha ins.  
102.  The last two components are directly aligned with the Aid -for-Trade Work Programme 
supporting digital connectivity, mainstreaming trade and trade diversification.  
103.  First, digitalization of global trade can help reduce the trade finance gap, facilitat e 
transparency, and underpin a greater ability to monitor environmental and social standards.  
However, it is held back by a lack the high cost of digitalization cited as the primary barrier to 
digitalizing business and trade portfolios. Specific reported issues include the lack of globally 
established laws and standards, insufficient interoperability of existing platforms, and the difficulty 
in understanding and implementing technology. While banks and firms alike acknowledge the 
potential in digitalizing trade, Aid for trade could support them in addressing the costs and 
complexities involved focusing on standards harmonization, commercial adoption, legislation, and 
policy. For example, assistance is needed to support governments in aligning their domestic  
frameworks with the UN Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records to formally recognize 
electronic trade documents which will enable the digitalization of global trade.  
104.  Second, with regards to trade diversification and resilience, aid for trade assista nce in 
negotiations and legal drafting of trade agreements can be instrumental addressing supply chains 
vulnerabilities, as discussed in the Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific Report 2022. In particular, 
raising the understanding and negotiating capacit ies to design business friendly and transparent 
rules of origin (following SDG target 17.11) with full cumulation provisions and self -certification 
could strengthen the use of trade agreements, contribute to regionalizing value chains and provide 
strong in centives to diversify suppliers, as shown in several ADB recent publications.  
105.  Lastly, the survey also identified a notable shift among banks and firms toward sustainable 
financing, in line with evolving and accelerating demands from investors, consumers, r egulators, 
and others across the spectrum of business and trade activity globally. Among the responding firms, 
75% think that ESG alignment can improve access to trade financing for SMEs by facilitating the 
credit approval process, improving client and ris k assessment, and underpinning the design of 
products tailored for SMEs. This is an encouraging sign in pursuing efforts in greening value chains, 
which remains at the center of ADB agenda. I take this opportunity to inform the committee that 
our flagship publication, the Asian Economic Integration Report 2024, focusing on Decarbonizing 
Global Value Chains will be launched in February next year.   
106.  The representative on Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group  thanked the Asian Development Bank 
for the valuable upda tes and the study report . 
107.  Statement by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD ): 
108.  In 2023, the EBRD has continued to promote trade and sustainable growth, focusing on a broad 
geography covering 37 economies in Europe, Central Asia and the Southern and Eastern 
Mediterranean. The Bank welcomes the focus of the 2023 -2024 Aid -for-Trade Work Programme on 
food security, digital connectivity, and mainstreaming of trade. Let me highlight with committee 
members key activities aligned with and su pporting the work programme's implementation.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 14 - 
 
  109.  Food security.  The EBRD will continue to work with farmers, commodity traders and 
processors of agricultural goods to promote exports in supplier regions (Black Sea region) while 
providing finance for value cha in efficiency improvements in importing countries (mainly Northern 
Africa).  
110.  Under its Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), EBRD strengthens the ability of local banks to 
provide trade financing to businesses. In the first nine months of 2023, EBRD's trade f acilitation 
programme supported EUR 3 billion of foreign trade with and between EBRD countries, of which 
EUR 130 million was related to agricultural products. Let me also highlight that since the war on 
Ukraine started in February 2022, the TFP has support ed over EUR 766 million in trade transactions 
for the most crucial goods, such as importing agricultural machinery and fertilizers. This is part of 
its assistance to Ukraine of over EUR 3 billion in 2022/23 to stabilize the economy in general and 
keep agri business open and able to export.  
111.  The EBRD also supports food net -importing countries in responding to the food security crisis, 
especially in the Southern -Mediterranean region. The investments help to meet liquidity needs for 
the procurement of more expen sive imported agricultural commodities due to rising food prices, 
reduced and uncertain supplies from the Black Sea region, and exchange -related movements in 
some countries. For example, the Bank is providing EUR 150 million in direct financing in favour o f 
Office des Cereales in Tunisia, a state -owned enterprise responsible for procuring, distributing and 
storing grain in the country. The funds are used to support international grain procurement and help 
address immediate food security risks. The financing  is complemented with a technical assistance 
project of over EUR 1 million, focusing on a corporate development programme and sector reform 
to increase the efficiency of operations and the sector's resilience against future shocks.  
112.  The EBRD also harnesses its advisory services to small and medium -sized businesses looking 
to start or expand their exports and imports. In 2022 alone, the Bank reached out to over 
2,100  SMEs through SME advisory projects, and over 100,000 SMEs and individual entrepreneurs 
took a dvantage of various digital products, including via digital platforms. For example, the recently 
launched Innovation for Food and Energy Resilience in SEMED aims to strengthen the innovation 
and productivity of SMEs, start -ups, and their value chains, prio ritizing companies contributing to 
enhanced food production and sustainable energy. In Egypt, for instance, date producers in Siwa 
benefitted from training to improve production practices and ensure compliance with food safety 
regulations.  
113.  Digitalization.  In the EBRD's five -year Strategic and Capital Framework (SCF 2021 -25), the 
Bank has committed for the first time to a comprehensive approach to foster digital transformation 
across the region and sectors in which it invests. Our digital approach will enabl e equal access to 
digital technology and skills, establish robust governance practices, and provide financial and 
technical support to companies and governments.  
114.  A key pillar is the support of the rollout of ICT infrastructures to under -served areas. For 
example, in Armenia, the Bank is supporting Telecom Armenia's network improvement programme 
with EUR 20 million to upgrade fixed and mobile networks around the country. This will improve 
access to high -speed internet to 450,000 households, including in rura l areas. The use of green 
technologies also helps to save 28,859 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.  
115.  Mainstreaming trade . On 21 November 2023, EBRD will launch the new edition of its 
economic flagship publication, the Transition Report 2023 -24. The report en titled "Transitions Big 
and Small" discusses how the profound structural transformation of the global economy impacts the 
lives, livelihoods and living conditions of people across the EBRD regions. It focuses on critical "big 
transitions", such as the shif t towards a sustainable economy, the reconfiguration of global supply 
chains, and the scramble for the raw materials required by the digital and green economies. New 
data shows how these macro -level trends translate into "small transitions": career moves, physical 
and mental health changes, the refurbishment of housing and – ultimately – changes in people's 
satisfaction with life.  
116.  The EBRD remains deeply committed to supporting international trade in all its facets. Let me 
also assure you of the Bank's cont inued engagement in the run -up to the 2024 Review of Aid for 
Trade.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 15 - 
 
  117.  In reaction to the statements made by EBRD, the representative of the European Union 
expressed its gratitude for the statement and the significant work that the EBRD continues to 
undertake. He highlighted that the EBRD addressed the topics outlined in the Work Program me: 
food security, digital initiatives, mainstreaming trade, and sustainability.  
118.  Regarding food security , the European Union emphasized the importance of security and 
stability in the Black Sea, recognizing it as crucial for sustainable grain exports. The EU supports all 
efforts, including the UN's, to facilitate exports of Ukraine's grain and other agricult ural products to 
countries in need, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. The unilateral decision by Russia to 
terminate the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, along with deliberate attacks on 
Ukraine's grain storage and export facilit ies and actions hindering freedom of navigation in the Black 
Sea, highlight Russia's continued weaponization of food and its efforts to undermine global food 
security.  
119.  Statement by  the representative of China : 
120.   It is my pleasure to take this opportunity an d provide a short briefing on the work of the 
Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade . 
121.  Currently co -sponsored by 76 Members representing more than 85% of global plastics trade, 
the Dialogue has been working for more tha n three years now to identify ways in which enhanced 
trade cooperation can support global, regional and domestic efforts to address the economic, health, 
social and environmental impacts of plastic pollution.  
122.  As we all know, plastic pollution is a true 21st century global challenge of increasing concern, 
in particular for vulnerable economies, small island developing states and LDCs who often lack the 
capacity to cope with increasing levels of plastic pollution.  
123.  With that recognition in mind, our co -spons oring Trade Ministers entrusted us to find "concrete, 
pragmatic and effective" outcomes by MC13 on what else could be done from the multilateral trading 
system side to address the issue. Since then, we've been working hard to identify these areas, 
dividing  our discussions under three workstreams: trade efforts to support reduction; trade 
promotion to reduce pollution; and cross -cutting issues, which include improvements to 
transparency, regional and international cooperation and, importantly for our discuss ions today, 
relevant aid for trade approaches.  
124.  Following our initial discussions and the last AfT Global Review process, and with the support 
of the Secretariat, it became clear that while there were already a number of AfT programmes that 
were potentially  relevant to trade -related efforts to address plastic pollution, we  did not have the 
full picture of what those projects were, what they were aiming to achieve and what were the specific 
needs recipient members might have.  
125.  The Dialogue thus launched in Jul y last year a Survey to identify potential ways in which future 
global review processes could better capture such information. It also sought to understand: what 
AfT programmes were already being deployed; what were the results achieved so far; and what 
were the specific needs and objectives recipient members required to implement trade -related 
actions to address plastic pollution.  
126.  The Survey was finalized in August and a Factual report containing its key findings can be 
found in the document INF/TE/IDP/W/12 . It contains a wealth of relevant information for us and I 
invite all to have a look. I'd also like to thank deeply all delegations and stakeholders who 
participated actively in the Survey. This was a first attempt to provide more transparency to the 
topic and we already learned a lot. As one donor delegation told us in one of our meetings, when 
they started this process, they were certain they would not find many programmes relevant to plastic 
pollution – as they went along, they n ot only discovered they were doing a lot already, but that more 
and better could be done. We hope we continue to collect such information in the future and invite 
all delegations to participate.  
127.  So let me very briefly provide you with some of the main take aways . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 16 - 
 
  128.  First, participants shared ideas on how the AfT questionnaire could better capture plastic -
related programmes. Overall, participants converged on the utility of a prior categorisation of 
existing programmes to better identify their nature, scope and  linkages to trade – including specific 
plastic products, polymers and additives targeted, potential non -plastic substitutes and alternatives 
available in the recipient members and technolog y needs. This would in turn help with the 
development of more targ eted AfT programmes related to addressing plastic pollution. Participants 
also noted that in collecting this information, relevant stakeholders engaged in fighting plastic 
pollution should be involved, not least the UNEP, UNCTAD, World Bank, OECD, and othe rs. 
Participants also noted that sharing concrete examples at AfT stocktake events could help increase 
engagement on the topic and that a public platform collecting such information could also be helpful.  
129.  Second, the Report also includes the trade needs a nd priority objectives most often indicated 
by recipient donors who replied to the survey. Domestic private sector and civil society engagement, 
followed by access to technology were the needs most often raised, while improving environmentally 
sound manage ment, recovery and recycling of plastics and moving towards more circular plastic 
economies were the top two objectives among respondents. There is much more granularity in the 
report. For instance, it identifies for each of 8 specific plastic pollution -related objectives what are 
the top needs recipient members required to realize them. Again, I invite you to have a deeper look.  
130.  Finally, the Report also contains examples of over 35 existing AfT programmes focusing on 
trade-related aspects of addressing pla stic pollution. These examples were provided by both donors 
and recipient members who shared their own perspectives and experiences related to the successes 
and challenges faced.  
131.  The Dialogue had launched a second Survey, this one specifically focused on s o-called 
trade-related plastic measures – or TrPMs – already adopted or planned to be adopted by WTO 
members. The Survey  captured 223 TrPMs from 85 different WTO Members, from all regions and 
levels of development. About 60 of such measures also identified  specific needs required for their 
implementation. These largely matched the needs most often identified in the AfT Survey, but they 
do provide some further, measure -specific examples of challenges and opportunities in this area. I 
invite you to have a loo k at the report which is available in the document INF/TE/IDP/W/11 . 
132.  Let me finish by noting that the coordinators of the Dialogue, namely Australia, Barbados, 
China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco have already circulated the first Draft of the proposed M C13 
statement as well as its attached open, illustrative, non -exhaustive and evolving compilations of 
suggestions, practices, options, and opportunities. These are grounded in the results of the two 
Surveys and on discussions held throughout the Dialogue's  meetings. Coordinators are now working 
to integrate comments already received. We'd like to invite  all delegations to join us next Thursday, 
23rd November when the Dialogue will host its last pre -plenary meeting of the year. It will be a key 
opportunity t o help us work towards finalizing our outcomes for MC13 which will hopefully include 
constructive outcomes based on our experience in identifying specific needs and existing 
programmes to support trade action in this area.  
133.  One thing we can say for certain is that there is a lot of good will, momentum and efforts being 
deployed to address the growing scourge of plastic pollution and trade clearly can and must play its 
role. 
134.  We also invite those delegations that are not yet co -sponsoring the Dialogue to do so – this is 
a key opportunity to be part of this crucial piece for trade to address such a pressing 21st century 
challenge presented by plastic pollution.  
135.  Statement by Vanuatu : 
136.   Vanuatu, amongst many Developing, LDC and Graduating LDCs, ha s benefited immensely 
from the Aid -for-Trade Initiatives aiming to address the supply side and trade -related infrastructure 
obstacles crippling our ability to engage in international trade.  
137.  According to the "Aid for Trade At Glance report of the year 2022 ", the Aid -for-Trade support 
to Vanuatu has shown an annual increase of 17% from 2006 since the commencement of the A id 
for Trade to 2020. This increase has seen a substantial improvement and strengthening of our major 
GDP-contributing sectors of the economy , such as Agriculture (including Forestry and Fisheries),  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 17 - 
 
