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WT/COMTD/AFT/M/38  
 
28 November 2016  
(16-6520) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Thirty -Eight h Session on Aid for Trade    
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
NOTE ON THE M EETING OF 17 OCTOBER 2016  
Chairperson: H.E. Mr. Christopher Onyanga Aparr (Uganda)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E 2016 -2017 AID -FOR-TRADE WORK 
PROGRAMME  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
1. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities  ................................ ......................  2 
2. Mainstreaming  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  3 
3. Regional Dimension  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 4 
4. Private Sector  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  4 
5. Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation and Development Effectiveness  ...................  5 
C. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Agenda, as circulated in WTO/AIR/COMTD/AFT/6,  was adopted . 
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2016 -2017 AID -FOR-TRADE WORK PROGRAMME  
2.  Deputy Director -General Yonov Frederick Agah made a statement on the 6th Global Review 
of Aid for Trade  (6GR)  to be held  on 11 to  13 July 2017 . He recalled th e overarching theme of the 
2016-2017 A id-for-Trade Work Programme, "Promoting Connectivity ," and noted that two 
thematic workshops had already been organi zed pursuant to  this theme . He reminded Members 
that the next workshop on "Aid for Trade, Trade Costs Indices and Design and Implementation of 
Policies to Reduce Trade Costs" would be held in February 2017. A further final  workshop  would be 
held prior to the 6G R. This event, to be held in late May 2017, would be dedicated to present ing 
results of the 2016 -2017 monitoring and evaluat ion (M&E) exercise . Recalling the importance of 
the M&E exercise for the 2017 Aid for Trade at a Glance publication, as well as for the 6GR, he 
called on Members to submit responses.  He also shared some initial ideas on planning 
arrangements for the  6GR and encourage d Members to provide input and share ideas for the 
event . 
3. The representative of the United States  welcomed the theme of the 6 GR, welcoming  the 
continued emphasis on reducing trade costs. He emphasized the importance of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement  (TFA) implementation  and urged  that the event focus on how Aid for Trade  
could be used , inter alia , to catalyse  investment in information and communications technolgy  and 
power infrastructure.  
4. The representative of Chinese Taipei  noted the relevance of the the me of the 6GR and the 
importance of connecting to the global trading system either through  e-commerce o r in enhancing 
trade facilitation. She suggested a stro ng focus on women entrepreneurs and  the participation of 
small and medium -sized enterprises ( SMEs), suggesting that side events at  the 6 GR would be  a 
good way of highlighting these issues.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/38  
 
