WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
13 October 2015  
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Committee on Trade and Development 
Aid for Trade    
 
 FIFTH GLOBAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE  
REDUCING TRADE COSTS FOR INCLUSIVE, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH 
30 JUNE – 2 JULY 2015 
Summary Report 
 
This Summary Report has been prepared under the responsibility of the WTO Secretariat and without prejudice to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
 
 
 
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  TABLE OF CONTENTS 
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ 2  
FOREWORD BY THE DI RECTOR-GENERAL ......................................................................... 6  
ACKNOWLEDGEM ENTS ..................................................................................................... 7  
OVERVIEW OF REGISTER ED PARTICIPANTS .................................................................... 8  
DAY 1 – 30 JU NE 2015 ..................................................................................................... 9  
Session 1: Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustai nable Growth .......................................... 9  
Opening remarks by the WT O Director-G eneral ..................................................................... 9  
Remarks by the President of  the World Ba nk Group .............................................................. 12 
Remarks by the Secretary-General of the Or ganisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development ................................................................................................................... 15 
Remarks by the President of the Asian Develo pment Bank ..................................................... 17 
Remarks by the Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development ................................................................................................................... 19 
Panel discu ssion ..............................................................................................................  21 
Session 2 – Supporting Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement ............................. 25 
Session 3: Effective Implementation of SP S Measures to Facili tate Safe Trade .......................... 30 
Session 4: Reducing Trade Costs in Cent ral America through Tr ade Facilitation ......................... 32 
Session 5: The Role of Trade Facilitation in Supporting Africa's Regional Integration 
Agenda ........................................................................................................................ .. 34 
Session 6: Reducing Trade Costs in Asia and the Pacific ......................................................... 37 
Session 7 – Reducing Trade Costs for Islamic Developmen t Bank Members .............................. 40 
Session 8: Access to Cooperation for Small and Vulnerable Economies through the 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative ..................................................................................................... 43 
DAY 2 – 1 JULY 2015 ...................................................................................................... 45  
Session 9: WTO and Development: Looking Ahead to the Nairobi Ministerial Conference ............ 45 
Remarks by the Director-General , World Trade Or ganization .................................................. 46 
Remarks by Amina Mohamed, Ambassador, Cabine t Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and International Trade, Kenya .......................................................................................... 48 
Session 10: Reducing Trade Co sts in South- South Trade ....................................................... 51 
Session 11: Launch of the New EI F: Trade for LDC Development ............................................ 53 
Opening remarks by the WTO Director -General .................................................................... 53 
Closing remarks by Mr Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director of the EIF Executive 
Secretariat ...................................................................................................................... 55 
Session 12: Electronic Commerce an d the Aid-for-Trad e Initiative ........................................... 56 
Session 13: Reducing Trade Costs for LDCs' Merchandise Trade Development ........................... 59 
Session 14: Reducing Trade Costs for LDCs' Services Trade Development ................................ 61 
DAY 3 – 2 JULY 2015 ...................................................................................................... 65  
Session 15: Reducing Trade Costs in the Cotton Value Chain .................................................. 65 
Session 16: Trade and Gender: Empowering Women through Inclus ive Supply Chains ............... 67 
Opening stat ements ......................................................................................................... 67 
Panel discu ssion ..............................................................................................................  67 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Closing st atement ............................................................................................................ 69 
Session 17: Reducing Trade Costs and the Aid-for-Trade Results Agenda: Lessons from 
Recent Evaluations an d Impact Studies ............................................................................... 70 
Session 18: Closing Plenary Session ................................................................................... 73 
Closing Statement by WT O Director-G eneral ........................................................................ 89 
SIDE EVENTS.................................................................................................................. 9 2 
Side event 1: Lessons from Natural Disasters and Other Humanitarian Emergencies on 
the Role of Trade in Relief and Reconstruction ...................................................................... 92 
Side event 2: Mombasa: On e Port, 200 Milli on Peop le ........................................................... 98 
Side event 3: Joining Forces to Reduce Trad e Costs for Inclusive Su stainable Growth .............. 102  
Side event 4: Reducing Cargo Costs in Air Tr ansport – Giving the Bali TFA Deal Wings ............. 104  
Side event 5: Aid for Trade and Intra- and Inter-Regional Trade Cooperation in 
French-speaking Countries: Experiences and Pe rspectives Africa-Asi a-West Af rica ................... 106  
Side event 6: Getting Past Non-Tariff Me asures: Reducing Cost s for Busi ness ......................... 108  
Side event 7: Ceremony to Confer  Order of the Ja guar Award .............................................. 111  
Side event 8: Brewin g Development II .............................................................................. 112  
Side event 9: Business Unusual Post- 2015: New Donor Directions in Combining Aid and 
Trade for Fa rmers .......................................................................................................... 11 3 
Side event 10: Public-Private Dialogue in Tr ade Facilitation: How to Foster Debate in 
National Trade Facilitation Committees and Keep this Debate Alive and Kicking ....................... 115  
Side event 11: WTO Chairs Programme ............................................................................. 117  
Side event 12: 21st Century Public Private Partnership – A New Model for Implementing 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement ...................................................................................... 120  
Side event 13:  Geographical Indicati ons as an Engine for Development ................................ 122  
Side event 14: Implementing Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade for Sustainable 
Growth: Evidence from the UN  Regional Co mmissions ......................................................... 124  
Side event 15: Regional Infrastructure for Trade Facilitation – Impact on Growth and 
Poverty Reduction .......................................................................................................... 126  
Side event 16:  The Future of the EU Aid-for-Trade Strategy – A Stakeholder Consultation ....... 128  
Side event 17: Good Management: A Way to Increase Economic Benefits, including Trade 
in the Fisherie s Sector  .................................................................................................... 13 2 
Side event 18:  The Vienna Programme of  Action for the Landlocked Developing 
Countries 2014-2024 ...................................................................................................... 136  
Side event 19:  Reducing Trade Costs by Mapping Sustainability Standards in Supply 
Chains .......................................................................................................................... 138  
Side event 20:  Understanding Effective Development Partnerships - Cooperative 
Experiences with Develo ping Countri es/LDCs ..................................................................... 140  
Side event 21: Promoting Cooperative to C ooperative Trade for Sustainable Development ........ 142  
Side event 22:  Motor Vehicle Agreement Among the BBIN Group of Countries: Key 
Concerns, Challenges  and Benefits ................................................................................... 144  
Side event 23: Discovering Pacific Trade Potential .............................................................. 147  
Side event 24: Managing Non-tariff Measures in Sustainable Development Strategies .............. 148  
Side event 25: Transforming Border Bottlenecks into Global Gateways – OECD Tools to 
support Trade Facilitation ................................................................................................ 150  
Side event 26: Sequencing Reforms and Ge aring up for Ratification of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement .................................................................................................... 152  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 27: Aid for Trade in Support  of Sustainable De velopment Goals ............................ 154  
Side event 28: Barriers Facing Women Traders in Africa: What are They and How could 
Aid for Trade Help in Removing Them? .............................................................................. 157  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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About the Fifth Global 
Review of Aid for 
Trade  
The theme of the Fifth Global Review was "Reducing Trade Costs for 
Inclusive, Sustainable Growth". Discussions focused on the 
implications of trade costs for developing countries, and in particular 
least developed countries, and analysed actions already undertaken by 
developing countries, regional communities and their development 
partners to reduce trade costs. The Review also surveyed the extent of 
the challenge remaining, and how it could be addressed in the context 
of the proposed UN's Sustainable Development Goals.  
 