  Transportation and Storage, Energy Generation and Supply, Banking and Financial Services, and 
Trade Policy and Regulations reforms.  
138.  Furthermore, over the period of 15 years, the AfT initiatives hav e been observed to contribute 
to the priorities of building productive capacity, transportation, infrastructure and MSME growth and 
development.  
139.  Through this AfT support, Vanuatu ha s embarked on various development programmes, some 
of which are worth menti oning:  
• The Vanuatu Tourism Infrastructure Project – one of the biggest (or if not the biggest) 
AfT infrastructure projects in Vanuatu – A new facelift for Vanuatu 's Capital sea -front to improve the 
image of Vanuatu as a tourist destination.  
 
• The Vanuat u Electronic Single Window. A one -stop online platform for traders to source 
information and speed up turnaround time for export and import clearance.  
 
• Support to Value addition programmes and Vanuatu Made programmes under Vanuatu 's 
Overarching Trade Pol icy Framework and its industrial policy.  
 
140.  For a Micro Small Enterprise (MSE) in Vanuatu, support of as little as USD 500 goes a long 
way to show the government 's commitment to their dreams in value addition of kava, cocoa, 
coconut, fisheries, forestry, fru its and vegetables, and livestock.  
141.  In light of these development contributions, the delegation of Vanuatu wishes to acknowledge 
our development partners, such as Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan and China; 
our International Cooperation age ncies, such as the WTO through the EIF, ADB and the World Bank; 
and the wider international community at large for your continuous support thus far into our 
development journey.  
142.  However, as much as it is equally important to note the abovementioned develop ment 
highlights made possible through the AfT initiatives, we owe it to ourselves to also share our 
challenges, which perhaps can be an opportunity going forward for future needed consideration and 
action.  
143.  While a total of USD 556 Billion was disbursed as part of the AfT initiatives from 2006 to 2020, 
only 1% of the funding is allocated to the Oceania region – 12 countries (excluding Australia and 
New Zealand). So, if split equally, on average, a Pacific Country gets 0.083% of the total Oceania 
AfT funding share depending on population density, country size, and Power to persuade funding 
support with limited consideration on the natural vulnerability position of the countries of which 
Vanuatu, the Pacific and various other SIDS countries share similar threat s of natural and economic 
vulnerability.  
144.  Vanuatu's delegation, therefore, urges the WTO, our development partners, international 
cooperation and the wider international community to ensure our vulnerability positions in both 
natural and economic phenomena  are highly considered when making important decisions in terms 
of AfT allocation, as for small, vulnerable island developing countries, adequate resources will 
translate to incomplete development outcomes leaving our shores with vulnerable foundations for  
us today and risking our future for tomorrow.  
145.  For Vanuatu as in the Pacific  countries , although I speak on behalf of my national capacity, 
Climate Change poses the most significant threat to our shores, and we, therefore, cannot talk about 
AfT to developm ent without talking about Climate Change – the implications it poses on our 
development entails our greatest risks to development. Just three 2 weeks ago, Vanuatu was struck 
by a Category 4 cyclone, TC Lola, emphasising the urgency of our concerns – Even a s we speak, a 
tropical low depression is roaming our nearby waters. Vanuatu, however, is no stranger to the effects 
of Climate Change. Apart from the rising effects of sea level rise and increased ocean acidification, 
just earlier this year (7 months ago),  Vanuatu was hit by 2 category 4 cyclones occurring just 2 days 
apart from each other and affecting over 66% of our population. These events magnify our natural 
and socio -economic vulnerability, putting our resilience and adaptive capacity to the test. Thu s, WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 18 - 
 
  building resilience alongside the support of AfT is also crucial for us, requiring more support to ensure 
current and future AfT support can be effective.  
146.  The glaring impact of the COVID -19 pandemic is also a major hindrance on our development 
journey, causing delays in some of our major AfT -funded initiatives in the industry and construction 
sector, particularly our feeder roads connecting our large agricultural -producing communities.  
147.  Furthermore, the support provided under the AfT initiative to our ser vice sector has been 
considerably limited. Given that this sector holds a competitive advantage for us, we strongly urge 
WTO members to enhance their support for Vanuatu in addressing this issue.  
148.  Statement by China :  
149.  Since 2023, China has been actively implementing Aid -for-Trade Initiatives, helping 
developing Members to improve trade infrastructure, and actively carrying out technical assistance 
and capacity building, helping developing members to continuously enhance their trade development 
capacity . 
150.  First, China supported infrastructure construction. China has assisted in trade infrastructure 
construction such as airports, terminals, roads and bridges, and port facilities for more than 50 
countries, including Pakistan, Laos, Cambodia, Tajikist an, Mozambique and Vanuatu. Which helps 
promote regional interconnection and enhance trade facilitation.  
151.  Secondly, China helps safeguard food security and post -pandemic livelihood recovery. Under 
the Global Development and South -South Cooperation Fund and in cooperation with FAO, China 
implemented Food Aid project for Afghanistan and Yemen.  
152.  Thirdly, China keeps sharing applicable technologies. In 2023, China has implemented 24 
technical assistance projects. For instance, China shares juncao cultivation tec hniques in Fiji, 
agricultural techniques in Sao Tome and Principe, and bamboo and rattan weaving techniques in 
Liberia, which have accelerated the upgrading of local industries and promoted local employment. 
Moreover, China has provided materials such as c ontainer inspection equipment, customs cargo 
inspection systems, agricultural machinery and equipment, ships and vehicles to nearly 20 countries, 
including Myanmar, Georgia, Bolivia, Tonga and Uganda, to help the recipient countries improve the 
efficiency of cargo inspection and customs clearance, and raise the level of customs modernisation.  
153.  Fourth, China conducts practical cooperation with international organisations. China provided 
earmarked funds to UNIDO and ITU for the implementation of projects such as "upgrading the value 
chain of the livestock industry in Ethiopia" and "technical assistance for Uganda's national 
information and communication development strategy".  
154.  Fifthly, China implements cooperation with developing members on capacity building. Ch ina 
has organised technical workshops on Timor -Leste's accession to the WTO, trade facilitation for 
developing countries, rural e -commerce, etc. China held more than 60 multilateral or bilateral 
training programmes. And more than 2,000 trainees were traine d for developing members, focusing 
on various areas such as port management, e -commerce, customs, trade and economic cooperation, 
poverty reduction and digital economy.  
155.  Moreover, the 2023 South -South Dialogue was held in Lausanne on 28 -29 September as par t 
of China's LDCs and accessions Programme aimed at strengthening LDC's participation in the WTO. 
This year's Dialogue focused on the priorities in WTO negotiations ahead of MC13, LDC trade 
priorities, boosting trade and development in the WTO, and support ing LDCs integration into digital 
trade. Close to 30 LDCs took part in the discussions. The speakers included the General Council 
Chair and the Chairs of the negotiating bodies (Agriculture and Rules). Ambassadors of India, 
European Union, the United State s as well the Coordinators of the ACP (Samoa) and African Group 
(Cameroon) joined the event as speakers. The DG urged LDCs to remain engaged in the discussions 
on WTO reform, and negotiations in the areas of agriculture, fisheries subsidies, and various on going 
plurilateral initiatives. The LDC Coordinator (Djibouti) and the Ambassador of China also spoke at 
the opening session. The GC Chair highlighted that MC13 was an opportunity to make progress in 
supporting LDC's integration into the global economy. On  the session of Boosting trade and 
development in the WTO, underscored the role of the WTO in facilitating trade and development. WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 19 - 
 
  LDCs concurred on the need to reinvigorate the trade and development discussion at the WTO ahead 
of MC13.  
156.  The need for policy  space and strengthening of S&DT provisions in key WTO Agreements such 
as TRIPS, Agreement on Agriculture, and Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies were highlighted. Ways 
of supporting LDCs' trade and development were explored. The speakers recognized the need  for a 
granular approach to address varying development challenges of WTO Members, and emphasized 
on identifying specific solutions. The Investment 2 Facilitation for Development discussions were 
also pointed out as means to creating a predictable and cond ucive environment for LDCs to attract 
FDI. Leveraging on digital trade and diversification into the services sector was reiterated as 
imperative to fostering trade and development in LDCs.  
157.  In response to China's statement, Nepal, on behalf of the LDC  Group , congratulated China  and 
shared the Group looked forward to continued cooperation.   
158.  Statement by the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD ):  
 
159.  UNCTAD 's work on trade and development is built around the three pillars of research and 
analysis, facilitating inter -governmental consensus -building and technical assistance. These three 
pillars, which are mutually complementary, constitute the UNCTAD "Aid-for-Trade " activities. In this 
context UNCTAD 's technical assistance is a vehicle to suppo rt countries in achieving inclusive and 
sustainable development using trade, investment, finance, and technology.  
160.  This note presents a brief overview of the latest UNCTAD Aid -for-Trade activities, particularly 
technical assistance, focusing on  the followin g two segments.  
161.  The first segment presents the state of UNCTAD technical assistance in 2022, as reported in 
the "Review of the Technical Cooperation Activities of UNCTAD and their Financing "1.  
162.  The second segment highlights some of UNCTAD activities closely aligned with the theme of 
the 2023 -2024 Work Programme, which are digital connectivity, food security, and trade 
mainstreaming.  
The state of UNCTAD technical assistance in 2022  
163.  In 2022, UNCTAD 's expenditure on technical assistance reached a new record high of 
USD 54.5 million. UNCTAD 's main technical assistance products in terms of expenditures included 
the Automated System for Customs Data (or ASYCUDA), the Debt Management and Financial 
Analys is System (or DMFAS), and E - commerce and the Digital Economy.  
164.  UNCTAD 's technical assistance was also characterized by the following features . 
165.  Firstly, approximately 37% of the funding for technical assistance came from developing 
countries, most of which were allocated to UNCTAD activities in their own countries. The funding 
from developed economies, including the European Union, accounted for 30%. The remaining 32% 
of the funds came from the United Nations system and other international organizations.   
166.  Secondly, the United Nations system finances a significant share of the UNCTAD 's technical 
assistance activities through, for example, the United Nations Development Account, which is a 
continuing programme of the UN Secretariat. The UN Development Account a ims at building the 
capacity of developing countries in the priority areas of the UN Development Agenda. In this respect, 
it has been a driving force for UNCTAD to mainstream trade, investment, finance, and technology in 
sustainable development strategies of developing countries.   
 