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  5. The representative of Benin , on behalf of  the LDC Group , expressed  support to Haiti in light  
of the devastating effects of H urricane Ma tthew. He further voiced  concern on the downward trend 
in donor Aid-for-Trade ( AfT) commitments. Total AfT commitments between 2 013 and 2014 had 
fallen from US$ 55.4 billion to US $54.8 billion, with LDCs commitments dropping from 
US$18.4 billion to US$ 14.4 billion, and  disbursements fr om US$ 10.8 billion to US $10.5 billion. In 
conclusion, the LDC C oordinator further highlighted that the same downward trend is seen in 
commitments on trade facilitation, where the decline had been from US$ 613 million  in 2013  to 
US$362 million  in 2014 . 
1. Resou rce Mobilization and Implementation Activities  
6. The representative of the World Bank  Group (WBG)  reported that trade issues had been 
prominent in discussions at the WBG and International Mo netary Fund (IMF)  annual meeting s held 
on 7 to 9 October  2016. He informed Members of the release of  the first WBG report on "Poverty 
and Shared Prosperity  2016"; activities on t rade and poverty, which included a joint WTO -WBG 
forum on trade and poverty; work on  e-commerce, which was high on its agenda  moving forward ; 
and on trade facilitation. He reported that the  Trade Facilitation Support Program me had attracted 
US$36 million in support from Australia, the European Union , Canada, Norway, Switzerland , United 
Kingdom and the United States . The Program  had received 59 reque sts for assistance on TFA 
implementation  and already completed technical work in  47 countries  – work that involved  a 
detailed assessment of needs and gaps for full TFA implementation .  
7. The r epresentative of the United States (US)  highlighted the importance  of inclusive 
economic growth as a crucial component for the achievement of poverty reduction . He emphasized 
that t rade and investment were the principal mechanisms through which global market 
forces  - competition, human resource developmen t, and technolog ical innovation  - generate 
growth in developing countries.  Since 2001, the US ha d provided more than US $16 billion of 
technical capacity building  assistance to more than 120 countries, customs territories, and regional 
groupings. He stated that t he US  had played an active role in the WTO Aid -for-Trade Initiative 
since it was launched and ha d long been a supporter of the WTO Global Trust Fund, where US 
contributions had totalled  over US $14 million.1 
8. The representative of  Japan  reported on the Sixth Tokyo Int ernational Conference on African 
Developm ent, TICAD VI , held from 27 to 28 August 2016, in Nairobi , Kenya . The conference had 
resulted in : a pledge  of approximately US $10 billion over three years by Japan  towards building 
quality infrastructure in Africa;  public and private investments worth US$30 billion over three 
years, towards sustaina ble development in Africa;  the signing of 73 M emorandums of 
Understanding for future private sector investments ; and the launch  of the "Japan -Africa Public 
and Private Eco nomic Forum ". The Representative of Kenya  commended the statement by  Japan,  
and welcomed the outcome s of TICAD VI  – recalling also that i t was the first time the c onference 
had been held in Africa . He further stated that  TICAD VI provided a unique opportun ity for the 
private sector to interact with Heads of State and Government. The event  also underscored a  
paradigm shift moving from official development assistance  programmes to private sector -focused 
policies for  increased trade and investment. The represe ntative of Benin  (on behalf of the LDC 
Group)  and the representative of Nigeria  also welcomed Japan's statement on TICAD VI, 
recogniz ing the value of its support for economic growth and development in Africa, particularly for 
LDCs.  
9. The representative of Benin reported on the  outcome of the  first South -South Dialogue on 
LDCs and Development  held in Annecy on 19 to 20 September 2016. He said that, t he Dialogue  
had reviewed  the evolving trends in  South -South cooperation  in the areas  of trade, aid and 
investmen t. LDCs raised the following as p riorities  during the Dialogue : the exchange of 
trade -related  information; the development of quality infrastructure; agriculture, including cotton; 
energy  generation ; industrial development and trade diversification; growth  in services  trade ; 
preferential rules of o rigin;  promotion of SMEs by facilitating their access to finance; market 
access and  special and differential treatment; and  fishery subsidies . He further highlighted as 
priorities : integration into regional and gl obal value chains; technical barriers to t rade; trade 
facilitation  and connectivity; training, r esearch and d evelopment;  technology t ransfer; 
geographical i ndications; access to financing , in particular for the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework  (EIF) and Aid f or Trade ; the accession of LDCs to the WTO and  the situation of  recently 
                                                
1 Further information available on USAID’s website, and in USTR’s annual report and trade policy 
agenda . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/38  
 