The debate was informed by a series of publications that discussed the 
results of a global extensive monitoring and evaluation exercise, 
notably the flagship joint OECD-WTO publication "Aid for Trade at a 
Glance 2015: Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, sustainable Growth" 
which, for the first time, was prepared in collaboration with the 
Enhanced Integrated Framework, the International Trade Centre, the 
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Bank 
Group, and the World Economic Forum.   
About this publication This publication brings together summary reports of the Plenary 
Sessions and Side Events held during the Fifth Global Review event. 
The summary reports of the Plenary Sessions were prepared by the 
WTO Secretariat. Summary reports of the Side Events were prepared 
by Side Event organizers and the WTO Secretariat. 
Find out more Fifth Global Review of Aid for Trade  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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FOREWORD BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL We have come a long way since the Aid-for-Trade Initiative was launched ten years ago in 2005. 
During this period the Initiative has gained an enhanced global profile and has helped push the aid 
for trade envelope from around US$25 billion in the period 2002-05 to over US$55 billion in 2013. 
 Successive biennial Global Reviews of Aid for Trad e have established this forum as a high-level 
multilateral dialogue on not just aid for trade, but also on a range of key trade and development 
issues. Global Reviews provide a platform to examine how developing, and in particular least developed countries (LDCs), are better able to utilize market access opportunities through targeted aid for trade; how this is assisting their integration into the global economy; how 
development partners are helping in this process; and above all the effectiveness of this support. 
 The Fifth Global Review of Aid for Trade, held on 30 June – 2 July 2015, was timely. Not only does 
2015 mark the tenth anniversary of the Initiative and the twentieth anniversary of the WTO, it is 
also a landmark year for the global developmen t community. The Global Review sent a powerful 
message of the central importance of trade and th e multilateral rules based system in the context 
of the UN's Sustainable Development Go als and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. 
 A clear theme throughout the discussions at the Re view was that trade costs matter. High trade 
costs act as a barrier on the integration of developing countries into regional and global value 
chains, and thereby into the global economy. Th e sessions at the Review showed that this is 
especially true for LDCs, landlocked developing countries and geographically remote, small economies. All these countries are particularly weighed down by heavy trade costs.  
 
Action to reduce trade costs will help deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, and the implementation of the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agr eement (TFA) will be an important step in this 
direction. The experiences of many in supporting and enacting border reforms were shared during 
the Global Review – with new initiatives being ou tlined. Light was shed on where to find support 
for TFA implementation, particularly as regards the TFA Facility that began operation in 2014. The Enhanced Integrated Framework also launched Phase 2 of its programme to support LDCs during 
the Review. 
 Over 1,500 participants registered for this year's Global Review, providing rich contributions to a 
total of 18 plenary sessions and 28 side events . We were delighted by the high level of 
participation, including heads of many multilateral and regional development institutions and ministers from developed and developing count ries, across all three days of the event. 
 
This publication provides a summary of the discussio ns of the Fifth Global Review. I hope it will 
contribute further to reaffirming the Aid-for-Trade Initiative as an integral component of trade-led economic growth and development – a component wh ich will only become more important as work 
to deliver the global Sustainable Development Goals gets underway. 
 
Roberto Azevêdo 
October 2015 
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  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
 
The Fifth Global Review was organized by the Aid- for-Trade Unit in the WTO Development Division. 
We would like to thank all the speakers and all those who organized side events during the 
Review.    
 This summary report has been prepared on the basi s of reports prepared by the organizers of the 
side events and by staff from the Accessions Division, the Agriculture and Commodities Division, 
the Council and TNC Division, the Development Division, the Economic Research and Statistics Division, the Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat, the Intellectual Property Division, the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, the Legal Affairs Division, the Standards and 
Trade Development Facility, the Trade and Envi ronment Division, the Trade Policies Review 
Division, and the Trade in Services Division.  
The Development Division is indebted to the volunteers in the WTO Secretariat who worked 
tirelessly throughout the event.  
Special gratitude is also extended to the sta ff of the Graphic Design, Printing and Documents 
Distribution Section, the Documents Management, Monitoring and Production Section, the Language Services, and the Interpretation Se ction, of the Languages, Documentation and 
Information Management Division; and to the Conference Room Technical Group, the Conference 
and Visitors Services Group, the Facility Manageme nt Service, and the Security and Safety Service 
of the Administration and General Services Division.    WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  OVERVIEW OF REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS 
Fifth Global Review 2015: Statistics of  registered participants by category 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Category Total 
Business Representative 71 
Consultant 57 
Government Official 710 
International Organization 446 
Journalist 5 
NGO Representative 136 
Student 24 
Other (including Academia, Parliamentarian) 105 
Grand Total 1,554 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  DAY 1 – 30 JUNE 2015 
Session 1: Reducing Trade Costs fo r Inclusive, Sustainable Growth 
Opening remarks : Roberto Azevêdo , Director-
General, World Trade Organization  
 
 Angel Gurría , Secretary-General, 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development  
 Jim Kim , President, World Bank Group  
 Takehiko Nakao , President, Asian 
Development Bank 
 Joakim Reiter, Deputy Secretary-General, 
United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development  
 
 
 
 
 
Moderator : Sean Doherty , Director, 
International Trade and Investment, World 
Economic Forum  
 