1 UNCTAD, Review of the Technical Cooperation Activities of UNCTAD and their Financing 
(TD/B/WP/325), 3  August 2023. Available on the UNCTATD Website: https://unctad.org/system/files/official -
document/w pd325_en.pdf    
 WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 20 - 
 
  167.  Thirdly, the Least Developed Countries remain the priority recipients of UNCTAD 's technical 
assistance, and received about half of total technical assistance it delivered in 2022.   
168.  Finally, UNCTAD technical assistance is unique in  that projects implemented on an 
inter-regional basis account for over a third of total expenditures, while country -specific projects 
accounted for 47% of the total expenditures in 2022. This inter -regional dimension in UNCTAD 's 
technical assistance activi ties has generated strong complementarities with technical assistance 
activities of the five Regional Economic and Social Commissions of the United Nations (ECA, ECE, 
ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA).  
Selected UNCTAD activities relevant to the theme of the 2023/2024 W ork Program  
169.  This section focuses on UNCTAD 's activities that were closely aligned with the theme of the 
current Work Program me, including digital connectivity, food security, and mainstreaming trade.  
170.  Regarding digital connectivity she highlighted that:  
• UNCTAD has completed 34 eTrade Readiness Assessments for individual countries, of which 
24 in LDCs and two Assessments for regional groupings.2 
• In ECOWAS, a new Regional E -commerce Strategy assisted by  UNCTAD was endorsed by 
the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and adopted last July.3 
• The third edition of the eTrade Readies Implementation Review will be launched during the 
UNCTAD eWeek, to be held from 4 to 8 December at the Palais des Nations, Geneva.4 This 
year's eWeek is organized under the theme of "Shaping the Future of the Digital Economy " 
and should contribute to enhancing digital connectivity by facilitating global and technical 
discussions on the development dimension of e -commerce and the digital economy.  
• UNCTAD organizes regional Masterclasses of eTrade for Women and the eTrade for Women 
Communities for women digital entrepreneurs. Over 300 women digital entrepreneurs from 
more than 40 developing countries have completed the class.5 
171.  Regarding foo d security:  
• UNCTAD 's technical assistance on trade facilitation, including the ASYCUDA programme and 
the port management programme, contributes to improving access to food on international 
markets.  
• UNCTAD 's tools on non -tariff measures (NTMs) help reduce t rade costs associated with food 
trade.6 For example, UNCTAD 's Non -Tariff Barriers Reporting, Monitoring and Eliminating 
Mechanism contributes to increasing cross -border food trade within the African Continental 
Free Trade Area, which plays an essential ro le in regional food security.  
172.  UNCTAD also supports trade mainstreaming:  
• With the Trade, Gender and Development Programme, UNCTAD continues helping 
government officials incorporating gender -specific concerns in trade policymaking and 
 
2 The eTrade  Assessment of Ghana was launched last week, while  Peru’s will  be launched  in 
November 2023.  UNCTAD is  currently  working  closely  with Algeria,  Mauritania  and Timor -Leste  to 
support  their Assessments.  
3 National  e-commerce  strategies  and action  plans  are also under  preparation  with Côte d’Ivoire,  
Fiji, Tunisia  and Malawi.  
4 Detailed information on the eWeek2023 is available her e: https://unctad.org/eweek20 23  
5 The next Masterclass will be held in Senegal in March 2024, for French -speaking African women 
entrepreneurs.  
6 The UNCTAD NTMs  Academy runs 6  different  courses on NTM data collection, trade  regulations 
collection, NTMs and  sustainable development, and Economic  Analysis of NTMs, in three  languages 
(English, French, Spanish). In 2022  the NTM Academy  certified  more  than 300 participa nts. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 21 - 
 
  measure the impact of t rade on gender equality.7 UNCTAD also builds capacities of 
developing countries to enable more gender -responsive trade policies.  
• With the BioTrade Initiative, UNCTAD supports developing countries in increasing bio -trade 
exports through the application of  the UNCTAD BioTrade principles. Global sales by 
companies applying UNCTAD 's BioTrade principles and criteria rose from US$ 40 million in 
2003 to US$ 31 billion in 2022.  
• With the programme on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), UNCTAD helps producers , 
businesses and exporters in developing countries derive trade, environmental and social 
gains from complying with VSS.  
• UNCTAD's participation in the Multi -Agency Programme on Capacity Development for 
Investment Promotion Agencies of LDCs, has allowed off icers from 20 LDCs to receive 
training in attracting investment for more significant SDG impact, digitalization, and 
investment to fight climate change.   
173.  Statement by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO ): 
174.  I would like to provide a short update on UNIDO’s most recent Aid -for-Trade -related activities 
as they pertain to the priorities of the current work programme, outlining support in enhancing 
countries’ food security, productive capacities and advancing sus tainability.  
175.  I will start by highlighting our efforts to support value addition in the cotton sector in West 
and Central Africa - in particular in the C4 and Cote d’Ivoire. In the region, the sector contributes 
substantially to food security, as cotton rem ains a primary source of income for more than 15 million 
people. Earlier this year, UNIDO, ITC and Afreximbank have joined the innovative partnership that 
WTO concluded with FIFA, leveraging football value chains to attract investment and connect local 
economic operators with regional and global markets. The aim is to sustainably increase income and 
economically empower women and youth. This joint initiative is now gathering pace and was 
showcased at the recently held World Cotton Day (WCD) - an event hoste d by UNIDO, which saw 
the high -level participation of several Ministers as well as Heads of Agency, notably the WTO 
Director -General.     
176.  A dedicated session at WCD specifically explored the role and types of partnerships that are 
needed to add value to co tton in West and Central Africa so as achieve meaningful progress and 
impact at scale. At the session, private sector representatives - from global buyers, over investors 
in textiles and garment production, to sports merchandizing companies - confirmed the region’s 
potential in textiles and garments, outlined their current engagements and future plans, and stressed 
their wish to collaborate. IFC and Afreximbank, who are already supporting private investment in 
integrated textile and garment production, as we ll as in industrial parks, also confirmed their interest 
in collaborating. This interest from the private sector and from DFIs bodes well for the future project. 
We are currently in the preparatory phase and the plan is to develop, with the beneficiary cou ntries 
and interested partners – that is, the private sector, DFIs and traditional donors -, a sizeable 
programme by the next Global Review of Aid for Trade.   
177.  Chair, I would like to highlight two other initiatives of relevance to the Aid for Trade work 
programme.  First, the recently held inaugural edition of the International Vienna Energy and Climate 
Forum – conceived as a solutions platform to advance climate action and sustainable energy for 
development. The Forum showcased innovative technologies to accelerate low -emission, climate -
resilient development - including in food production chains - to protect the environment and eliminate 
hunger.  
 
7 UNCTAD helped strengthen the entrepreneurial skills of women cross -border traders in 
Mozambique and supported senior policymakers identify solutions to help women traders “formalize” their 
businesses. 97 percent of women traders UNCTAD supported ai med to formalize their business within the 
next 12 month. UNCTAD also offers online courses on trade and gender which have reached thousands of 
stakeholders in over 150 countries.  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 22 - 
 
  178.  With participants from more than 145 countries, the event aimed to foster new partnerships 
to scale up investments  and technology transfer to developing countries, especially in Africa, also 
delivering practical inputs to feed into the incoming United Nations Climate Conference COP 28.  
179.  Secondly, and still in the same thematic area, the Government of the United Kingdom  and 
UNIDO recently launched an ambitious, first -of-a-kind climate finance programme called ‘Accelerate -
to-Demonstrate’ (A2D) Facility, of about £65 million, to accelerate the commercialization of 
innovative clean energy technologies in low - and middle -income countries, with the aim of helping 
them mitigate climate change and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.  
180.  Focused on innovative solutions for energy transitions in critical minerals, clean hydrogen as 
well as clean transport, smart energy, energy eff iciency and storage, industrial decarbonization and 
sustainable cooling, the Facility will provide grant funding to support SMEs, research institutions and 
other organizations to undertake pilot demonstrations, build local capabilities and systems, and 
leverage wider investments to address these key thematic areas that are off -track for meeting 
climate targets.  
181.  These are only few examples to illustrate that UNIDO increasingly presents itself as a platform 
for both the mobilization of investment and the tran sfer of technologies – drawing on a varied and 
specialized service offer of technical cooperation portfolio and a wide network of partners.  
182.  In concluding my update, I reiterate UNIDO’s commitment to further contribute to the 
implementation of the Aid for Tr ade Initiative.  
183.  The representative of Samoa , on behalf of the ACP Group , expressed appreciation for 
UNCTAD's and UNIDO's updates and support. She inquired about how UNCTAD c ould foster synergies 
with other organizations while avoiding the issue of duplicat ion. Additionally, she sought information 
on how UNCTAD intend ed to secure sustainable and predictable funding support from Members and 
development partners in the medium to long term. Finally, she asked about the key priorities for 
UNCTAD to be implemented in the ongoing and upcoming program cycle.   
184.  The representative of Burkina Faso  expressed gratitude to UNIDO and UNCTAD for their 
presentations. They inquired about the efforts deployed on the ground and expressed appreciation 
for the collaborat ion with ECOWAS.  
185.  In response to the comments by Samoa and Burkina Faso, the representative of UNCTAD  
highlighted  their commitment not to duplicate efforts in the operations. She stated that technical 
assistance is determined by the secretariat and the member States, and all projects are based on 
four areas of transformation identified in the UNCTAD mandate. She mentioned that they  have been 
striving  to reduce as much as possible and that UNCTAD has been working to accelerate particularly 
SDGs, 2, 5, 8 9, 17 . 
186.  On the question of predictable funding, under the leadership of the Secretary -General, she 
mentioned that UNCTAD has been discussing how to streamline and increase the predictability of 
the funding mechanisms.  
187.  The representative of UNIDO  highlighted the framework mechanism on cotton, where its 
partners, including WTO, FIFA, ITC, and other interested agencies, have been committed to 
developing the initiative in close consultation with partners.  
MAINSTREAMING - UPDATE ON RECENT TRADE POLICY REVIEWS – OVERVIEW OF AID -
FOR-TRADE ANALYSIS  
188.  Under this agenda item, Members also reported to the Committee following their Trade Policy 
Review s.  
189.  Statement by Jordan :  
190.  Jordan 's WTO Membership and the multilateral trading system played a key role in shaping 
our trad e policies, fostering transparency, and facilitating integration into the global economy.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 23 - 
 
