RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/AFT/M/31  
 
26 June 2014  
(14-3688)  Page: 1/5  
Committee on Trade and Development 
Thirty-First Session on Aid for Trade    
 
 NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 18 JUNE 2014 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mr. Pierre  Claver Ndayiragije (Burundi) 
A. Adoption of the Agenda ............................................................................................. 1  
B. Implementation of the 2014-2015 Ai d-for-Trade Work  Progra mme .................................. 1  
1. Resource Mobilization and Im plementation Activities ..................................................... 1  
2. Mainstreaming ......................................................................................................... 2  
3. Regional Di mension .................................................................................................. 2  
4. Private Se ctor .......................................................................................................... 3  
5. Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementa tion and Development Effectiveness ................... 3  
C. Other Busi ness ........................................................................................................ 4  
 
A. Adoption of the Agenda 
1. The Agenda, as circulated in WTO/AIR/4311, was adopted. 
B. Implementation of the 2014-2015 Aid-for-Trade Work Programme 
1. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities 
2. The representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) reported on its Annual Meeting 
held in Kigali, Rwanda on 19-23 May 2014, the underlying theme of which was "The Next 50 
Years: The Africa We Want".1 The participation of WTO Deputy Director-General Agah as a 
panellist in a side event on "Facilitating Africa's Trade"2 which had been organized in the context of 
the successful outcome of the Bali Ministerial Conference, was appreciated. The overall message 
from discussions was that although now was the time for Africa to reap benefits from the 
multilateral trading system it needed to put in  place the relevant systems and mechanisms that 
would connect it to global markets. Other key messages included, inter alia , the importance of : 
focusing on the implementation of various agr eements undertaken by African countries, including 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA); engaging sm all- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 
TFA implementation; harmonizing government polici es; and inter-agency dialogue. In respect to 
the TFA, she indicated that many African count ries had undertaken needs assessments and that 
the next step would be to ensure that TFA provisions were implemented with the support of 
development partners. She also provided information on the Africa Trade Fund3, the Bank's main 
financing facility for trade-related technical assistance which the Bank aimed to make into Africa's 
foremost facility in the area of trade facilitation and the financing vehicle for the implementation of 
the Bali package in Africa.  
                                               
1 See http://www.afdb.org/en/annual-meetings-2014/ the-next-50-years-%E2%80%9Cthe-africa-we-
want%E2%80%9D/   
2 See also the AfDB video entitled "Facilitating Africa's Trade: Border Voices": 
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/multimedia/video/facilitating-africas-trade-am-2014-877/  
3 Information on the Africa Trade Fund can be found at http://www.africatradefund.org/  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/31 
 
