PRESS RELEASE 
 
PRESS/758 
11 November 2015 
 
(15-5973) 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
Norway donates NOK 58.5 million to boost trading capacity of 
developing countries and LDCs 
The government of Norway will donate NOK 58.5 million (CHF 6,798,989) to trade-related 
programmes for developing countries, in particular least-developed countries (LDCs), in 2015-
2016.   Norway's contribution consists of NOK 20 mill ion (CHF 2,327,258) to the Doha Development 
Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF), NOK 8 million (CHF 930,963) to the Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF), NOK 30 million (CHF 3,486,681) to the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Facility (TFAF) and NOK 500,000 (CHF 58,169) to help LDCs participate in the WTO's 10th Ministerial Conference. The objective of this funding is to help developing countries and LDCs 
improve their capacity to trade, implement WTO agreements and better integrate into the global 
economy.   WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: "Norway's donations are a welcome contribution to the WTO's continued work in trade-related technica l assistance. These will help boost developing 
and least-developed countries' capacities to take advantage of global markets, provide them the 
assistance for implementing the Trade Facilitati on Agreement, support LDC participation in the 
WTO's Ministerial Conference in Nairobi this December, and enhance the inclusiveness of the 
multilateral trading system."  
 
Norway's Ambassador Harald Neple said: "Norway firmly believes that the integration of developing countries into the multilateral tradin g system will influence positively the economic 
development of these countries. It is particularly important to enable the poorest countries to reap 
the benefits that the WTO rule book provides, and I am pleased that Norway is contributing in this 
regard. Taking on commitments in the WTO in line with countries’ economic development is an important step towards global integration and increased prosperity.”  
The DDAGTF was established to help developing countries and LDCs improve their participation in 
trade-related policy-making, in the context of the Doha Round - the latest round of trade 
negotiations among WTO members – and implement WTO agreements.  
The TFAF was created at the request of developing  countries and LDCs to help ensure that they 
receive the assistance needed to reap the full benefits of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and to support the ultimate goal of full implementation  of the new Agreement by all members. The TFAF PRESS/758 
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 will support these countries in assessing their specific needs and identifying possible development 
partners to help them meet those needs through a diverse number of activities. 
 The STDF is a global partnership working to incr ease awareness, mobilize resources, strengthen 
collaboration, identify and disseminate good pr actice and provide support and funding for the 
development and implementation of projects that  promote compliance with international sanitary 
and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements. The objective of this facility is to help developing countries and LDCs establish and implement SPS standards in the areas of food safety, animal health and plant health and expand their ability to gain or maintain access to international markets.  
 
Through its contribution relating to the Minister ial Conference, Norway will cover the travelling 
expenses of government officials from developing countries, in particular LDCs, to ensure that they can fully participate in the Tenth Ministerial Co nference, the WTO's top decision-making body.  
 
Since 2001, Norway has donated a total of NOK 300,044,180 (CHF 34,888,013) to WTO trust 
funds.   
END