  191.  Recently Jordan concluded  successfully its ' third trade policy review, during the review period, 
Jordan continued its economic reform efforts, in spite of facing mult i external challenges and shocks.  
192.  This reform  was acknowledged by international institutions, such as the World Bank ranking, 
which classify Jordan among the top 10 global improvers and a top business climate reformer in the 
MENA region in 2020.  
193.  Allow me t o share with you some major reforms made by Jordan during the last TPR.  
194.  The Government has adopted the Economic Modernization Vision which has two core pillars: 
accelerating economic growth and improving quality of life while prioritizing sustainability.  
195.  The new investment law, adopted in 2022, creates more favorable environment for investors 
by streamlining the process of setting up and running businesses, and promotes transparency and 
predictability in the investment process.  
196.  Jordan also continues adherence to the principles of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The 
national trade window begun its full operation in March 2018 to facilitate and automate the trade 
exchange procedures.  
197.  Jordan Customs made amendments to the Customs  Law in 2019, to emphasize the acceptance 
of electronic documents such as cargo manifests and commercial documents attached to customs 
declarations.  
198.  Further we launched the Jordan Trade Facilitation Portal to provide traders with access to a 
repository and  procedures to improve compliance, reduce transaction delays, and align with WTO 
TFA measures. Customs tariffs were restructured, as of January 13, 2022, to include four categories 
instead of sixteen, which will eliminate tariff distortions, boost trade, a nd enhance efficiency.  
199.  In addition, we introduce provisions to empower women and enhance their participation in the 
workforce in many aspects such as equal pay, the establishment of childcare centers, as well as 
flexible working arrangements, strictly proh ibited gender -based discrimination among workers, and 
recently we approved The Executive Plan for the National Strategy for Women in Jordan for the 
period 2023 -2025.  
200.  Further, the Council of Ministers approved the Jordan National E -Commerce Strategy 
2023-2025, which aims to create an enabling environment for e -commerce, attract investments and 
businesses, and offer better income opportunities in the sector.  
201.  Many of these projects are implemented in cooperation with USAid, EU, UNCTAD, ITC, Global 
Alliance for Trade facilitation, UNDP, GIZ, WB, WCO and other partners form international 
community.   
202.  These projects, and results we achieved together is representing joint commitment and right 
path to enhance the contribution of trade in sustainable developme nt. 
203.  Finally Chair, my delegation would like to thank all donor countries and the international 
community for continued support, which help Jordan to sustain its’ open economy.   
204.  Also I would like to take this opportunity to thank again the WTO Members for t heir positive 
interests and active participation during the TPR, which contributed to the successes of whole 
process.  
205.  Statement by Fiji: 
206.  Fiji has the honour to present its 4th Trade Policy Review on the 19 and 21 July, 2023.  The 
presentation would not have  been possible without close collaboration established between the 
Capital, the Secretariat, and our Mission more so the effective collaboration and support of member 
states.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 24 - 
 
  207.  Trade has long been the lifeblood of Fiji's economic growth and development, ing rained deeply 
within the fabric of our society. From the fertile fields of our farmers to the skilled hands of our 
artisans, from the creativity of our entrepreneurs to the inviting warmth of our hospitality industry. 
Fiji's trade landscape blossoms and is  driven by a collective determination to connect with the world 
and showcase the richness of our culture and products. It is through trade that we expand horizons, 
open new opportunities, and foster innovation.  
208.  Our dependence on international trade is not merely a choice. It is a necessity shaped by the 
unique geographic, demographic, and economic factors that characterize Fiji. With a relatively small 
yet vibrant domestic market, we understand that our pathway to progress lies in our ability to 
embrace glo bal connections, harnessing the potential of international trade and supply chains to fuel 
our economy and uplift the livelihoods of our people.  
209.  This is why Fiji acknowledges the critical role of the WTO in facilitating a rules based, 
transparent and equit able global trading system.  
210.  Fiji's TPR coincides with the convening of the Advanced Trade Policy Course, participants 
managed to attend and witnessed first -hand how the Review was conducted.  
211.  During the period under review, Fiji continued to implement strategic measures geared at 
strengthening its economy and consolidating its resilience in the face of the numerous climate 
related, natural disasters and other structural challenges. In recent years, Fiji's economic 
performance was undermined by  various shocks. In 2016, Fiji was struck by a cyclone which led to 
production losses and destruction of physical infrastructure. The COVID -19 pandemic and its 
restrictive measures also led to a significant GDP contraction in 2020 and 2021.  
212.  Fiji's developm ent framework is guided by its ' long and medium terms visions where 
environment sustainable economy is at the centre. It also considers women empowerment, youth 
empowerment and the promotion of micro, small and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs) as a 
favoure d way to promote inclusive growth and broaden Fiji's economic base.  
213.  Fiji ratified the Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) in 2017 and subsequently notified its 
related commitments to the WTO. In the following year in 2018, Fiji established its National Trade 
Facilitation Committee (NTFC) with the key objective of facilitating both domestic coordination and 
implementation of the provisions of the TFA.  
214.  Fiji as a result implemented several customs modernization reforms, including a digital and 
organizationa l transformation of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service to meet future challenges of 
increased traffic and trade, as well as to take advantage of digitalization opportunities. As of 
September 2022, Fiji had fulfilled 97.1% of its TFA implementation commit ments. The two remaining 
commitments concern test procedures for goods declared for importation with definitive 
implementation date being 31 December 2023 and the establishment of a single window with the 
target date of 31 December 2025.  
215.  We are most honou red to inform that as of October this year,  the Fiji's national single window 
blueprint has been finalised and presented to Government for implementation, this has been possible 
with the support of the UNCTAD ASYCUDA initiative and the EU Pacific initiativ e.  
216.  Various investment related measures were implemented by Fiji with a view to attracting 
investments into sectors with high export potential. In particular, the adoption and implementation 
of the Investment Act in 2021 which eliminated certain registrati on and screening requirements and 
eliminates  foreign investment restrictions.  
217.  The services sector remains the main pillar of Fiji's  economy, as it contributes to two thirds of 
GDP and accounts for 51% of total exports. The sector is mainly made up of tourism, transport and 
storage, finance, and business services, which will remain central in our development aspirations.  
218.  Finally,  we would like to thank all Members and the Secretariat for  the support  after receiving 
a total of 169 questions with almost 30 c ountries who took the floor, very instrumental in the whole 
process and  we look forward to the implementation of certain recommendations in the report.   WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 25 - 
 
  219.  The representative of the European Union  gave the following statement  about its TPR :  
220.  The fifteenth review of the trade policies and practices of the EU took place on 5 and 
7 June 2023. The "Government " Report by the EU illustrated how we view Aid for Trade as a key 
tool in considering the development aspects enshrined in the WTO, and to suppor t developing 
countries ' integration into the world economy, poverty reduction and sustainable development.  
221.  EU and Member States' AfT is based on the 2017 joint AfT Strategy, which among other things 
seeks to reduce fragmentation, integrating and coordinat ing development tools, increasing leverage 
of AfT through better informed and coordinated delivery; have a stronger focus on social and 
environmental sustainability and inclusive economic growth; and improve monitoring and reporting.  
222.  On the latter point, t he EU Aid for Trade Progress Report is a key instrument in following up 
on the delivery of the strategy. The most recent EU Aid for Trade Progress Report  was published in 
December 2022, and our next report will come out before the end of this year.  
223.  If you  allow me to offer a few preliminary highlights of the upcoming report:  Based on 
2021 which is the year for most recent available data, the report shows that as of global Aid for 
Trade, the share of the EU and its Member States continue to increase - now standing at 42 % or 
EUR 18.5 billion. More than half of our Aid for Trade targeted environmental objectives, always 
closely aligned with the priorities of partner countries.  
224.  In the Trade Policy Review, we were happy to see the significant interest among Mem bers in 
EU trade policy, including numerous questions on details of our Aid for Trade. To give a few 
examples:  
• First, we were asked to elaborate on how we use Aid for Trade to advance gender equality 
– and we were able to showcase the targets of the EU Ge nder Action Plan III to leverage Aid 
for Trade to strengthen economic and social rights and empowering girls and women.  
• Second, we were asked to give details of to what extent we prioritise trade facilitation, where 
we could show that our support – EUR 423.7 million in the period of 2014 -2020 – has by far 
exceeded the commitment to WTO at a time of the signature of the Trad e Facilitation 
Agreement, EUR 240 million. Nearly one fourth of global trade facilitation support comes 
from the EU with its Member States.  
• As a final example, we were asked how EU Aid for Trade aligns with partner country priorities, 
and how we view the breakdown of loans versus grants in Aid for Trade. We would like to 
emphasise that the EU fully subscribes to the development effectiveness principles, 
referenced in the Busan Partnership Agreement for Effective Development Cooperation, 
reaffirmed at the N airobi High Level Forum in 2016. In 2021, the latest year for which we 
have data, 44 percent of EU AfT was in the form of grants and 56 percent in the form of 
loans). The report reviews data back until 2011, and it is found that while proportions have 
fluctuated from year to year, there is no overall trend in one direction or the other. In 
absolute figures, AfT in the form of grants have increased significantly.  
225.  Related to the latter point, I would like to say a few words about the Global Gateway, for whic h 
EU Aid for Trade is an important tool. Launched in December 2021 it is a strategy to mobilize 
investment totalling  EUR 300 billion over the period 2021 -27. Accordingly, EU AfT  is more and more 
driven by innovative de -risking tools to catalyse private sector investment. This is done primarily 
through blending operations (i.e., a combination of EU grants –, including under Aid for Trade, – 
with loans or equity from public and pri vate financiers) and financial guarantees.  
226.  In line with the EU's objectives and commitment to the 2030 Agenda, the Global Gateway 
strategy aims to boost smart, clean and secure investments in digital, energy and transport, and to 
strengthen health, educati on and research systems across the world to underpin a lasting global 
recovery while promoting universal values and high standards, good governance and transparency. 
It is not about reducing the grants in our Aid for Trade, rather to leverage it more effec tively to 
mobilise additional funding and  include the private sector in our development objectives in a more 
prominent way. Many  Global gateway interventions have been identified already, most of which give 
a great impetus to the EU support to Aid for Trad e, either directly or indirectly.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 26 - 
 
  227.  In late October, the EU organized the very first Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, which 
brought together over 90 high -level government representatives as well as financial institutions and 
many business and civil society representatives. We debated global infrastructure investment needs 
in priority areas, discussed strategic investment opportunities and signed agreements for around 
EUR 3 billion. [Further inf ormation is available here: Global Gateway Forum: Stronger Together 
through Sustainable Investment. (europa.eu)   
228.  The representative of  the Congo  gave the following statement on behalf of CEM AC about its 
TPR: 
229.  Allow me fir st to recall that the CEMAC (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa) 
region is a market of about 60.6 million inhabitants over a territory of more than 3 million square 
kilometres . The goal of CEMAC is ultimately the realization of a common mark et, strengthened by a 
common currency and monetary policy.  
230.  The implementation of trade liberalization policies by CEMAC countries dates back to Structural 
Adjustment Programs adopted in the 1980s, under the auspices of the International Financial 
Instituti ons of Bretton Woods.  
231.  These policies have been reinforced by the accession of these countries to the WTO (World 
Trade Organization) and the signing of regional trade agreements, including the Treaty establishing 
the Economic Community of Central African St ates and the Agreement establishing the African 
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).  
232.  According to the statistics of the Bank of Central African States, the degree of trade openness 
in the CEMAC region has significantly increased, from 94.91% in 2015 to 12 0% in 2020. However, 
it is important to note that this openness is primarily driven by exports of raw materials, with 
petroleum leading the way, and massive imports of manufactured and food products, thus exposing 
the region to various exogenous shocks.  
233.  Furthermore, during the second joint review of CEMAC's Trade Policies held on 
September  20-22, it was observed that economic and financial reforms undertaken by the countries, 
the introduction of stricter banking regulations by the Bank of Central African St ates, and the 
improvement of global prices for basic commodities have largely contributed to rebuilding foreign 
exchange reserves to the equivalent of 4.68 months of goods and services imports.  
234.  Moreover, economic activity has progressed in all CEMAC countr ies in 2021 and 2022. The 
macroeconomic outlook for 2023 is generally favorable, based on the continued dynamism of non -oil 
sector activity.  
235.  Our current account balances are gradually improving. Lessons learned from the numerous 
economic and financial cons traints facing our sub -region in recent years have led us to tackle the 
challenge of the structural transformation of our economies. This significant step has substantially 
reduced the deficit in our trade balance and our exposure to external shocks.  
236.  Additionally, there is a consolidation of achievements in capital circulation with the 
implementation of modernization modules for payment systems, the gradual introduction of 
electronic payment by approved banks, a new foreign exchange regulation, and signific ant progress 
in the effective free movement of people since 2017.  
237.  Regarding industrial strategy, a Master Plan for Industrialization and Economic Diversification 
in Central Africa has been established. It focuses on the industrial transformation of all our natural 
resources and is based on a value chain approach.  
238.  In terms of competition, CEMAC has revised community regulations in 2019 and an operational 
community competition authority that adjudicates on anticompetitive practices.  
239.  Significant progress is also observed in the implementation of the sub -regional Economic 
Program, with the launch of the Centres  of Excellence Program to enhance training offerings in 
CEMAC and the completion of financing for 8 out of 11 priority infrastruc ture projects. This success 
was achieved through the Donor Roundtable held in Paris in November 2022.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 27 - 
 
