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Roberto Azevêdo 
  Director-General 
 
   
29 October 2014 
  
 
 Dear Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives, 
 
I am enclosing the 18th version of the Evolvi ng Table on Cotton Development Assistance 
(WT/CFMC/6/Rev.17) for review by Members in advance of the next Round of the Director-General's Consultative Fram ework Mechanism on Cotton (DGCFMC). 
 
The attached version of the Evolving Table (ET) registers contributions from Australia, Brazil, 
Canada, the European Union (and some of its Member States), Japan and the United States, as 
well as from several multilateral institutions, namely, the FAO, the IMF and UNIDO. Particularly 
noteworthy is the continuous support and signific ant contributions from Brazil, China and India on 
the platform of South-South Co-operation. 
 
I am pleased to report that the figures in the ET show a resumption of their positive trend. 
In fact, there has been a slight improvement in the ratio between commitments and disbursements in Part I, which relates to "Cotto n Specific Development Assistance", and a stable 
situation has continued in relation to that ratio in Part II, which lists "Agriculture and 
Infrastructure-Related Development Assistance".  
The updated commitments and disbursements of active operational activities in this version 
of the Table are highlighted as follows:  
 In Part I, on Cotton Specific Development Assistance , the number of individual 
beneficiaries decreased to 27 from 28 in the previous version, whereas the total number of commitments remained stable at 37. The total value of commitments decreased by US$8.13 million, mainly due to th e transfer of a suspended project to the 
relevant Annex, and now amounts to US$327.5 million. Disbursement flows increased 
by US$5.5 million to reach US$98 million. The ratio of total disbursements to total commitments reached 30%, compared to 28% earlier.  
 
 In Part II, on Agriculture and Infrastructure-Related Development Assistance , 
the number of individual beneficiaries incr eased to 28 from 27, while the total number 
of commitments increased to 60 from 55 previously. The total value of these 
commitments increased to US$4.85 billion and the disbursement flows also increased by US$62 million to reach US$2.68 billion. The ratio of total disbursements to total commitments stayed put at 55%. 
 
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I am also pleased to attach the 10th version of the Table on Domestic Cotton Sector Reforms 
(WT/CFMC/21/Rev.9), reflecting new contributions from Benin, as well as the continuation of initiatives undertaken by Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. These regular updates show that 
beneficiaries are making steady progress on the reforms of their cotton sector. 
 
The 22
nd Round of the DGCFMC will be held on 28 November 2014. Back-to-back with this 
meeting, the second Dedicated Discussion on the Relevant Trade-related Developments on Cotton, 
chaired by Ambassador John Adank, will take place in the afternoon. Thus, in a full day both tracks 
of the cotton issue will be addressed.  
The enclosed documents will form the basis for the 22
nd Round of Consultations of the 
Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton, which will be chaired by DDG David Shark on my behalf. 
 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
  
 
 
Roberto Azevêdo