WT/INF/187  
 
4 March 2013  
(13-1181)  Page: 1/5  
    
 
 FOURTH GLOBAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE 
 
"CONNECTING TO VALUE CHAINS" 
8-10 July 2013 
 
INFORMATION NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL 
1  OVERVIEW 
1.1.  Since inception in 2007, the Global Review of Aid for Trade has established itself as the pre-
eminent multilateral forum exploring trade and development issues. Past Global Reviews have examined how developing, and in particular least developed countries (LDCs), are seeking to 
integrate into the global economy, how development partners are supporting this process, and the 
efficacy of this assistance. This year's Global Review takes as its theme: "Connecting to Value Chains". 
1.2.  Global trade is increasingly characterized by transactions within complex value chains. The 
global expansion of value chains is offering new opportunities for many developing countries.  Value chains are no longer just north-south in character. They also involve increasingly complex 
regional and south-south trade interactions, and are extending beyond goods into services. 
1.3.  However, many developing countries, and in particular LDCs, remain on the margins of global 
trade, attract little foreign or domestic investment, and are locked into supplying a narrow range of goods or services. The aim of the 4th Global Revi ew of Aid for Trade is to  examine strategies to 
connect developing country and LDC firms to value chains, how to move up the value chain, and to 
discuss the associated development benefits in the context of the debate about the post-2015 development agenda.   
1.4.  The 4
th Global Review is underpinned by an extens ive monitoring exercise by the OECD and 
WTO, together with Grow Africa, the Internatio nal Chamber of Commerce, the International Trade 
Centre, the International Telecommunications Union, and the United Nations World Tourism 
Organization. Results from this monitoring exercise  will inform debate at the Review meeting.  
1.5.  Spread over three days, this high-level event will bring together trade and development 
professionals from the public and private sectors drawn from the donor community, south-south partners, partner countries and regional organizations.  It will focus on:  
 The relationship between value chains, tr ade and the post-2015 development agenda. 
 How Aid for Trade can support developing countries connect to value chains – and 
associated development benefits and challenges.   
 Future perspectives for the Aid-for-Trade Initiative.  
1.6.  An outline draft of the agenda is attached in Annex 1. An updated agenda including 
information on participants and side events will be communicated in April, together with an 
invitation from the Director-General and details of how to register attendance at the meeting. WT/INF/187 
 
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  Thereafter, regular updates on information about the agenda and the event will be posted on the 
WTO website at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/a4t_e/aid4trade_e.htm .   
2  SIDE EVENTS 
2.1.  To increase the outreach of this year's Global Review of Aid for Trade, Members and 
intergovernmental organizations will be given the opportunity to organize side events. A maximum 
of approximately 25 half-day slots for side events will be available over the course of the three 
days. Please note that the WTO Secretariat would not provide interpretation for any of the side 
events.  
2.2.  Interested parties are requested to submit an outline for their side events, including 
suggested speakers and proposed theme by Friday, 5 April 2013 to aft.wto@wto.org . Members 
and intergovernmental organizations will be responsible for all logistical, financial, catering and 
reporting arrangements and obligations, including with regard to registration of participants, 
arising from their side events. All participants at side events must be registered online through the 
WTO website prior to the 4th Global Review. Further details, including on how to register for the 
side events, will be communicated in due course. 
2.3.  The WTO Secretariat is also approaching business and civil society organizations and other 
relevant stakeholders working on Aid for Trade to invite them to submit proposals to organize side 
events. Other interested parties are invited to co ntact the Secretariat if they are interested in 
submitting side event proposals. Organizations, re levant stakeholders and other interested parties 
will be responsible for all logistical, financial and reporting arrangements and obligations, including with regard to registration of participants, arising from their side events. 
2.4.  In the final elaboration of the agenda, priori ty will be given to accommodate requests for side 
events from Members, notably those requests which address the theme of the 4th Global Review, 
"Connecting to Value Chains".  
3  SOCIAL MEDIA 
3.1.  The 4th Global Review of Aid for Trade will be fe atured on social media. The WTO Facebook 
page will be used to post information and host debates. The event will also be profiled on Twitter.  
Members are invited to use the hash tag #aid4trade to post information on Twitter.   
4  FURTHER INFORMATION 4.1.  All enquiries and questions regarding the 4
th Global Review should be addressed by e-mail to 
aft.wto@wto.org . 
_______________ 
  WT/INF/187 
 