Panel discussion:  
 Antoni Estevadeordal , Manager, Integration 
and Trade Sector, Inter-American 
Development Bank 
 Arancha González , Executive Director, 
International Trade Centre 
 Philippe Le Houérou , Vice President for 
Policy and Partnership, European Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development  
 Moono Mupotola, Division Manager, 
Regional Integration and Trade Division, 
African Development Bank 
 Magdy Martínez-Solimán , Assistant 
Administrator and Director of the Bureau for 
Policy and Programme Support, United 
Nations Development Programme 
 Hani Sonbol , Acting Chief Executive Officer, 
Islamic Corporation for Insurance of 
Investments and Export Credits and Deputy 
Chief Executive Officer, International 
Islamic Trade Finance Corporation High trade costs effectively price many 
developing countries out of global markets, not 
just with respect to their exports, but also 
access to imports too. As a result, comparative 
advantages in merchandise goods may remain 
unexploited and the economic growth 
possibilities offered by services' trade are 
untapped.  
 
The challenge of reducing trade costs and the 
contribution that this can make to inclusive, 
sustainable growth – a concept that lies at the 
heart of proposed Sustainable Development 
Goals (SDGs) – was the central theme of this 
year's Aid for Trade at a Glance publication.   
 
The session discussed how action on reducing 
trade costs could contribute to the UN's 
emerging Post-2015 Development Agenda, 
together with Financing for Development , and 
provided an opportunity for representatives of 
other international agencies to share their views 
on the issue of trade costs. 
 
Opening remarks by the WTO Director-General 
Welcome to the 5th Global Review of Aid for Trade. I am pleased to be joined this morning by 
Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General, Jim Kim, President of the World Bank Group, 
Takehiko Nakao, President of the Asian Development Bank, and Joakim Reiter, UNCTAD Deputy 
Secretary-General.  
We have a huge range of people taking part in the Global Review this year, including: over 
20 Ministers from around the world — also from th e Pacific, which is the region that faces the 
highest natural trade costs due to its remoteness; a similar number of leaders from international 
organizations; representatives from the private sector; and more than 1,000 trade and development professionals. So welcome, once again, to you all.  
Our theme this year is Reducing Trade Costs to support Inclusive, Sustainable Development".  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  High costs suffocate trade. They limit the gains fr om trade. Worse, the burd en of high trade costs 
falls heaviest on the poorest countries, the smallest firms and the lowest income consumers. In Africa, high trade costs in the region mean that only 5% of imported food staples are bought from other African countries.   
If it's taking 40, 50, 60 or more days to export your produce, then you're not getting the most out 
of the trading system. The phrase "time is money" has never seemed more appropriate. If it takes 
that long to move your goods, then it will drive up your costs and you will simply be priced out of 
the market. As a result, you will be stuck at the first link of the value chain, and operate mostly with non-time-sensitive commodities.  
In 34 of the 49 least developed countries (LDCs), just three products account for 70% or more of 
their merchandise exports.  Unbalanced economies struggle to deliver balanced development outcomes. Without diversification, inclusive, sustainable growth is all but impossible.  High trade 
costs disconnect the economy from international flow s of goods and services. They therefore stifle 
creativity – the motor behind productivity that drives economic growth. 
Consumers also get a raw deal. Prices of imports are higher and choice is limited.  That's a big 
problem if you earn less than a dollar and 25 cents per day – and around 1 billion people still live in this condition. This is why reducing trade costs – particularly for the poorest – is so important.  
This is a very important year for trade and development. If you'll forgive me using a few more 
numbers.  This is the 5
th Global Review, 
 We are preparing the WTO's 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi – making it the first 
Ministerial Conference to be held in Africa, 
 And we are marking the WTO's 20th anniversary year. 
Over those 20 years the WTO has contributed a great deal to development around the world, and 
the integration of developing countries into the global trading system. 
Since the early 1990s, 1 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty. Around two-thirds 
of that poverty reduction has come from economic growth in developing countries – and trade has been a major driver of that growth.  
So this year, as the world comes together to define the Post-2015 Development Agenda and agree 
on the new Sustainable Development Goals, I think we have to make sure that trade plays its full role.  And with this in mind, I think we need to do much more.  
Many people remain disconnected from the trading system, or do not feel its full benefits.  We 
must find ways to further cut trade costs, lower trade barriers, reduce distortive subsidies, and 
increase people's capacity to trade, so that the poorest can access more of the benefits that trade 
can provide.   
Fortunately, we have many tools at our disposal to deliver all of this.  
First, as we will hear today, we can achieve a great deal through the Aid-for-Trade Initiative itself.  
Aid for Trade makes a big difference on the ground, which is what we are all about. In more than 
15 African countries, disbursements through this initiative are worth more than 2% of their Gross Domestic Product.  It is vital therefore that we maximise the results that Aid for Trade can deliver. 
I'm pleased to say that the evidence harvested in the Global Review shows that this is happening. 
Aid for Trade is helping to link people into the trading system – and therefore it is improving lives. 
Second , we can take a leap forward in cutting trade costs by implementing the WTO's Trade 
Facilitation Agreement which was finalized in Bali in December 2013. The Aid for Trade at a Glance  
report highlights many examples of where border modernization efforts are yielding success.  
Cambodia, Guatemala, Kenya, Lesotho, Peru, Ta jikistan and Togo are just some of the WTO WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Members that are reporting faster clearance times, higher customs revenues and savings for 
traders from border modernization efforts.  These examples give a sense of the impact that the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement can have. We are talking about a potential annual boost to the global economy of 1 trillion dollars – and 18 million new jobs in the developing world.  
And there is a lot of support available to help  countries implement the Agreement. The WTO's 
Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility will be an important channel to deliver support, as well as the 
programmes of many of our partners who are here today – international organizations, 
development banks, donors.  Delivering the other decisions which were taken in Bali will be very 
critical as well – particularly those which aim to provide benefits for the LDCs. 
Moving on, the third  – and potentially the most important step we can take here – would be to 
negotiate new development outcomes at our Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December. This is a major focus of our work this year – and we are doing all we can to help members deliver. 
Negotiations are intense. It's tough – like everything else we do. But we're still talking and moving 
in the right direction.  There will be many opport unities to discuss each of these issues, and more, 
over the next three days. 
Indeed, there will be many sessions and debates to get involved in, as well as a wealth of new 
reports and data to consider.  So let me pick out just some of the key points as I see them: 
 First, trade costs remain too high. They still act as a powerful brake on the development of 
the poorest. They penalise small business and the poorest consumers.  
 Second, to travel along the path of inclusive, sustainable development, we must do more 
to cut trade costs. 
 Third, for developing countries and their fina ncing partners, this means prioritizing trade 
issues and mobilizing resources in order to build capacity.  
 Fourth, here at the WTO the message is even simpler: implement the Bali 
Package - including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, and deliver for development in Nairobi.  
Let's make 2015 the year of trade and development.  I wish you all a very productive three days. 
Thank you. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Remarks by the President of the World Bank Group 
 Good morning. Thank you for welcoming me to th e WTO's Fifth Global Revi ew of Aid for Trade. 
 