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  3. The representative of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) provided 
a status report on the Aid-for-Trade Initiative for the Arab States (AfTIAS), a multi-donor, 
multi-country and multi-agency initiative aimed at fostering Arab trade through enhancing enterprise competitiveness and facilitating trade.  The first phase of the AfTIAS had been launched 
in November 2013 and activities would be scheduled from 2014-2016 from which a first set of 
bankable/fundable projects would be generated and launched as the second phase of the Initiative. A fast-track work plan was being developed for 2014 to encompass "quick-win" actions 
that could be highlighted at the Arab Economic Summit in January 2015.   
4. The representatives of Oman and Saudi Arabia voiced their support of the Initiative. In 
response to a request by the representative of Guin ea that the Initiative also focus on support to 
developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs), the ITFC indicated that it was 
discussing a similar initiative with the AfDB to address supply-side constraints.   
5. The representative of the World Bank inform ed of a multi-donor funded (EU, Norway, 
Australia, US, Switzerland, and Canada) Trade Facilitation Support Program (TFSP)4, the 
centrepiece of which was to provide technical assistance to help developing countries reform their 
trade facilitation laws, procedures, processes and systems in a manner consistent with the new TFA. Information was also provided on the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice established 
by the Bank in the context of its newly-adopted strategy aimed at strengthening policy advice and 
support to developing countries to help, inter alia , to increase trade and investment, improve 
productivity and competitiveness at national and industry levels, and to create an inclusive, competitive private sector. In response to the request by the representatives of Guinea and 
Vanuatu for information on the funding and scope of the TFSP, the World Bank indicated that the 
Program was designed to be flexible and to  respond rapidly to a wide range of needs.5   
2. Mainstreaming 
6. The representative of the Enhanced Integrat ed Framework (EIF) reported on progress in 
the implementation of its activities in trade main streaming and Tier-1 and Tier-2 related work. He 
noted that over the past five years, the most reported sectors that had mainstreamed trade into 
their strategies included agriculture, tourism, energy, industry, and tran sport and infrastructure. 
At the programme level, and as a complement to existing trade mainstreaming modules, the EIF, in cooperation with UNDP, had started piloting capacity assessment modules in Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Samoa, and Sao Tome and Principe. The capacity assessments 
would be rolled out to other countries on a demand-driven basis to provide customized support.
6 
7. The representative of Benin, on behalf of the LDC Group, supported by Nepal and Guinea, 
highlighted the importance of the EIF as a conc rete example of Aid for Trade and as a special 
framework for LDCs and stressed the need to ensure  the availability of resources and operation of 
the EIF beyond 2015.   
3. Regional Dimension 
8. The representative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the 
Pacific (UNESCAP) outlined UNESCAP's work to st rengthen transport connectivity in South and 
South-West Asia (SSWA). To exploit the SSWA regi on as a hub of East-West trade, a master-plan 
approach was envisaged, inter alia , to: prioritize physical infrastructure development, close 
infrastructure gaps; address transport facilitation bottlenecks; establish regional transit 
agreements to enable cross-border movements; and to mobilize resources from multilateral development banks (MDBs), public-private partners hip funding, and the development of regional 
financial architecture.
7  
9. The Secretariat, on behalf of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), 
provided a summary of UNECA's regional activiti es to support developing countries' effective 
integration in the global economy. These included (i) an Interregional Forum on "Facilitating the 
                                               
4 For more information on the Program, see https://www.wbginvestmentclimate.org/advisory-
services/regulatory-simplifica tion/trade-logistics/trade-facilitation-support-program/  
5 For more information on World Bank activities, see http://www.worldbank.org/   
6 Further information on EIF activities can be found at http://www.enhancedif.org  
7 Information on UNESCAP's activities in the SSWA region can be found at http://sswa.unescap.org/   WT/COMTD/AFT/M/31 
 