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  acceded  Members to  the WTO; regional i ntegration and preference erosion ; and the exchange of 
experiences and good practices.  The representative of China  welcomed  the statement made by  
Benin on behalf of the LDC Group , noting that  LDCs were an important force at the WTO. He 
explained  that the "South -South Dialogue" was a new pillar  to the China  LDCs and Accessions 
Program me (The China Program me) established  in 2011 which  sought to  further the integration of 
LDCs into the  multilateral  trading system.  
10. The representative of the European Union (EU)  provided an update on the revision of the 
2007 EU Aid for Trade Strategy.  She recalled that  the current AfT strategy had been designed  to 
respond  to the WTO AfT I nitiative and had succeeded in galvanizing  action by EU member States. 
The EU, both member S tates and EU institutions , were together  the largest provider of  Aid for 
Trade – accounting for more than 30% of total funds. The objective  of the new EU strategy  was to 
better articulate achieving the S ustainable Development Goals and an increased development 
impact . The revised strategy  would  remain linked to the A id-for-Trade Initiative , while fostering EU 
values of social and environmental sustai nability together  with economic growth.  The revised  
strategy  might also seek to introduce differentiation in addressing in a more strategic manner the 
specific trade -related needs of various partner  countries, notably  the LDCs. The revised strategy 
would b e ready  in early 2017.  The Representative of Benin  welcomed the update by the EU and 
the EU's commitment towards trade and development, noting the importance of the EIF and A id 
for Trade for LDCs.  The representative of Nigeria spoke  in support of the state ment of Benin  and 
welcomed the EU 's new approach to A id for Trade and suggested  focus on LDC s. 
2. Mainstreaming  
11. The representative of El Salvador  updated Members on its recent Trade Policy Review (TPR)  
and s pecifically on the implementation of its national po licy for development, diversification,  and 
productive transformation . Advances  made in customs modernization and  its ratification of the TFA 
were noted, together with the adoption of the Central American strategy o n trade facilitation and 
competitiveness that included an emphasis on coordinated management of borders . Updates were 
also given on progress on El Salvador's legal framework for the protection of intellectual pro perty 
and investment promotion . 
12. The representative of Singapore , commenting on its rec ent TPR, updated Members on its AfT 
activities through the Singapore Cooperation Programme. S he noted that i n the last three years 
Singapore  had hosted a significant number of  trade-related courses and study visits for officials 
from around the world.  Trade-related  technical training  conducted with the WTO  was highlighted , 
together with activities conducted  under the Initiative for Asian Integration.    
13. The representative of Tunisia  noted his country's new development strategy for  2015-2020 
in comments on Tu nisia's recent TPR . He informed Members that on 29 November 2016  an 
international conference would be held on the implementation plan for this new development 
strategy with the aim of mobili zing resources , notably through public -private partnerships .   
14. The representative of China , commenting on its recent TPR,  provided an overview of China's 
South-South cooperation activities , with a focus on LDCs. He updated Members on the 
establishment of an assistance fund of US $2 billion in 2015,  together with the estab lishment of  an 
Institute of South -South Cooperation and Development in 2016. China further updated Members 
on its  provision of "6 one -hundred" projects for developing countries and other important 
measures for South-South cooperation, notably, poverty redu ction program mes, agriculture 
cooperation program mes, Aid-for-Trade program mes, ecological protection program mes, hospitals 
and clinics, and schools and professional training centres.  Progress was reported in furthering 
market access for LDC s through the p rovision of duty-free and quota -free (DFQF)  market access  
on 97% of tariff lines for 33 LDCs having diplomatic ties with China and the  extension of the China 
Accession Program me. It was further noted that the 13th Five Year Plan (2016 -2020) would  expand 
the scope and optimi ze China's South -South cooperation  regime and contribute  to the 
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
15. Reporting on its recent TPR, the representative of Zambia  updated the Committee  on the 
establishment of its  EIF National Implementati on Unit  that would ensure the  coordinated delivery 
of trade -related t echnical assistance. He highlighted the mainstreaming of trade in Zambia's 
national development plan , as per the recommendations of the EIF Diagnostic Trade I ntegration 
Study (DTIS)  under taken in 2013 . Support to implement Zambia's s ugar sector reform was also WT/COMTD/AFT/M/38  
 