Promoting freer and more inclusive trade is a critical part of the World Bank Group's plan to end 
extreme poverty by 2030. I say this knowing that, for some, the argument that trade helps the poor has been controversial. Yet our best evidence suggests that, when countries are effectively 
integrated into regional and global markets, their poorest citizens can reap substantial benefits. 
Our plan to end poverty must include two obje ctives: Expanding opportunities for low- and 
m i d d l e - i n c o m e  c o u n t r i e s  t o  p a r t i c i p a t e  i n  t r a d e ;  a n d  r e d u c i n g  w h a t  w e  c a l l  " t r a d e  costs" - obstacles that prevent the poor and the vu lnerable from participating in trade and, as a 
result, constrain their opportunities to reach their full potential. 
 For years, many have debated whether trade helps or harms the poor. The World Bank and I were 
on opposite sides of the debate 20 years ago!  International financial institutions rightly saw the 
growth potential from trade to be a multiplier for growth and development. However, they and 
others did not focus sufficiently on identifying situat ions where specific groups of poor people were 
unable to reap the benefits of trade or were adversely affected by increased global competition. As 
a result, some thought that the World Bank, alon g with the WTO and others advocating for trade 
liberalization, were pushing an agenda without taking into account the costs that it imposed on the poor and the vulnerable. Protests at the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference in 1999 focused the 
global spotlight on this strongly held view. 
 We've learned some important lessons since then. For example, we know that trade benefits 
d e v e l o p i n g  c o u n t r i e s  w h e n  w e  b u i l d  w a y s  f o r  t h e m  t o  c o n n e c t  t h e i r  p o o r e s t  c i t i z e n s  t o  g l o b a l  
markets. We also know that providing these pe ople access to the opportunities of trade has a 
dramatic impact on reducing extreme poverty.  
 
Just look at the evidence. Since 2000, developing  countries' share of world trade has grown from 
33 to 48%. This helped stimulate growth in low- and middle-income counties, and accelerated poverty reduction. China has tripled its share of world trade since joining the WTO in 2001, helping 
cut its extreme poverty rate from 36% at the end of the 1990s to 6% in 2011. Overall, developing 
countries' gains from trade contributed to reducing by half the proportion of the global population 
living in extreme poverty between 1990 and 2010, achieving this First Millennium Development 
Goal five years ahead of schedule. 
 Trade's contribution to poverty reduction on this  scale did not occur by accident – governments 
took specific, cross-sector steps to integrate poor communities into global markets through 
domestic reforms and international agreements.  In Vietnam, the Doi Moi economic "renovation" in the late 1980s set the stage for increases in 
farm productivity that helped Vietnam become a to p exporter of rice, coffee and tea over the next 
three decades. Land reform gave farmers increased rights over use of their land and, coupled with 
better connections to markets, improved prod uctivity, raised incomes and reduced their 
vulnerability. After a long process, Vietnam acceded to the WTO in early 2007, enhancing its 
producers' access to global markets.  
The impact has been remarkable: Since the early 1990s, Vietnam has cut its rate of extreme 
poverty from over 60% to less than 3% today. The combination of reduced trade barriers and domestic economic reform promoting private sector development produced this transformation.   
There are, in fact, many examples of targeted re forms and openness to trade that have helped the 
poor. In Cambodia, the combination of reforms and openness enabled poor rural farmers to sell rice to international markets and created new jobs in urban areas through the garment sector, 
where over 80% of the workers are women. Between 2007 and 2011, extreme poverty in 
Cambodia fell from 30.8% to 10.1%.  
In Ethiopia, exports of cut flowers from one firm to the European Union helped open the door to an 
export industry that now employs 50,000 workers.  It has also generated more secure wage 
employment and a pathway out of poverty. In Lesotho, employment in the export-oriented 
garment sector has created jobs for women, many of whom have little opportunity for formal 
employment in other sectors because of low levels of skill. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Many of these countries still face challenges in ending extreme poverty. However, evidence shows 
that, when coupled with domestic reforms that empower the poor, increased trade has provided a powerful engine for poverty reduction.  
Indeed, trade that benefits the poor is one reason we've made enormous progress over the last 
25 years in our mission to end extreme poverty.  Overall, there are now about 1 billion fewer 
people living on less than US$1.25 a day than in 1990. However, nearly 1 billion people still 
survive below this line. Ending extreme poverty by 2030 is an ambitious, but achievable goal if we 
promote inclusive growth – growth in which th e poor and the vulnerable share equitably.  
 The topic of this year's Global Review is therefore timely. Reducing trade costs – whether they 
result from weak infrastructure, inefficiencies and corruption at border crossings, or gender 
inequalities – can boost demand, increase incomes and create jobs. As a result, lower trade costs 
can promote inclusive growth. 
 
Reducing trade costs will also be critical to financing the Sustainable Development Goals. By increasing growth prospects, it makes developing countries more attractive destinations for 
investment. This will help accomplish one of the objectives of July's Financing for Development 
conference in Ethiopia: Unlocking private sector investment to move from billions of dollars in overseas development assistance to trillions of dollars in development spending.  
Research shows that the poorer specific countries are, the higher their trade costs. Exporters in 
low-income countries face trade costs in manufacturing that are, on average, almost three times higher than in advanced economies. And these co sts are even higher in the agriculture sector. 
Given that 70% of the world's extreme poor live in  rural areas, tilling small farms or working in 
informal jobs, these costs create substantial obstacles to trade benefitting the vulnerable and reducing extreme poverty. 
 