  240.  Furthermore, it should be noted that the second cycle of this Program related to priority 
integrative projects in CEMAC from 2023 to 2028 includes 13 proj ects in transportation, electric 
power, and telecommunications infrastructure.  
241.  Aware of the importance of investments, the Community Charter adopted in 1999 is being 
revised to tailor it to the specific needs of the member states of the sub -region, aiming to provide a 
stable and prosperous business environment for investors.  
242.  In the context of regional integration and the implementation of the African Continental Free 
Trade Area (AfCFTA), these projects are expected to contribute to boosting the development of 
CEMAC countries.  
243.  However, to meet the challenge of realizing these projects, strong technical and financial 
support from bilateral and multilateral partners is required, including the World Bank, the IMF, the 
African Development Bank, USAID, ITC, the Is lamic Development Bank, China, the European Union, 
Japan, Russia, as well as specialized agencies of the United Nations, including UNCTAD, and many 
others.  
244.  I would like to thank Members of the WTO for their support during the second review of the 
trade pol icy, contributing to the success of the entire process.  
245.  The representative of Chad, in alignment with the CEMAC presentation, stated that the Trade 
Policy Review facilitates the expression of specific needs regarding trade regimes and outlines plans 
for ad ded value in accordance with the strategic goals for the entire CEMAC area. The occasion was 
utilized to address inquiries on various themes and aspects, emphasizing numerous structural 
regional projects that contribute to regional integration.  
246.  The repres entative of Congo  discussed the Comprehensive Free Trade Area (CFTA) tool for 
developing a continental trade policy, expressing confidence in CEMAC's positive trajectory. Aid for 
Trade was acknowledged as crucial for achieving developmental projects throug h technical 
assistance and capacity building. The representative sought support from technical partners, 
underscoring the necessity for funding in structural projects and urging financing partners to 
collaborate.  
247.  The representative of Fiji expressed gratit ude to the E uropean Union for the presentation and 
voiced concerns about EU environmental policies and restrictions, including the Carbon Border 
Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), affecting developing countries. The role of Aid for Trade was 
acknowledged, especi ally for small island states grappling with challenges related to blacklisting 
categories. The representative sought information on practical elements facilitating access to Aid -
for-Trade opportunities.   
248.  In response,  the European Union  stated that despite ongoing debates on certain EU policies, 
Aid for Trade has been regarded as a solution rather than a part of the problem. He emphasized on 
the necessity for consistency among tools, which is recognized as policy coherence for developmen t 
in the EU.  
249.  The representative of Chad extended Fiji's comment, expressing appreciation for the EU's 
candidness. He underscored the significance of environmental negotiations in the WTO, expressing 
concern that environmental perspectives might hinder the development of Least Developed 
Countries. Questions were raised regarding how discussions on the environment could be conducted 
to prevent them from becoming barriers to economic development.  
250.  The European Union  representative responded, stating that discus sions on the environment at 
the WTO necessitate deeper consideration. He emphasized the connection between Aid for Trade , 
sustainable development, and environmental considerations, highlighting A id for Trade 's contribution 
to greener solutions.  
251.  The represe ntative of Cameroon  reiterated the African Group's position on the EU regulation 
on deforestation. Concerns were raised about the impact of unilateral measures on producers and 
importers, particularly in Africa. The EU regulation was underscored as crucial  for income sources, 
especially in the cocoa sector, impacting growth objectives and poverty alleviation strategies.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 28 - 
 
  UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE ENHANCED INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK  
252.  The representative of the Enhanced Integrated Framework  (EIF) made the following 
statement : 
253.   As the EIF is a partnership, I would like to start by thanking all the partners in the EIF, Donors, 
LDCs and international agencies for your invaluable contributions to the work with LDCs over the 
years.  
254.  As Phase 2 of the EIF  concludes next year we are focused on the effective closure processes 
in close collaboration with the EIF board and partners to ensure transparency, as well as the 
collection and documentation of lessons learnt to date. While discussions are ongoing betwe en LDCs 
and donors around the future of a multilateral Aid for Trade programme for LDCs, the EIF Board 
recently approved the utilisation of remaining funds for priority activities until March 2024. Through 
this facility more than 20 proposals with a total value of more than USD 1 million have been 
processed and approved since August this year. This has enabled, for instance, time sensitive 
support towards the WTO Accession processes for acceding LDCs; engagement in MC 13 and 
continuing sustainability and de epening of mechanisms for the mainstreaming of trade.  
255.  An EIF learning event was held on the margins of the WTO Public Forum, bringing together 
more than 140 Geneva and Capital based participants from EIF Countries, Donors, Agencies and 
other partners both in person and online. With the EIFs programmatic engagement as well as the 
2023-24 work programme in mind, this event included amongst a range of sessions a dedicated 
session on trade mainstreaming as well as tackling issues related to digital connectivity  and food 
security within other topics.  
256.  I will focus on some of the lessons that emerged from this session on mainstreaming , including 
impact that EIF projects are having on people in LDCs, from catalysing sustainable tourism in the 
Solomon Islands to div ersifying exports in countries such as Cambodia, Togo and Zambia helps to 
strengthen the role of the Ministries of trade, and drive forward the broader trade agenda.  
257.  Importance of building capacity on an ongoing basis, such as in Angola where the EIF help ed 
ensure the technical relevance of the Ministry of Trade and Industry following a restructuring where 
a number of senior experts had left following retirement.  
258.  Need to first anchor trade priorities into the National Development Plans, however, to not jus t 
stop there. The implementation, including through effective coordination committees is critical. With 
increased trade linkages into areas such as environment, new synapses need to be created.  
259.  Public good that these EIF supported teams play for other part ners, such as the STDF. These 
teams promote country ownership, provide a ready and value for money means of implementation 
and help in resource mobilization.  
260.  Looking forward, and while the Task Force works on a longer -term mechanism, a group of EIF 
donors is looking to finance an interim facility to continue support to LDCs in 2024. We anticipate 
that the facility will be operational with first funds disbursed by donors in November or December 
this year. As such, we would like to invite any other donors tha t would be interested in contributing 
to the interim facility to contact us, or the EIF Donor Coordinator.  
261.  More broadly, EIF results and lessons are also being shared through our Annual Report, 
available on the EIF Website as well as through a series of im pact stories through our Trade for 
Development News platform. We have published 12 such impact stories so far this year, and others 
will be uploaded over the course of the year. The impact stories delve into results and lessons from 
the EIF's engagement on e LDC at a time . 
262.  To conclude, I would like to invite the Membership to follow our communications channels 
including  on social media and the Trade for Development News Platform for ongoing lessons and 
results from the EIF partnership.  
263.  This afternoon, in Ro om E (and online) from 2 to 3 pm there will be a presentation and 
discussion of a new learning product from the EIF looking at how gender has been mainstreamed WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 29 - 
 
  into the Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies, what lessons and good practices can be harvested;  
and how implementation of priorities has or has not taken place. This will be an open session of the 
Youth Summit on Gender and I encourage all those interested to join us.  
264.  Again, I thank all the EIF partners, and particularly the generosity of the EIF Do nors, for their 
support in contributing to these results for the LDCs.  
265.  In reaction to the statement made by the E IF, the representative of Nepal , on behalf of the 
LDCs, made the following statement:  
266.  The LDC Group would like to thank EIF for the presentati on and updates. I appreciate your 
efforts to mainstreaming trade with the spirit of Aid for Trade through the phase one and phase two.  
267.  We welcome the EIF  Board’s decision on the utilisation of remaining funds more than 1 million 
USD for priority activities until March 2024.  
268.  Also, we would like to thank EIF for organizing EIF Global Forum during the WTO Public Forum 
where LDC Group also participated activel y. Views expressed by the speakers and experiences 
shared during the program have of course great value to the beneficiaries and donors.  
269.  Chair, for the purpose of the transparency, Task Force composed of LDC constituency and 
Donor Group is working to deve lop objective, program and institutional anchoring on the possible 
future of the EIF taking into the account of evaluation report and ODI option paper, LDC Group is 
hopeful that we come with amicable solution.  
270.  The LDC Group extends its appreciation to the development partners which have been 
providing various assistance through EIF. I also take this opportunity to urge for EIF and 
development partners for the increasement of the aid for trade in line with the provision  of Doha 
Action of Plan and SDGs 2030. I thank you, chair.  
271.  The representative of the United Kingdom  expressed gratitude to the EIF for its presentation 
and reminded that the UK serves as the Donor Coordinator of the EIF. A task force has been 
established a nd is actively working to examine the long -term future of the Aid for Trade Multilateral 
Fund. Drawing Members' attention, the representative mentioned that the EIF Steering Committee 
is scheduled to take place on the 7th of December .  
272.  The representative o f Chad expressed gratitude to the EIF for the update. He acknowledged 
the uniqueness of the EIF and its partners in providing financial resources and expertise. Therefore, 
he emphasized the need to enhance and consolidate the partnership. Additionally, he highlighted 
that developing countries also contribute to the program in various ways to strengthen it. Thus, he 
underscored the importance of a multilateral approach to the tool.   
UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE STANDARDS AND TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY  
273.  The representative of the Standards Trade Development Facility (STDF)  made the following 
statement:   
274.  The Standards and Trade Development Facility promotes improved food safety, animal and 
plant health capacity in developing countries and helps imports and exports to meet SPS 
requirements for trade, based on international standards. It operates as a fundin g mechanism and 
global p artnership for dialogue  and learning on SPS capacity developmen t. 
275.  The STDF identifies good practice in thematic areas that cut across food safety, animal and 
plant health, and trade , drawing on the input of STDF partners, donor organizations and 
beneficiaries . Outputs include practical and user-friendly knowledge products (briefing notes, 
publications, events, videos , etc.), available in English, French and Spanish. The STDF is housed and 
managed by the WTO.  
276.  STDF p artners , relevant o rganizations and beneficiaries from across agriculture, health, trade 
and development come together in t he STDF Working Group  to share information on on going and 
planned SPS initiatives and programmes, and review applications for new project and project WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 30 - 
 