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  Effective Integration of Developing Countries in the Global Economy through Aid-for-Trade 
Schemes" which had highlighted the importance of mainstreaming long-term trade strategies into national development policies and coordination at  regional level, the need to renew efforts to 
strengthen the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) fr amework of AfT activities, and the relevance of 
trade facilitation issues for both AfT donors and recipient countries; (ii) collaboration with UNCTAD 
on support to the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency to im prove efficiency of the 
corridor through evidence-based management; and (iii) a Regional Forum on the Implementation 
of Cross-Border Transport Infrastructure Projects in Africa, to be held in July 2014.
8 
10. The representative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 
(OECD) presented a summary of an OECD study on the "Regional Perspectives on Aid for Trade". 
The study, inter alia , assessed the importance of regional Aid for Trade in the wider development 
context and explored strategies as to how recipient countries could best mainstream regional Aid 
for Trade in development planning and how donor countries could assist in formulating the best possible AfT programmes. The study noted, inter alia : that deepening economic integration via 
regional cooperation had emerged as a priority in the reform strategies of most developing 
economies; the importance of AfT support to regi onal projects and programmes which could help 
developing countries plug into regional production networks; and that connecting to value chains 
was an easier path to development than building a complete value chain. To overcome some of the 
practical implementation challenges encountered with regional Aid for Trade, the study had highlighted the need for careful, effective deve lopment planning and mainstreaming; engagement 
by the private sector and civil society; stakehol der ownership; a focus on sustainability; and the 
setting of clear and realist goals.
9 
11. The representative of Colombia noted the complementary role that regional development 
banks could play in support of regional integrat ion. She underlined the importance of promoting 
regional projects and said that many opportunities existed to overcome challenges. 
4. Private Sector 
12. The representative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) reported on its on-going work 
on export strategies (the most recent being in relation to an ITC-facilitated National Export 
Strategy for Jordan), public-private partnerships  (including with Bosch, the Government of Brazil 
and APEX-Brazil, the World Economic Forum, and the World Customs Organization), and SME 
competitiveness. He announced a number of upco ming events to be hosted by the ITC which 
included the World Export Development Forum in Kigali, Rwanda on 16-17 September and the 
World Trade Promotion Organization Event in Dubai on 2-5 November. The ITC was also preparing a technical paper on non-tariff measures (NTMs) and LLDCs in the context of the Second United 
Nations (UN) Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) to be held on 
3-5 November, and would be launching a Project on Women and Trade in the Pacific at the UN's Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States to be held in Apia, Samoa on 
1-4 September.
10 
5. Monitoring and Evaluation of Implemen tation and Development Effectiveness 
13. The representative of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) presented 
information on the STDF's work and activities in support of capacity building and technical 
cooperation.11 He also referred to the mid-term review (2014) of STDF's 2009-2013 performance, 
the results of which were impressive and a testament to the STDF's effective operation and significant role it played in coordinating SPS-related technical assistance projects.
12 In response to 
a request by the representative of Nepal for additi onal resources to complete a project, the STDF 
noted that it only funded SPS-related elements  of a project and suggested that other funding 
concerns be discussed directly with the implementation agency. 
                                               
8 Information on UNECA's work on regional integration and trade can be found at 
http://www.uneca.org/our-work/regional-integration-and-trade  
9 The Study can be found on the OECD website at http://www.oecd.org   
10 Further information on ITC's activities can be found at http://www.in tracen.org  
11 See WT/COMTD/AFT/W/50 
12 See http://www.standardsfacility.org/Files/KeyDocs/STDF_MTR_Jan-14.pdf   WT/COMTD/AFT/M/31 
 
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  14. The Secretariat presented an outline of the proposed theme ("reducing trade costs for 
inclusive, sustainable growth"), time-frame and process for the AfT M&E exercise which would 
inform the 5th Global Review of Aid for Trade tentatively scheduled for mid-2015. Focus issues for 
the exercise would include for merchandise goods (i nfrastructure, NTMs, thickness of borders, and 
access to trade finance) and for services (infrastructure, and regulation of domestic and foreign 
service suppliers). The exercise would likely include the following elements: questionnaires 
addressed to partner countries, donors, South-South partners and RECs; a case story exercise; 
outreach to the private sector; and updating of co untry fact sheets. A draft document providing an 
overview of the exercise would be prepared by th e Secretariat for Members' review and a series of 
informal consultations would be held prior to the formal launch of the exercise towards end-September.  
15. The representative of the United Nations Co nference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 
highlighted the events that had been organized from 16-20 June in the context of UNCTAD's 50th 
Anniversary celebrations.13 She also noted the work carried out by the Global Network of 
Eximbanks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID)14 in respect of mobilization of 
resources which had included a meeting on "Recen t Trends in Trade and Infrastructure Finance 
and its Implications for South-South Cooperation" held in Geneva on 28 March 2014. 
C. Other Business 
16. No item was raised under "Other Business".  
17. The meeting was adjourned. 
 
 
__________  
                                               
13 Details on the events can be found at http://unctad.org/en/Pages/About%20UNCTAD/UNCTAD-at-
50.aspx   
14 For further information on G-NEXID, see http://www.gnexid.org