Evidence suggests that we can make trade work for the poor and the vulnerable if we lower barriers to trade between countries and reduce trade costs within counties through cross-sector approaches. At the global level, we fully support the WTO's effort to energise multilateral trade 
negotiations and make progress at this year's Ministerial Conference in Nairobi. And we urge 
parties to complete ratification and implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.  
Within countries, rural poverty, gender discriminat ion, fragility and conflict, and informality pose 
specific problems that prevent the poor from reap ing the benefits of trade. For example, without 
better roads and more competitive transportation services, poverty prevents farmers from getting 
their goods to market. When coupled with trade policies that facilitate farmers' access to modern 
seeds and fertilizers, domestic reforms that lower transport costs can significantly increase farmers' incomes and the agricultural sector's returns from trade.  
The World Bank Group is working with government s on cross-sector approaches to tackle these 
challenges in many places, including the Great Lakes Region of Africa, which contains some of the highest concentrations of extreme poverty in the wo rld. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 
88% of the population lives on less than US$1.25 a day. The country is also affected by fragility 
and conflict, has a large informal economy, and 85% of small-scale entrepreneurs crossing borders to trade are women. 
 
Our Great Lakes Trade Facilitation project is helping to lower trade costs for its citizens and those of Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zamb ia. The US$130 million initiative will upgrade 
border infrastructure, simplify border procedures, and improve border agency capacity. It also 
focuses on facilitating the participation of small-sca le businesses in cross-border trade, which will 
help women entrepreneurs.  
There is, of course, much more to be done. At the World Bank Group, we've restructured our 
operations so that we're better able to help. Our Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice, under the direction of Anabel González, is about to comple te its first year of activity. Through initiatives 
like the Great Lakes project, it is working with governments to apply our best global knowledge to 
ensure that trade contributes to poverty reduction. Anabel and her group are also assisting countries develop policies to maximize their gains from freer trade.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  In addition, the Trade and Competitiveness team is  spearheading important partnerships such as 
our work with the WTO. Only moments ago, Robe rto and I launched a report that sets out an 
agenda for greater action to lower trade costs and maximize the gains of trade for the poorest. Our organizations will also start an initiative to develop indicators to track trade costs that most 
affect the poor globally. Ultimately, this will us  help design better trade projects and provide for 
more effective monitoring of progress in lowering trade costs for the poor. 
 
When we work together, the WTO, the World Ba nk Group and other partners can have a major 
impact on ending extreme poverty. We must continue to work with all of you to put our global knowledge at your service so that trade facilitates inclusive growth. If we succeed together, we will become the first generation to end extreme poverty in the world. It will be one of humankind's 
greatest achievements. Thank you. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Remarks by the Secretary-General of the Or ganisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development  We meet at a defining moment in the internat ional development agenda. The scope and ambition 
of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a unique opportunity for ending poverty, 
protecting our environment, and realizing sustainabl e development for all. What brings us together 
today is the belief that trade will play a critical role in making this happen. 
 
It is, therefore, my great pleasure to present the joint OECD-WTO Aid for Trade at a Glance 
publication  which focuses on reducing trade costs. 
 
It has been a truly collaborative effort among our partner institutions – including the World Bank 
Group, the Executive Secretariat of the Enhanced  Integrated Framework, the International Trade 
Centre, the United Nations Conference on Tr ade and Development, and the World Economic 
Forum. This demonstrates our collective resolve to make trade an engine for inclusive and 
sustainable growth.  
Aid for trade is working 
 International trade is a key driver of developmen t. But high trade costs prevent a large number of 
developing countries from fully exploiting the opportunities that the global market 
offers: increased development, stronger growth and more jobs. 
 Landlocked, remote, and small economies are margin alized by costs that reflect geography, not 
capability. Indeed, the report we release today clearly shows that while producers in low-income 
countries are often competitive at the farm an d factory gate, they are priced out of the 
international market. This is because of cumbersome border procedures, poor infrastructure, lack 
of finance, and complex standards. 
 This is exactly why we launched the Aid-for-Trade Initiative  – to help developing countries build 
their supply-side capacities and overcome the constraints that prevent them from connecting to 
global markets. 
 The good news is that we are making progress. Since the start of the Initiative, ten years ago, 
donors have disbursed US$264.5 billion in financing for Aid-for-Trade programmes, with annual 
commitments now standing at US$55 billion. A further US$190 billion in other official trade-related flows have been disbursed, while South-South trade-related support is also helping developing 
countries reduce high trade costs. 
 But it is not just about the numbers. It is about the jobs created, increased domestic and foreign 
investment and, ultimately, better lives for men and women across the globe. The OECD found 
that one dollar in Aid for Trade generates eight dollars in extra trade for all developing countries 
and 20 dollars for low income countries. These are impressive returns on investment!  
Reducing trade costs through trade facilitation 
 And let's not forget that Aid for Trade is a complement – not a substitute for broader market 
liberalization. That is why the WTO's 161 Members made a renewed commitment to open 
international trade to developing countries with  the agreement of the Bali package almost two 
years ago.  
The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement  creates a significant opportunity to reduce trade costs and 
enhance participation in the global value chains. Making improvements in trade facilitation is 
possibly the policy reform with the greatest potential to impact on foreign input sourcing decisions. 
 
At the OECD, we calculated that the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement could reduce worldwide trade costs by up to 17.5%. And for those that do more, the benefits are even 
greater! Countries that implement the TFA in full will reduce their trade costs by up to four 
percentage points those that do only the minimum that the TFA requires.   Aid also has a key role to play in assisting countries with the implementation of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. Donors that report to the OECD have already disbursed some WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  US$1.9 billion in aid for trade facilitation since 2005. Annual commitments now stand at 
US$668 million; an eight-fold increase in dono r support since 2005. And, according to the 
OECD/WTO survey, even more support is on its way!  
The OECD has also developed Trade Facilitation Indicators  (TFIs), covering 152 countries, which 
can assist with the implementation of the Trade Fa cilitation Agreement. This tool allows countries 
to monitor and benchmark their trade facilitation performance, prioritize areas for action, and 
mobilize technical assistance and capacity building in a targeted way. 
 Reducing trade costs in partnership with the private sector  
Finally, let me remind you that we must join forces with the private sector if we are to see trade 
costs cut. Not only can they help identify the most distorting trade costs and suggest how best to reduce them, but they can also advise on the effective use of different development finance 
instruments offered by a wide range of providers. 
 I am pleased to see that you will discuss this in more detail later today, during a side event 
organized jointly by ITC, WEF and the OECD. Such a collaborative effort between the public and 
the private sector in developed and developing co untries will no doubt maximize the contribution 
of trade to delivering Sustainable Development Goals.  
The OECD is committed to joining forces with governments, with international organizations, and 
with the private sector to raise the bar for develo pment. I firmly believe that reducing trade costs 
through trade facilitation and Aid for Trade should be a crucial pillar of international efforts under 
the Sustainable Development Goals. We are making  progress, so let's keep up the good work! 
 The OECD stands ready to work with, and for you, to deliver better Aid-for-Trade policies for better 
lives. 
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  Remarks by the President of the Asian Development Bank 
I am honoured to be here at this important meeting today. 
 