  preparations. The next meeting will be held on 21 -22 November 2023 and chaired by 
Dr Gillian  Mylrea  (WOAH) . In 2024, the STDF meetings will be chaired by Sarah Brunel (IPPC).   
277.  This document provides a brief update on STDF's activities and projects. Delegates are 
encouraged to visit the STDF website  to view and become familiar with STDF 's work , download 
briefing notes and other publications, and subscribe to STDF's mailing list . 
Good regulatory practice  
278.  The STDF promotes  the use of Good Regulatory Practice s (GRPs), i.e., processes and tools to 
help improve the quality and effectiveness of SPS measures so that they achieve the expected policy 
outcome(s).  Using GRPs  improves  compliance with the SPS Agreement, including greater alignment 
with international standards.  STDF's GRP Guide  provides a practical  handbook for SPS regulators 
from developing countries in using GRPs when designing, developing, and reviewing SPS  measures.  
279.  On 21 -22 September 2023 , the STDF, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the 
Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) , organized a two -day learning event  in Accra, Ghana, to promote the use of GRPs 
in Africa. The event enhanced participants' knowledge and skills on GRPs and facilitated a  dialogue 
across the public and private sector on actions to improve the development and implementation of  
SPS measures.  
Prioritizing  SPS investments  
280.  To inform and improve SPS planning and decision making , the STDF developed an 
evidence -based framework that developing countries can u se to prioritize SPS investments for 
market access  (P-IMA). The approach is being applied in STDF and other SPS projects, result ing in 
additional SPS investments and market access for targeted agri -food products. The latest P-IMA 
Guide  provides an introduction  to the P -IMA framework , including practical examples, experiences 
and lessons from developing countries. A P-IMA Facilitators Handbook  is also available, providing 
detailed, step -by-step guidance on how to apply P -IMA, including in virtual environments.  
281.  The STDF is currently carrying out an external evaluation of the P-IMA framework to: (i) assess 
how and to what effect this STDF work has delivered results and impacts ; (ii) identify key findings, 
conclusions, and rec ommendations to inform and improve any ongoing/future work on P -IMA; and 
(iii) draw lessons to strengthen future STDF knowledge work in other areas . The report will be 
presented at the next STDF Working Group meeting on 21 -22 November 2023.   
GENDER MAINST REAMING  
282.  At a side event  on 13 July 2023 during the SPS Committee week, the STDF launched a Gender 
Action Plan  to ensure a more systematic and coherent approach to gender mainstreaming in STDF's 
work. The plan aims to: (i) a dvanc e and support women's capacity to meet trad e related SPS 
requirements ; and (ii) p romote increased attention to gender mainstreaming in SPS capacity 
development work led by members of STDF's partnership and other organizations.  The plan is 
accompanied by a set of guidelines to provide practical support to mainstream gender in STDF 
project cycles for improved results and sustainability . 
283.  In partnership with UNCTAD's Trade and Gender Development Unit, the STDF will organize an 
event during UNCTAD 's eWeek 2023  on 6 December 2023 t itled "Trade Regulations in the Digital 
Environment: Is there a gender component?" .8  
E-CERTIFICATION  
284.  Together with the Inter -American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the STDF 
organized  a regional event  from 25 -27 July 2023 in San José, Costa Rica. The event brought together 
experts from all 34 IICA Member States and provided a platform for participants to exchange lessons 
 
8 More information on this STDF event will soon be available on STDF's website . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 31 - 
 
  on electronic SPS certificates and discuss ways to pilot test a regiona l approach for the exchange of 
electronic veterinary/sanitary certificates.  
285.  During WTO's Public Forum 2023  on 14 September 2023 , the STDF and the Global Alliance for 
Trade Facilitation (GATF)  organized a learning event  titled "Accelerating e -cert Adoption" . On 
5 December 2023 , the STDF will join a session on " Enhancing Trade and Traceability in Agri -Food 
supply Chain through SPS Electronic Certification ", organized by  the OECD, again during  UNCTAD 's 
eWeek 2023 . 
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONM ENT  
286.  In November 2023, the STDF will issue a new b riefing note titled " Strengthening SPS systems 
to mitigate and adapt to climate change ", which builds on the webinars organized during STDF's 
climate change  week in 2022. In addition, during COP28  in Dubai, the STDF plans to organize an 
event in the Trade House Pavilion on 10 December 2023 (Food, Agriculture and Water day) titled 
"Climat e change, sustainable agri -food systems and markets: Why we need more robust SPS 
systems ".9   
287.  The STDF will soon start an external evaluation to assess and learn how (and to what effect) 
the environment, biodiversity and climate change have been integrated across work carried out by 
the STDF, as well as SPS capacity development work led by STDF par tners and other members. The 
report will draw key findings, conclusions, and recommendations to improve mainstreaming of the 
environment, biodiversity, and climate change into SPS capacity development work in the future.  
Promoting Regional trade in Africa  
288.  On 17 October 2023, the Food Trade Coalition for Africa, housed at AGRA , and the STDF 
organized a joint webinar  on good practices needed to boost intra -regional trade a nd facilitate access 
to safe food in Africa . The webinar disseminated the conclusions, findings and recommendations of 
a joint Policy Brief , developed by the Food Trade Coalition for Africa  and the STDF.   
External evaluation  
289.  The STDF programme  is evaluated every five years by an independent evaluator. The latest 
evaluation started in September 2023 and will be completed in the first quarter of 2024. The purpose 
of the evaluation is to objectively assess the results and impact achieved by the ST DF, based on the 
OECD DAC criteria, and capture key lessons learned. The Secretariat will continue to update the 
Committee  on this evaluation . All previous evaluations of the STDF programme are available here. 
STDF FUNDING  
290.  The STDF provides funding for the development and implementation of collaborative and 
innovative SPS projects. Since its inception, the STDF has devoted 64% of its project resources to 
Least Develop ed Countries (LDCs). Of all STDF projects, 49% have benefited Africa, 25% the 
Asia-Pacific region and 17 % the Latin America -Caribbean region, while 9% are classified as global, 
benefiting all developing countries.  
Project development  
291.  PPGs, normally up to US D 50,000, are available to help beneficiaries articulate their SPS needs 
and develop technically sound and sustainable project proposals. PPGs can be requested to: (i) apply 
SPS capacity evaluation and prioritization tools; (ii)  prepare feasibility studies before project 
development to assess the potential impact and economic viability of proposals in terms of costs and 
benefits; and (iii) develop proje ct proposals for funding by STDF or other donors.  
Project implementation  
292.  The STDF funds projects  that promote compliance with international  standards and 
requirements. Preference is given to projects that: (i)  identify, develop and disseminate good 
 
9 More i nformation on this STDF event  will soon be available on STDF's website . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 32 - 
 
  practice in SPS  technical cooperation, including innovative and repl icable approaches; (ii) apply 
regional and cross -cutting approaches to address SPS constraints; and (iii) implement collaborative 
approaches across food safety, animal and plant health, and trade. Beneficiaries must contribute to 
STDF projects from their o wn resources, either in the form of financial or in -kind contributions (such 
as staff time, use of premises, vehicles or other existing assets ). 
How to apply for funding?  
293.  Applications for STDF funding can be made at any point in the year but should be rece ived at 
least 60 working days in advance of each Working Group meeting to be considered at that meeting. 
The next deadline for the submission of applications is 1 March 2024  (for consideration in 
June 2024) . Further information is available on the STDF  website . 
REPORTS FROM MEMBERS, OBSERVERS AND OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS  
294.  The representative of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility  (TFAF)  made the following 
statement:  
295.  WTO Members launched the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF or Facility) on 
22 July 2014 to address concerns pertaining to the adequacy and accessibility of donor support to 
fully implement the WTO Trade Facilitatio n Agreement. It is operated by the WTO Secretariat and 
funded by WTO Members on a voluntary basis. Its primary goal, defined in G/TFA/3  from 5 April  2022 
is to support the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation's work in relation to assisting developing and 
LDC Membe rs in implementing the Agreement.  
296.  The TFAF has four pillars of activities: i) the Grant Programme; ii) Technical Assistance and 
Capacity Building; iii) Engagement with Annex D and Development partners, and iv) Maintain the 
TFAF website. TFAF' activities a re monitored by WTO Members through regular and annual reports 
to the Committee on Trade Facilitation. The Committee through a representative group of Members 
prepares the annual work plan.   
297.  Work undertaken by TFAF since 2014 has been conducted in three p hases:  
298.  Phase I until the entry into force of the TFA. TFAF assisted members through needs 
assessments and national activities to prepare the category A, B, C list of provisions, and to assist 
Members with the ratification process.  
299.  Phase II between the en try into force and the deadline for notification of categories A, B; and 
C (August 2022) for LDC Members. TFAF assisted members through national and regional activities 
to prepare their notifications including the identification of Technical Assistance and  Capacity Building 
needs and definitive timelines for implementation. During this phase, TFAF also assisted Members 
in identifying TACB support through its grant programme and matchmaking activities in Geneva and 
through its website.  
300.  Phase III after all Me mber have provided their category and TCAB notifications until the TFA 
is fully implemented by all WTO Members. TFAF assists Members in identifying TACB support through 
its grant programme and matchmaking activities in Geneva. It may also support project 
implementation needs where no other development partner steps forward. Furthermore, TFAF 
promotes coherence and the identification of best practices for trade facilitation related TACB 
amongst its partners through regular coordination meetings and knowledge  work.  
301.  TFAF work to date has been delivered mainly through regional TACB and matchmaking 
activities (see chart right). It is expected that the Projects and National TACB will increase in the 
current Phase III.  
302.  The WTO TFA entered into force on 22 February  2017. A total of 156 WTO Members ratified 
the Agreement as of today, representing 95.1% of the total WTO membership. In terms of 
implementation progress, the notification deadlines for developing country Members and LDCs were 
by and large met:  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 33 - 
 
  303.  One hundred  and twenty developing and LDC Members (96%) have presented their Category 
ABC designations. Over 95% of developing and LDC Members have presented notifications of 
definitive dates for the implementation of their Category B and C designations, and details on their 
technical assistance and capacity building (TACB) needs required to implement their Category C 
designations.  
304.  A full and up -to-date analysis of all ratifications and notifications can be found on the TFA 
Database.  For more details on the TFAF effor ts to support the notifications process, recent annual 
reports contain  analysis and case studies.  
305.  The implementation rate of the WTO TFA measured by the definitive dates notified, is currently 
77% globally with developed Members implementing at a rate of 1 00%, developing Members 
implementing at a rate of 80%, and LDC Members implementing at a rate of 44.4%.  
306.  Measured by the definitive implementation dates notified, by 2029 Members expect to have 
implemented over 95% of the Agreement, while 4.4% remains undefined due to outstanding 
notifications. This establishes a horizon for current implementation efforts.  
307.  In the next five years therefore, the TFAF work will focus on assisting Members identifying 
implementation partners and seeking to fill imple mentation capacity gaps within the notified 
definitive dates for the category C commitments.  
Trends  
308.  Donors and development partners have made trade facilitation related TACB available through 
regional and national programmes and projects. On an annual bas is, they notify the Committee on 
TF their past and future support. Developing country and LDC Members however point out continued 
challenges accessing the available assistance, for WTO TFA -related implementation needs. 
Difficulties include programming cycl e and procedures, the prioritization of areas of intervention and 
objectives by donors, and the lack of domestic coordination in the Members' countries. Members 
expressed concerns that the notified definitive dates for the implementation of category C may not 
be met due to additional time needed to identify, agree,  and finalise TACB interventions.  
309.  As a way forward, strengthening the role of the National Trade Facilitation Committees for 
engaging with donors and development partners has been encouraged as well as recognizing the 
need to prepare implementation plans, combining national resources and e fforts with long -term 
support and small -scale short -term activities.  
310.  Of the remaining implementation gaps it can be observed that many Members are now moving 
to a more mature TFA implementation. Members that have successfully reached a basic level of 
implementation capacity, are now seeking to deepen and stabilise the reforms to leverage a higher 
impact. Members also start addressing more complex areas of the TFA requiring effective cross 
government coordination, mainstreaming of simplified procedures with in Customs and other 
agencies, and more trusted relationship with the private sector.  
III. REGIONAL DIMENSION   
311.  The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) made the following statement 
about its activities:  
312.  The ITFC is a member of the Islami c Development Bank (IsDB) Group. It was established with 
the primary objective of advancing trade, ITFC has 8 regional hubs where it can monitor and operate 
its running projects in Africa and Asia. The ITFC vision is the Leading provider of Trade solutions  for 
OIC members state 's needs. Its mission is the catalyst of Trade development among OIC members 
state's and beyond.  
313.  ITFC work directly with governments, multilaterals, financial institutions, policy bodies, 
national and local -level development agencies  to deliver trade solutions that advance trade and 
improve lives.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 34 - 
 
  314.  ITFC Strategy over time has been to structure multi sectorial partnerships to intervene at the 
intersection of trade finance and trade development in ITFC member countries.  
315.  This has positio ned ITFC, not only as a financial partner that contributes to offset trade finance 
and SDG financing gaps, but also as a technical partner that initiates, manages and implements 
regional programs.  
316.  ITFC has supported the dynamic expansion of trade in OIC M ember Countries. ITFC approach 
reflects its expanded role as a world class trade enabler and facilitator. ITFC is guided in its quest to 
remain the leading provider of trade solutions for OIC member countries needs through a relentless 
focus on ITFC Strate gic Objectives, Strategic Pillars, and our Guiding Principles.   
What ITFC offer s 
• Trade Finance solutions as (Line of Trade Financing, LC confirmation, Structured Trade 
Finance ; 
• Trade Development (Flagship  programs, Integrated Trade solutions, Targeted Interventions ; 
• Trade Funds ( Trade Development Funds).  
 