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  profiled, together with transport c orridor development with Zambia’s neighbouring countries , and 
the development of  a one-stop border post.  
16. The representative of the Enhanced Integr ated Framework (EIF)  updated Members on latest 
developments. She noted the release of the EIF  Impact Report  and outlined some of the results 
highlighted in the publication.2 On Phase 2  of the EIF, she reported that ongoing institutional 
capacity -building p rojects had been approved for Malawi, Senegal,  and Cabo Verde. New ones will 
be supported for Afghanista n, Madagascar  and Mauritania. Further more, she highlighted that the 
resolution of a technical i ssue relating to the Trust Fund would  lead to the r est of  the 2016 
commitments coming  through over the next months , and a stream  of new projects being funded. 
She informed Members on the revision of the DTIS Guidelines, which would soon be shared with 
Members for their input , together with the EIF Handbook for P hase 2 which should be approved by 
the EIF Board in November 2016 . The next EIF Board meeting w ould take place on 
30 November  to 1 December in Kigali, Rwanda. Whilst the agenda was still being finalized, the 
meeting would  focus on the strategic plan  and would showcase EIF work on the ground , including 
the cross -border trade work which was focused on supporting women's economic empowerment , 
and which ha d leveraged significant additional resources from a range of other development 
partners.  
17. The representativ e of Norwa y was  pleased to note that the standard provisions for E IF 
Phase 2 had  been finalized. He stated that  with a sound institutional set -up in place  and renewed 
enthusiasm , Norway wa s ready to disburse f unds before the end of the year. He also noted that 
his delegation  looked forward to the Deputy E xecutive Director post being filled promptly . The 
representative of Benin  called on partners t hat had indicated their  intention to participate in EIF 
Phase 2 to  start disbursements so pending projects c ould be implemented.  
3. Regional Dimension  
18. The representative of the United States  made an  intervention under this sub -item on the US 
Trade Africa initiative.3 He reported that under this initi ative in 2015, the US  and the East African 
Community (EAC) had signed a Cooperation Agreement to increase trade -related capacity and 
deepen the economi c ties between the US  and the EAC. Trade Africa had also been expanded to 
West and Southern Africa, with bilateral program mes in Côte d’Ivo ire, Ghana, Mozambique, 
Senegal  and Zambia , to implement WTO and regional protocols.  The representative of Nigeria  
took note of the new partnership be tween  the US and Sub -Saharan Africa,  in particular , the plan 
which is aimed at increasing regional trade within Africa and between the US and  Africa.  
4. Private Sector  
19. The representative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) reported  on its activities geared 
towards the implementation of the  WTO TFA, e-commerce , and the launch of its new strategic 
program me "E-Solutions" . The ITC recalled  its on going  services trade  research , the launch of its 
annual flagship report  SME Competitiveness Outlook 2016, the 16th World Export Development 
Forum held in Colombo , Sri Lanka  and the Annual Trade for Sustainable Development Forum, held 
during the WTO Public Forum.4 
20. The representative of Nigeria  commend ed the ITC on the reported initiat ive and activ ities, 
particularly in relation to Africa.  The representative of Haiti took note of the statement made by 
the ITC to strengthen its support  in Haiti. He also seized the opportunity to thank the LDC  Group 
for the support expressed to Haiti in response to th e devastating effects of Hurricane Mat thew.  
21. The representative of UNIDO  reported on the s uccessful conclusion of its first Agro -industry 
forum held in  Addis Ababa,  from 5 to 7 October  2016, which was  organi zed jointly by UNIDO  and 
the G overnment of Ethiopia.  UNIDO stated that the  forum wa s part of the new approach it is 
piloting as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development  - Program mes for Country 
Partners hips. The representative of Nigeria  welcomed UNIDO's pilot scheme, stating that his 
delegation looked forward to its completion.  
                                                
2 See, EIF: Trade for LDC Dev elopment: Impact Report 2015 .  
3 See, https://www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica  for information on Trade Africa.  
4 See, International Trade Centre. (2016, October 6). SME Competitiveness Outloo k: Meeting the 
Standard for Trade. Retrieved from http://www.intracen.org/publication/SME -Competitiveness -Outlook -
Meeting -the-Standard -for-Trade/  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/38  
 
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  5. Monitoring and Evaluation  of Implementation and Development Effectiveness  
22. Under this sub -item, the Secretariat  provided an upda te on the 2016 -2017 M&E exercise, 
and reported informally  on the morning's workshop on "P romoting Connectivity".5 The Chairman 
announced the extension of the M&E deadline by a month to 30  November 2016.  
23. The Secretariat  gave an overview of the ongoing M&E e xercise, noting that six responses 
and eight case stories had been submitted to date . The Secretariat shared some preliminary trends 
from the initial responses received, cautioning that the sample responses were  too small to give an 
indication of future re sults from the exercise .  
24. The representative of Nigeria  welcomed the report of the S ecretariat , noting that it provide d 
insight on priorities and issues of r elevance to developing countries  and inquired on the possibility 
of comparing past cas e stores with  the current exercise. The Secre tariat  responded that this could 
be done whe re the questions are comparable  and that it would be happy to enter that comparison 
in the next update.  
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
25. The representative  of the  European Union made a statement ann ouncing a call for p roposal s 
for its Intra-ACP Tradecom II Program me supported by the ACP and the EU.  
26. The meeting was adjourned . 
 
 
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5 See, Informal Report Workshop on Promoting Connectivity: the Service Dimension.  
https://www.wto.org/english/ tratop_e/devel_e/a4t_e/informal_report17716.pdf