First, let me congratulate the WTO on its 20th anniversary. I want to stress Asian Development 
Bank's (AsDB) continuing support in attaining WTO goals – whether implementing the Bali Package 
or supporting the case for Aid for Trade. 
 
In Asia and the Pacific, open trade and investment will continue to be an engine of growth and 
poverty reduction. Our region's economy remains strong. We expect the 2014 growth of 6.3% to 
continue in 2015 and 2016. Structural reforms and prudent macroeconomic policies in many Asian 
countries are increasingly driving growth. In an environment of open trade and investment 
regimes, global value chains are thriving, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. Of course, we 
should not be complacent and must continue to fight remaining poverty and increasing inequality 
by promoting inclusive growth. In the Bank's 45 developing member economies more than 
500 million live below a poverty threshold of US$1.25 a day. This is despite remarkable progress in 
the region. 
 
What AsDB is doing 
 
Aid for Trade is essential to address high trade costs and support trade integration, hence 
promoting trade-led inclusive growth. What is AsDB  doing to promote Aid for Trade in Asia and the 
Pacific? We use a three-pronged approach. These are: (i) infrastructure finance, (ii) trade 
facilitation and trade reform, and (iii) trade finance. At our annual meeting last month, I said we 
need a stronger, better, and faster Asian Development Bank. Let me explain how this applies to 
Aid for Trade. 
 
First, stronger AsDB infrastructure lending improves connectivity across our region. Good roads, 
railways, sea and airport facilities, power distribution and telecommunications are prerequisite to 
trade, and provide entry into global value chains. Our recently approved, precedent-setting merger 
of ordinary and concessionary lending windows will increase our annual approvals of projects and 
programs from US$13 billion to as much as US$20 billion, or 50% above the current level. Our 
assistance to poor countries will expand up to 70%. We will expand our concessional loans to poor 
countries on the same terms and conditions as befo re. We will also retain and strengthen the Asian 
Development Fund as a grant-only donor fund to assist eligible poorest countries. 
 
An important part of AsDB infrastructure lending is to finance cross-border roads, railways, 
electricity and customs. Such infrastructure facilitates trade, investment and mobility of people 
between countries. Given the investment risks, mo st of these projects are publically-financed and 
involve sub-regional economic cooperation. We work with groups such as ASEAN, the Central Asia 
Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, and the South Asian Sub-region Economic 
Cooperation (SASEC) program to help plan, prepare and implement cross-border projects. With 
our developing member countries and co-financing partners, we committed nearly US$50 billion 
since 1990 for cross-border infrastructure through these programs. 
 
In addition to publically-financed projects, public-private partnerships (PPPs), have become more 
important for infrastructure finance. Our new Office of Public Private Partnerships provides 
transaction advisory services and facilitates PPP identification and project preparation. 
 
Second ,  A s D B  a i m s  t o  o f f e r  better support for trade facilitation and trade reform. This helps 
countries and businesses reduce high trade costs and increase competitiveness. 
 
We focus on implementing international agreements on trade facilitation, streamlining regulations, 
improving information sharing, and reforming customs agencies. From this perspective, we 
support the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). We work with our developing members to 
ascend to the Revised Kyoto Convention, which is a framework to simplify and harmonize customs 
procedures to support TFA. 
 
It should be noted that the ASEAN Economic Comm unity will be launched by the end of 2015. This 
will facilitate trade within ASEAN members and create a market of more than 600 people. It also 
provides a peer-review framework towards sound economic policies and market-oriented reforms. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  AsDB provides technical assistance for the ASEAN Single Window and National Single Windows to 
speed up the movement of goods within the community. 
 
We are increasing support for trade facilitation in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Pacific. Some 
of this work is done through our partnerships with the World Customs Organization and the United 
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. These sub-regions are lagging 
behind East Asia and Southeast Asia in terms of trade and investment linkage within the 
sub-region and with other parts of the world. 
 
Third , we will support fast and effective financing for trade. Our Trade Finance Program has 
helped expand trade opportunities – especially since the global financial crisis. When trade finance 
was squeezed due to the liquidity shortage af ter the crisis, AsDB expanded the program in 
2007 and usage accelerated. Today, this program turns over some US$3.8 billion annually in 
guarantees and loans. We work with over 200 partner banks and have financed more than 
1,500 SMEs in untapped or difficult markets. 
 
AsDB report "Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific 2015" 
 
This afternoon, in Parallel Plenary Session 6, we w ill discuss AsDB's draft report on Aid for Trade in 
Asia and the Pacific. The report was prepared in partnership with Australia's Department of Foreign 
Affairs and Trade, WTO and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The report examines the 
different challenges for trade across the region and the high trade costs many still face. 
 
It also explores the potential of the digita l economy to promote trade. Information and 
communications technology (ICT) helps companies in the region, including small- and 
medium-sized enterprises, expand potential global customers and link into global value chains. ICT 
also increases access to new technologies, and supports skills building. ICT can improve the 
efficiency of women-led firms by reducing time co nstraints and limited mobility related to childcare 
and other family duties while providing access to new business opportunities. 
 
This report has special relevance to the Pacific and Central Asia. The potential gains from digital 
connectivity are greatest for these sub-regions where distance to markets is a significant barrier. 
AsDB is supporting broadband submarine cable sy stems between Fiji and Tonga and other Pacific 
island countries and providing technical assistance for the digital economy. 
 
Conclusion  
To conclude, AsDB will continue to support Aid fo r Trade together with WTO, WCO, World Bank and 
other partners. The Bank is committed to stronger infrastructure investment, better trade 
facilitation reform, and faster, more effective trade finance in order to promote sustained, inclusive 
growth in Asia and the Pacific. 
 
Thank you 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Remarks by the Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development  
2015 is a special year. 
 