317.  ITFC contributes with 9 SDGs goals (1-No Poverty, 2 -Zero Hunger, 3 -Good Health & 
well-being, 4 -Quality of education , 7-Affordable & clean energy, 8 -Decent work and economic 
growth, 9 -Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, 10 - Reduced in Equalities, 17 - Partnership for the 
goals) . 
318.  ITFC works on designing and implementing trade solutions projects through trade financing, 
resource allocation, capacity deve lopment, and filling knowledge gaps. ITFC work is delivered 
through a series of projects that directly impact the energy sector, the finance sector, the food & 
agriculture sector, and the health sector. ITFC projects also indirectly impact a broader spectr um of 
sectors, including education, public administration, and natural resource management.  
319.  ITFC believe in investing in projects that will bring about the highest level of trade development 
for member countries, and as such, our role in each project is d efined by the value ITFC can bring 
which led ITFC to have more over than 50 success stories in the last couple of years.  
320.  In 2012 ITFC received a request from the Arab countries to propose a Trade initiative for the 
Arab Region to benefit from the Arab Free  Trade Agreement – AFTA, on behalf of IsDB Group ITFC 
led the implementation of AfTIAS 1.0 of a total budget of USD 10.5 million executed from 2014 to 
2018, implementing successful 28 projects for 19 member countries.  
321.  In the Arab Economic Summit held in Be irut 2019, adopted a decision expressing its 
satisfaction on the outcomes of the AfTIAS 1.0 program evaluation and assign ITFC to prepare the 
2nd phase of AfTIAS in cooperation with the League of Arab States - LAS and the Arab Countries.  
AfTIAS  2.0 three main objectives  
1. Increasing level of intra -regional trade, consequently Improving market access,  
2. Increasing Arab integration into global value chains, consequently Removing supply side 
constraints,  
3. Making international trade more inclusi ve of disadvantaged groups.  
AfTIAS 2.0 implementation approach focuses on : 
1. Trade Development and Competitiveness,  
2. Inclusivity Support,  
3. Regional Investment Proposal Preparation,  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 35 - 
 
  4. Reverse Linkage Facility (IsDB Mechanism),  
5. Research and Surveys.  
AfTIAS 2.0 Beneficiaries and figures  
322.  Nine Countries (16 projects) and five Regional Institutions (5 projects), consist of 18 TA 
Projects, 1 Reverse Linkage projects, 1 Regional study and 1 Institutional establishment & Capacity 
building of Total b udget USD 7.5 million till to date, ITFC contribute by 80% of the program total 
budget.  
AfTIAS 2.0 Priorities in 2024  
1. Efficient implementation of the 21 running projects,  
2. Approving 2:3 new projects for 3 beneficiary countries,  
3. Arranging & organizi ng of 1st Arab Trade Forum with LAS,  
4. Governance of AfTIAS 2.0 to build a concrete momentum and impact.  
5. More resource mobilization from partners and donners.  
323.  The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) made the following statement about its activities :  
324.  Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the Regional Aid for Trade initiatives in 
the Pacific.  The economic competitiveness of Pacific Islands has historically been undermined by 
their small population, tiny domestic markets, and geographi cal remoteness. As a result, the Pacific 
Region's economic growth has usually lagged behind global rates.  
325.  Unable to rely on their domestic markets, Pacific Island Countries can nonetheless find 
development opportunities in international trade and regional cooperation. To achieve this objective, 
a Pacific Aid -for-Strategy was approved by our Trade Ministers in 2020. For the period 2020 -2025, 
the Strategy identifies four priority areas where regional cooperation can make a difference for our 
trade competitive ness. These are (1) E -commerce, (2) Services, (3) Connectivity, and (4) Deepening 
Markets, including through Quality Infrastructure, Trade Facilitation, Trade Policies, and Trade 
Agreements.  
326.  The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat has been tasked to establish and coordinate regional 
initiatives that can bring together governments, donors, and technical agencies around the priorities 
identified by our Pacific Aid -for-Strategy. Our approach is being quite successful, with tangible 
progress in the areas of e-commerce, quality infrastructure, trade facilitation, and services.  
327.  E-commerce is an area has great potential to narrow distances and trade costs, and to promote 
diversification of Pacific economies. A Pacific Regional E -commerce Strategy and Roadmap was 
approved by our Ministers in August 2022 and is guiding our work in t his space. Already, 43 percent 
of the Strategy’s 54 priority measures are being actioned thanks to the implementation of a series 
of well -coordinated projects. Relevant efforts include the development of a Pacific e -commerce 
portal, formulation of harmoniz ed national e -commerce strategies, electronic interfacing between 
customs and post offices, adoption of model e -commerce legislation, regional training for 
government officials and small businesses, development of a regional e -commerce statistics 
database,  deployment of innovative e -payment systems, support to the regionalization of national 
e-commerce platforms, etcetera. Detailed information on these activities is available on our Pacific 
E-commerce Portal, which you can visit at www.pacificecommerce.org .  
328.  On standards and conformity assessment, a Pacific Quality Infrastructure Initiative is laying 
the foundations to ensure a sustainable upgrade in the quality of Pacific good s and services. 
Launched in 2017, the Initiative aims to improve the quality of Pacific products and services sold in 
domestic and overseas markets. Our initial efforts focused on partnership building, rapid diagnostic 
studies, and establishing a governanc e model comprising regional committees on standards, 
metrology, and conformity assessment.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 36 - 
 
  329.  Given the initial limited knowledge on Quality Infrastructure in the region, foundational training 
was provided to enhance our members' capabilities, in collaboratio n with the standard and 
conformity agencies of Australia, New Zealand, and Germany. The Pacific Quality Infrastructure 
partners conducted detailed needs assessments, quality value chain studies, and surveys to evaluate 
the state of Quality Infrastructure a nd demand for services in the Pacific.  
330.  Based on this foundational work, targeted support is currently being offered to QI service 
providers, including national standards bodies and testing laboratories. This support involves virtual 
and hands -on training, expert consultations, pre -audits of laboratories, and procurement of 
necessary equipment. The initiative is guided by a medium -term framework of priority regional 
actions approved in 2020 by Forum Trade Ministers.  
331.  On trade facilitation, room for improvemen t is still significant in the Pacific region. According 
to UNESCAP, implementation of trade facilitation measures in Pacific Islands countries stands at 41 
percent against 65 percent of the Asia -Pacific region, and 97 percent of Australia and New Zealand. 
To improve this situation, in 2021 we commenced consultations on a Pacific Regional Trade 
Facilitation Strategy, which was eventually approved in October this year by Pacific Trade Minsters.  
332.  The Pacific Regional Trade Facilitation Strategy proposes 22 regi onal actions divided into five 
areas, namely risk -based border controls, clearance processes, transparency and advance decisions, 
administrative regulations, and Electronic information exchange. Implementation will soon 
commence with the objective to achie ve a level of implementation of trade facilitation measures 
equivalent to that of comparator economies.  
333.  Lastly on Services, I am pleased to announce that last month Pacific Trade Ministers endorsed 
the establishment of a Pacific Regional Trade in Services Initiative. The Initiative will initially focus 
on the development of harmonized national diagnostic studies, with a pilot study taking place early 
next year in Vanuatu. These studies will eventually inform the development and subsequent 
implementation of a regional strategy. In this area, we see opportunities to benefit from any global 
initiative, such as the one advocated in the report recently launched in this house by the WB and 
WTO Secretariat.  
334.  We hope that our Pacific Aid -for-Trade program can provide  a good example of how 
regionalism can be leveraged in the trade sphere to support economic development. Many of our 
priority areas align with the WTO Aid -for-Trade work program, which I hope helps in making our 
update relevant to the proceedings of this c ommittee. We will keep updating this house on progress 
with our regional initiatives and are keen to advance dialogue with interested donor partners and 
implementing agencies willing to cooperate with us.  
335.  The World Bank  Representative  provided an overview about the bank recent activities.  He 
appreciated that the Representative of the PIFS highlighted the co -authored report by the WBG and 
the WTO completed in 2023 on the importance of Aid for Trade in Services for Development.  
336.  The representative underscored that the focus of the study was twofold: First, to present 
evidence about the economic importance of services for development and the gains that developing 
countries have made in recent years by engaging in services trade and reforming their regulatory 
ecosystem for services. He affirmed that the report paid attention to highlighting these trends.  
337.  The representative stated that the second aim of the report was to outline an Aid for Trade 
roadmap to revive national cooperation and services for development. H e highlighted that in the 
diagnostic, they realized the gains were unevenly distributed. The WTO Work Program on E -
commerce revealed that LDCs account for 0.2% of digitally delivered services in 46 countries. Their 
trade dropped by almost a quarter since 2 015. The Representative reminded that the discussion 
held at the WTO on LDCs may have focused on the wrong issues. The problem was not unrestricted 
access to the markets of more advanced countries but a supply -side capacity issue, holding back 
developing c ountries' use of services for economic diversification, resilience to shock, and growth 
and development.  
338.  In that spirit, he shared that the joint report identified several priorities in Aid for Trade, of 
which the Representative focused on five. He mention ed that it consisted of a fivefold agenda on Aid 
for Trade and services that needed to be deployed in the next few years with the donor community's WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 37 - 
 