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  ANNEX 1  
FOURTH GLOBAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE 
"CONNECTING TO VALUE CHAINS" 
8-10 July 2013 
 
DRAFT OUTLINE AGENDA 
8 JULY 
 
 
DAY 1 4TH GLOBAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE:  
CONNECTING TO VALUE CHAINS 
 
TRADE, DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND VALUE CHAINS 
8.50 a.m. – 9 a.m.    
CONFERENCE 
ANNOUNCEMENTS    
9 a.m. – 9.15 a.m.    
OPENING ADDRESS 
WTO, OECD    
9.15 a.m. – 9.45 a.m.    
SESSION 1: 
Aid for Trade at a Glance 
2013: Connecting to Value 
Chains  
Heads of Agency session    
9.45 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.    
SESSION 2: 
Connecting to Value chains 
– Aid for Trade Support 
from Multilateral 
Development Institutions    
11.30 a.m. – 1 p.m.    
SESSION 3: 
Parallel stream 1  
Value Chains – Adding Value 
for Development SESSION 3: 
Parallel stream 2  
Trade Finance and Value 
Chains  EIF Heads of 
Agency Meeting  
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.    
SESSION 4: 
Aid, Trade, and the Post-
2015 Development Agenda    WT/INF/187 
 
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  3 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.    
SESSION 5: 
Parallel stream 1  
South-South Value Chains: 
Tapping into Growth 
Markets SESSION 5: 
Parallel stream 2  
Aid for Trade: Catalyst for 
Productive Investment?   
4.30 p.m. – 6 p.m.    
SESSION 6: 
Parallel stream 1  
Aid for Trade, Value Chains 
and Intra-African Trade SESSION 6: 
Parallel stream 2  
Aid for Trade, Value 
Chains and Intra-Asian 
Trade SESSION 6: 
Parallel stream 3  
Aid for Trade, 
Value Chains and 
Intra-American 
Trade SESSION 6: 
Parallel stream 4  
Aid for Trade, 
Value Chains 
and Intra-Arab 
Trade 
 
 
 
9 JULY 
 
 
DAY 2 4TH GLOBAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE:  
CONNECTING TO VALUE CHAINS 
 
UNDERSTANDING VALUE CHAINS AND DEVELOPMENT 
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.    
SESSION 7: 
Parallel stream 1  
Grow Africa: Connecting 
African Agribusiness to Local 
and Global Value Chains SESSION 7: 
Parallel stream 2  
Aid for Trade, Value 
Chains and the Pacific   
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.    
SESSION 8: 
Parallel stream 1  
Connecting to Transport and 
Logistics Value Chains SESSION 8: 
Parallel stream 2  
Connecting to Tourism 
Value Chains   
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.    
SESSION 9: 
Standards and Value 
Chains: The Compliance 
Challenge    
3 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.    
SESSION 10: 
Parallel stream 1  
Connecting to Information 
and Communication 
Technology Value Chains SESSION 10: 
Parallel stream 2  
Connecting to Textiles and 
Apparel Value Chains   WT/INF/187 
 
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  4.30 p.m. – 6 p.m.    
SESSION 11: 
Moving the Development 
Effectiveness Agenda 
Forward: Assessing the 
Impact of Aid for Trade    
 
  
10 JULY  
 
 
DAY 3 4TH GLOBAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE:  
CONNECTING TO VALUE CHAINS 
 
FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ON AID FOR TRADE 
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.    
SESSION 12: 
Tracing the Future of Aid for 
Trade Post-Bali    
11 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.    
SESSION 13: 
Plenary Session for 
Members and Observers    
12.30 p.m. – 1 p.m.    
CLOSING REMARKS 
WTO    
 
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