It is the year when all of you – the governments of the world – will commit to dignity for all, 
prosperity for all and a sustainable planet for all.   
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a massive leap of faith. They are an 
expression of individual and collective determination that probably exceeds anything that we, as a global community, have committed to in the history of the United Nations. And they involve an entirely new, comprehensive and coherent blueprint for development: one which will require 
profound transformation; and one in which trade can, and must, play an important role if we are 
to achieve the world we want by 2030.   
I wish to make three brief points in my remarks this morning: 
 First, on the magnitude of the challenge that the SDGs represent, particularly in terms of 
the trade and growth challenge facing  least developed countries (LDCs). 
 Second, on how reducing trade costs improve the lives of people and builds productive 
capacity. 
 Third, on the role of Aid-for-Trade in meeting the challenge of this new ambitious and 
transformative agenda globally, as well as nationally and regionally. 
First: consider the scale of the challenge in the LDCs. The share of poor people living in China in 
1994 was about the same as the share of poor people living in LDCs today – 46% of the population living on less than US$1.25 per day.  
 
China grew on average at 9.4% per capita per year for 15 years; yet by 2009 still 12% of China's population was living in poverty. This implies that to end poverty in the next 15 years, as the 
SDGs prescribe, the LDCs will require a bigger economic miracle than China's! And 
environmentally, LDCs must accomplish this grow th miracle without China's carbon footprint! 
 If this was not enough: we are envisaging that the LDCs accomplish Chinese-like growth rates, at 
a time when the global economy is facing "secular stagnation".  Add to that a current investment 
gap of US$2.5 trillion annually for the fulfilment of the SDGs in developing countries as a whole.  
So, we will have our work cut out for us. And it will require our determined action. Trade can help 
us meet this challenge. Trade is not only one of the main engines of growth. It is also the single 
largest source of private and public external finance to LDCs. In 2013, export earnings to LDCs 
amounted to US$213 billion. That's more than twice their combined receipts of Official 
Development Assistance (ODA), foreign direct in vestment (FDI), and remittances. Aid-for-Trade 
initiatives are vital for ensuring we harness these large sums for inclusive and sustainable development. 
 
This brings me to my second  point, which is how reducing trade costs improves people's lives.  
 
High trade costs act as a double-edged sword: these costs squeeze citizens through lower wages 
in the export sector. At the same time, they lead to higher prices on imported consumer goods. And they deter investment. At a time when every dollar counts to invest in sustainable 
development and when we are to eradicate poverty, no one can afford this waste.  
 Today, we know that the benefits of trade come not only from increased market access but trade can also – especially when accompanied by other measures – foster knowledge creation, increase 
productivity and promote more and better jobs for the population. 
 And it is this process that can structurally tran sform economies, to improve the lives of everyday 
people.  That is why reducing trade cost is so important. This is not about deregulation. It is about 
efficiency. And it even helps strengthen government capacities to collect domestic revenues and meet the needs of citizens.  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  For example: UNCTAD's ASYCUDA programme , which automates customs processes in more than 
80 countries, helped Afghanistan increase custom's revenue from US$50 million to more than 
US$700 million over seven years, all while trade grow th itself was only expanding 5-7% annually. 
So by cutting red tape and improving efficiency, Aid for Trade has increased domestic capacity of 
the country to pay for government services that people need. 
 The same goes for non-tariff measures. Again, it is not about doing less, it is about being less 
trade-restrictive and trade costly. This is particularly important in light of the new 
Post-2015 Development Agenda. In many cases, nati onal policy actions to achieve the SDGs may 
inadvertently constitute non-tariff measures (NTMs), such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. For LDC exporters in particular, this represents a formidable 
challenge.  
 My third , and final, message this morning is how we at UNCTAD believe that Aid for Trade must 
help implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda.  
 When it comes to global action to reduce trade co sts, the Agreement last year on Trade Facilitation 
(TFA) was a game changer, and we urge countries to ratify and implement this Agreement. And 
the ball has been set in motion for further, and hopefully decisive, movement on the Doha Development Agenda by Nairobi this December.  
Aid for Trade is crucial in the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. We at UNCTAD 
work closely in partnership with others on this, notably with the International Trade Centre and the United Nations Commission for Europe. We were also pleased to announce last week the launch of 
a new Aid-for-Trade vehicle to help developing countries speed up ratification and acceptance of 
the TFA. This new UNCTAD Aid-for-Trade initiative aims to support many poorer countries experiencing domestic legal and capacity constraints in ratifying the Agreement.  
 
Aid for Trade at global, regional and national levels must go hand in hand. And it requires a comprehensive and integrated approach, linking doing business, with investment, with trade. 
UNCTAD will do its part. Our capacity building programs on entrepreneurship and investment, on 
e-regulation, our ASYCUDA customs automation solutions, our support to e-Commerce and ICT, 
and our Port Training programme, all stand as examples of highly-tailored technical Aid-For-Trade activities. Not to mention the cluster on trade and productive capacity which helps us as a UN 
System, deliver as one. 
 Regional Aid for Trade must also come into its own. Today's pragmatic regionalism provides the 
building blocks to tackle regional trade costs and for improved, revitalized trade growth. Such 
arrangements are the natural home for the regional  value chains that many developing countries 
need to improve productivity and create good jobs for all. Aid-for-Trade initiatives have a key role to play for regional trade integration.  
 
Our Aid-for-Trade Review is unique this year in that we must look more forward to the future, than backwards to our past activities. We are witnessing "once in a lifetime" negotiations in a number of 
fora to agree on how trade contributes towards the world that we all we want to live in 15 years 
from now.  
We must ensure that these negotiations are succe ssful. Once these negotiations are over, we will 
have answered the question "what?". Then, we w ill have to start answering the question "how?". 
 I welcome you all to join us at UNCTAD XIV from 14-18 March 2016 in Lima, Peru , in the first 
major global conference of the post-2015 era. At UNCTAD XIV in Lima we plan to move the 
discussion from negotiation and debate to action an d implementation. I look forward to all of your 
contributions to these efforts, and to your continued engagement and support to Aid-For-Trade 
work. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Panel discussion 
 Sean Doherty,  Director, International Trade and Investment, World Economic Forum , 
explained that two main themes would be explored  in the discussion, namely (i) the links between 
trade costs and growth and how to cut trade costs and the social impact of these costs; and 
(ii) the links to the SDGs and Financing for Deve lopment (FfD). The discussion would also explore 
the role of the private sector and the link to investment more broadly.  
 