  support in responding to demands that keep being addressed by developing and least -developed 
countries. He h ighlighted that part of the challenge is the sheer breadth of the service sector. It is 
an aggregate of a very complex sector, subject to deep regulations and different market failures 
that justify government intervention with sensitivity surrounding domes tic regulation. Therefore , 
given its complexity, advocating for this sector at the WTO could be more effective.  
339.  The first priority he referred to was related to data. He emphasized the need to invest in better 
data on services related to trade and goods that are highly aggregated and do not provide countries 
with insights about sources of competitiveness. Within the data area,  he affirmed that the WB plans 
to work with regions, including the Pacific Islands region  and COMESA , starting modestly to improve 
data collection in three essential areas: provide countries with much better data on bilateral trade 
and services (who do you export with and what do you export).  He affirmed that i t is surprising how 
only a few countries can answer that question bec ause they have aggregate numbers and are not 
disaggregated at the country -sectoral level. The second issue is to disentangle trade by mode of 
supply: services imply not one but multiple forms of supply of services. This is complicated regarding 
movements o f factors (movements of people and capital). Third, because services are critical final 
products and especially intermediate inputs into the production of other goods and services, he 
affirmed the need to measure better the contribution services make to tr ade in value -added.  
340.  The second main objective was to strengthen regulatory frameworks and institutions of 
regulation in developing countries. In a very pragmatic way, he stated that the WB wanted to work 
with regions interested in promoting regulatory conv ergence. He affirmed that the bank wanted to 
use a huge investment that the WTO and the WBG have made in recent years in documenting the 
services trade restrictiveness index. He stated that there is data updated for 2022 for 133 
economies, a gigantic datab ase from which the world bank would extract user -friendly information 
for discussions and debates with regulators —areas where there are similarities in regulatory 
approaches that could lead to market opening.  
341.  The representative highlighted that a third are a was providing support, voice, and agency to 
the developing world, especially LDCs, in services -related discussions. That is a never -ending 
challenge of sustaining institutional memory and participation in trade deliberation in services. He 
stated the nee d to provide greater resources for the involvement of developing countries in room -
making bodies and negotiations.  
342.  The fourth challenge he highlighted was to work on export diversification, especially in the 
digital realm. Given the reasons and constraints  mentioned, he affirmed that the ability to leverage 
and overcome these obstacles is much greater in services than in manufacturing, and the need for 
scale is much smaller. Therefore, he called to nurture export diversification, systematize knowledge 
about  case studies of successful diversifications, and utilize the deliberative function of the WTO to 
share this information and collaborate with countries.  
343.  Finally, he shared that the last focus was on firm -level performance. This falls more within the 
WB's d omain, involving investments in MSMEs, collaboration to enhance their use of frontier 
technology, promotion of digital literacy, and encouragement of entrepreneurship. Thus, boosting 
the competitiveness of service -providing firms stands as the fifth elemen t of our Aid for Trade 
initiative.  
344.  He finished by highlighting that while they were already active in almost all these areas, it was 
important to work more intelligently with partners to avoid duplication. He concluded that the WB 
intended to initiate foun dational investments in data and regulatory frameworks.  
345.  The European Union  made the following comment:  
346.  Thank you to the World Bank and WTO for the report, with key findings that are fully in line 
with the European Union’s views on the role of services in development.  Services trade is indeed 
key for growth and job creation – not only in service sectors directly, such as tourism and e -
commerce, but also as an “enabler” for trade and job creation in other sectors. In addition, services 
trade can be critical  for a green transition – both to promote structural change with a lighter 
environmental footprint, but also as environmental services are critical for the expansion of 
renewable energy generation, to give one example.    WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 38 - 
 
  347.  Trade in Services is a key part of  European Union Aid for Trade in partner countries. For 
example:  
• We support negotiations on and liberalization of trade in services in Regional Trade 
Agreements, often coupled with strengthening policy capacity in ministries and relevant 
agencies in numero us country programmes, including developing services export  
strategies.  
• There is also a significant amount of sectoral work, such as to boost competitiveness on 
tourism, transport, logistics, financial services.  
• One example of an intervention is our support under ARISE+, namely  ASSIST ASEAN - 
Solutions for Investments, Services and Trade . ASSIST provides simple, cost -effective, 
expedited, and efficient solutions to the practical problems experienced by ASEAN 
enterprises when trading across borders within ASEAN.  
• And finally, a key initiative that is worth flagging is the newly adopted Action on Trade 
in Services in Sub -Saharan Africa, worth EUR 40 million. We will liaise closely with the 
relevant stake holders in the near future.  
 
348.  The World Bank -WTO report proposes the “Trade in Services for Development” initiative to 
help to mobilize a coherent Aid for Trade package in services, targeting five key challenges which I 
will not reiterate here. No doubt, t hese areas are some of the more critical ones to improve partner 
countries’ service export competitiveness. We would welcome efforts to advance the discussion on 
how Trade in Services for sustainable development can be accommodated through Aid for Trade. A  
topic that perhaps warrants attention in the next aid -for-trade Work Programme, if not before.   
349.  Services trade is indeed key for growth and job creation – not only in service sectors directly, 
such as tourism and e -commerce, but also as an "enabler " for trade and job creation in other sectors. 
In addition, services trade can be critical for a green transition – both to promote structural change 
with a lighter environmental footprint, but also as environmental services are critical for the 
expansion of ren ewable energy generation, to give one example.     
350.  The representative of Nepal, on behalf of the LDC Group , thanked the World Bank for the 
presentation highlighting the growth of commercial services. He noted that only a few LDCs have 
successfully increased  the exports of commercial services to a reasonable value, while the majority 
still lag.  
351.  In total, the share of service exports from LDCs remains below one percent. The service 
sectors, particularly travel, transport, and tourism, have been severely impact ed by the COVID -19 
pandemic. The speaker highlighted that the service sector's share in total employment is 31% in 
Low-Income and 40% in Lower Middle -Income countries, significantly lower than in High -Income 
and Upper Middle -Income countries, where the agr iculture sector still dominates in Low -Income and 
Upper Middle -Income countries.  
352.  The representative highly regarded the World Bank's support across various areas, particularly 
in trade sectors.  The challenges of digital divides were emphasized as hindrances to enhancing e -
commerce and digital services in LDCs. The LDC Group urged the WB to increase support in the five 
identified areas, considering the Members' needs and priorities at the center.  
353.  The representative of India expressed gratitude to the World Bank and raised two questions 
concerning data and regulatory frameworks. The initial inquiry pertained to the absence of 
disaggregated data in certain countries. The representative emphasized tha t data collection is not a 
challenge, as aggregated data is routinely gathered. The concern lies in the lack of classification. 
Additionally, the representative questioned why, despite countries classifying goods, a similar 
classification had not been unde rtaken for services.  
354.  The representative of Chad raised concerns about SMEs' bankruptcy during the pandemic, 
emphasizing their lack of funding. The representative sought information on the measures in place 
to assist these struggling SMEs and inquired about  the accessibility of the financing for their support.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 39 - 
 
  355.  The World Bank  responded by indicating that the challenge with data is primarily a resource 
issue rather than a classification problem. While recognizing the importance of addressing the 
classificatio n issue, the primary concern is allocating resources to support authorities in their data 
collection efforts. The W B commended COMESA for its advancements in data collection on services 
and expressed a desire to extend this progress to other developing cou ntries. The representative  
attributed weak enforcement mechanisms in regulations to resource limitations. He emphasized that 
market conditions often change rapidly in developing countries, leading to regulatory responses that 
may not be swift enough, resul ting in market failures. The W B suggested that the solution involves 
investing resources in good regulatory practices, emphasizing South -South learning as a critical 
component.  
IV. PRIVATE SECTOR  
356.  The representative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) made the following statement:    
357.   I have the pleasure to talk about an area of work that has been ITC 's bread and butter for 
decades, continuously evolving to meet the needs of small businesses . Small businesses make up 
the lion 's share of firms acros s all economies. Yet their participation in trade remains limited — 
reaching around 19% across OECD economies.  
358.  There is a gap. While small firms have great potential, they often lack the time, resources, 
and relevant market information to effectively expan d their businesses in new markets.  ITC's Market 
Analysis tools provide a wealth of information which helps level the playing field when it comes to 
information asymmetries.  
359.  For example, if you are a Kenyan avocado entrepreneur that wants to evaluate the 
attractiveness of a market, you can compare the demand for avocados across markets and see which 
markets are growing the fastest using Trade Map. In addition, you can assess future prospects for 
the next 5 years using Export Potential Map.  
360.  Firms can also use the tools to shed light on business expenses, such as tariff costs and the 
obligatory non -tariff measures for their products in various potential markets using the Market 
Access Map.  For markets with which Kenya has preferential trade agreements, the Rules of Origin 
Facilitator lets businesses compare Rules of Origin from different agreements, assisting them in 
selecting the most suitable option.  
361.  Market prices are also an important driver in export decisions. The Kenyan producer could 
compare the evolution of avocado prices across various markets using Market Price Information 
Portal.  
362.  ITC's Market Analysis Tools, some of which I have just given you a glimpse of, have served 
over 2 million users across over 200 economies to help them make informed b usiness decision and 
expand into new markets. They are used by many Fortune 500 companies to help inform their trade 
decisions.  
363.  For reaching smaller firms, ITC has joined forces with WTO, UNCTAD, and 8 other international 
agencies to create a one -stop sho p data platform designed to simplify market research - the Global 
Trade Helpdesk. It consolidates data from the Market Analysis tools, along with data from ten partner 
agencies, into a single search. It equally assists companies in identifying new digital channels to 
support their e -commerce endeavours. The platform was recently recognized by G20 members as 
an inclusive and veritable source of trade information for MSMEs. As part of the G20 declaration, 
ITC was tasked to upgrade the platform so that informa tion is easy to access for businesses.  
364.  ITC works closely with Ministries of Trade and Economy, as well as Trade Promotion 
organizations and other business support organizations to disseminate information about ITC 's 
Market Analysis tools. We encourage you to reach out to us in case you require further information.  
365.  The representative of the United States  made the following statement:  
366.  The United States supports a "learning culture " where we can learn from and share knowledge 
and lessons with other Members – from discussing innovation through applied solutions (like the WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 40 - 
 
  Hello Tractor initiative captured in WT/COMTD/W/247 ), to showcasing developing countries as TBT 
and SPS leaders, and bringing more stories from the field to the floor of the Aid for Trade dedicated 
session.  
367.  Today, I would like to flag our latest CTD communication ( WT/COMTD/W/285 ), which is part 
of a broader dialogue on highlighting developing country -led best practices across Committees like  
the CTD, SPS and TBT Committees.  
368.  In early November, in collaboration with the SPS and TBT Committees, we circulated a paper 
entitled Highlights of Activities on Better Integration of Developing Countries in the Agreement on 
the Application on Sanitary and  Phytosanitary Measures and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade.  
369.  This paper addresses (i) some of the challenges and opportunities of using digital tools like 
the ePing SPS&TBT platform;  (ii) the collaborative role that a worldwide network of na tional (SPS 
and TBT) Enquiry Point offices play in facilitating comments on notifications, and providing responses 
to Members on their inquiries; and (iii) the progress developing countries are making toward a 
"building block" approach to implementation an d operation of competent Enquiry Points that are 
responsive to stakeholders, where countries showcase progress to becoming TBT and SPS leaders 
in the activities and discussions of their Committees.  
370.  The United States will continue to work with WTO Members t o bring diverse and insightful 
perspectives to the WTO. We are open to build on the work started in the CTD with thematic sessions 
this past year, and we invite everyone to take a look at our paper. We look forward to engaging with 
Members on the ideas tha t build on our submission, and we hope to generate a productive 
discussion.  
371.   The representatives of Fiji and Vanuatu commended the presentation of the EIF, PIFFS, and 
the United States and looked for forward cooperation.   
V. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION AND DEVELOPMENT  
EFFECTIVENESS  
372.  The WTO Secretar iat provided an update on the Monitoring and Evaluation Exercise and the 
work on indicators discussed in the informal session on 9 October. He highlighted that the 
questionnaire was more succinct than in previous iterations. As per past practice, the questionnaire 
was addressed to four constituencies (i.e., partner countries, regional economic communities and 
transport corridors, bilateral donors and international financial institutio ns, and providers of 
South -South assistance). He commented that the Aid -for-Trade Unit provided regional training on 
the 9th and 10th of November with almost 30 participants in different sessions. The Secretary stated 
that they also briefed the OECD on 17 November. He highlighted that they received 14 complete 
surveys and 31 that are ongoing.  
373.  The Secretary stated that two issues emerged in the 9 October informal meeting on the 
indicators. The first one concerns the challenges of establishing causality betwe en the different 
indicators. The idea is to reflect on that debate about the challenges and consider where capturing 
the narrative in the subsequent analysis would be possible.  
374.  The other set of comments was on capturing some of the issues pertaining to the  2006 Task 
Force recommendations and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. He affirmed that the 
Secretary has been working to present data for financing donors in a more user -friendly format than 
the usual statistical annexe and working with Members, and the OECD will be key.  
375.  On the M&E Exercise, the representative of India observed the need to examine the indicators, 
their formulation, and their functionality, aiming to align them with the Ai d-for-Trade Task Force 
mandate. Such an alignment w ould contribute to measuring Aid for Trade more effectively.    
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
376.  No comments were provided under this agenda item.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/59   
 
- 41 - 
 
  377.  The meeting was adjourned . 
__________