Arancha González, Executive Director , International Trade Centre (ITC) , gave an overview 
of areas where the Aid-for-Trade Initiative could pl ay a role in the reduction of trade costs. She 
outlined ITC's work with trade promotion organi zations and small- and medium-sized enterprises 
(SMEs) in developing countries and LDCs. She stressed that trade costs mattered for everybody 
and every company. In particular, they were a major burden for SMEs because fixed costs represented a higher part of the per unit cost than for larger companies that could export greater 
amounts of products and services. Trade costs often accounted for the difference between 
remaining confined to small domestic markets, rather than being able to internationalise. She noted that SMEs represented the bulk of econom ic operators in most economies and provided 
jobs, for women and youth. In addition, trade costs were important since SMEs in international 
markets were more competitive, innovative and more productive; reduction of trade costs was therefore also important. Adoption of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was a move towards cutting trade costs and she highlighted costs which she saw as being particularly 
important for SMEs where greater attention was ne eded, namely non-tariff measures (NTMs); the 
cost of complying with private standards where di sparity and high certification and auditing costs 
often led to difficulties; and access to trade and market intelligence (i.e. knowing what, and where, 
trade opportunities exist) which had been indicated by 65% of SMEs as their main concern .   
 With regard to the Latin American region, Antoni Estevadeordal, Manager, Integration and 
Trade Sector, Inter-American  Development Bank (IaDB) , stated that IaDB's 2014 report, 
'Synchronized Factories' , had documented the gap in terms of the Latin American region's Global 
Value Chains (GVCs), the lack of the region's integration and participation in global markets and 
the gap related to inter-regional trade. The share of Latin America's trade in global trade was very 
low and currently stood at approximately 6% – down from 10% in the 1950s and 1960s – which 
was lower compared to Asia's share which stood at approximately 25%. Inter-regional trade stood at 20%, which was lower than Europe (60%) and Asia (40%). The main focus of the report, 
however, was the Latin American region's limited participation in GVCs as was evidenced by a 
simple consideration of the level of exports of parts and components over total exports which had remained at a standstill figure of approximately 15% for the past 25 years, whereas that of Asia 
had increased from 30% in the 1990s to 40% today. A more sophisticated measure that had been 
used to look at the region's participation, under  the leadership of the OECD and the WTO, was the 
amount of foreign value added in the region's export – 15-20%, depending on the country (for 
example, Mexico was well integrated within the production value chain of the United States). 
Figures for foreign value added in export for Asia and Europe were approximately 35% and 40%, 
respectively. The IaDB report noted that action to  reduce trade costs needed to take place at the 
domestic level (i.e. unilateral action) and through international or regional cooperation. Stressing 
this point, he said that coordination between countries on an international level was necessary for 
any domestic action to yield the required positive results and benefits. As an example of this coordination, he referred to the IaDB's support given to countries in their implementation of 
practices such as the Single Window, which was in strumental for carrying out trade, particularly 
for SMEs, and noted that the benefits emanating from the inter-operability of the single window depended on such coordination. Mr Estevadeordal noted that the Latin American and Caribbean region lagged behind other regions in terms of integration in global markets, intra-regional trade, 
and participation in value chains, and said that the reduction of trade costs required action at the 
domestic, international, and regional levels.  
Moono Mupotola, Division Manager, Regional  Integration and Trad e Division, African 
Development Bank (AfDB) , said that in the context of the African continent, there was a 
growing awareness of high trade costs and its link to infrastructure, with a focus on building 
infrastructure to reduce trade costs. With the support of the AfDB, a programme had been 
developed – the Programme for Infrastructure Development for Africa  – which gave a blueprint for 
the missing links for connecting Africa. There was political will for the Programme, which was 
currently in its implementation phase, and it was being considered as part of the trade agenda as 
an enabler to reducing trade costs. She also highlighted the importance of soft infrastructure, such WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  as regulations and domestic policies, and indicated that 10% of AfDB loans went towards 
addressing these concerns – such as capacity building and policy reform. Energy-related trade 
costs were also under consideration. Noting that this was clearly an important issue, she highlighted that only seven countries on the Afri can continent had a trade capacity of over 50%. 
She indicated that there was a strong focus in Africa today on infrastructure development as an 
enabler to bring down trade costs. She also emphasized the political will that was necessary to move regional integration in Africa forward and outlined how current initiatives were taking into 
account such issues as non-tariff measures (NTMs) and industrial development.  
 Hani Sonbol,  Acting Chief Executive Officer, Is lamic Corporation for Insurance of 
Investments and Export Credits and Deputy  Chief Executive Officer, International 
Islamic Trade Finance Corporation , provided an overview of the work of the Islamic 
Development Bank (IsDB) and emphasized that si nce its inception the Bank had recognized the 
role of trade in poverty reduction. He noted that trade was now recognized as an engine for 
growth and a tool for poverty reduction and econ omic integration and cooperation and noted that 
the Global Review's theme "Reducing Trade Costs" illustrated the changing role of Multilateral Development Banks from one with a focus on trade liberalization to one of being a tool for social 
and economic development in Member countries.  
 The IsDB had a unique set up in that all its operations focused on trade as evidenced through the creation of the Islamic Corporation for Investment Insurance and Export Credit Insurance (ISIC), 
which provided trade facilitation policies, and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation 
(ITFC), the trade finance and trade development arm of the IsDB Group. The Bank believed that connectivity was one of the main elements for reducing trade costs. As a direct result, 
infrastructure, as in the case of the AfDB, was a main focus of the Bank which had thus far 
financed infrastructure projects up to US$40 bi llion. The Bank's current active portfolio was 
US$15 billion for 190 operations and last year the Bank had financed 51 infrastructure projects to 
the amount of US$1.3 billion with the ISIC and ITFC also financing projects of approximately 
US$10 billion. The IsDB had been actively participating in the Aid-for-Trade Initiative since its inception and had specialized initiatives for Aid for Trade including AfTIAS
1, launched in 2013, and 
one for the SPECA2 region. Several trans-African proj ects were underway, including the 
trans-African highway, connecting Morocco, Mauritania , Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Senegal. 
He highlighted the trans-Saharan highway, linking Niger, Mali and Chad, which also linked to Nigeria, Algeria and Tunisia, to which IsDB cont ributed US$300 million. The IsDB also played an 
important role with regard to the reduction of trade costs through the provision of 'soft-landing' 
assistance, such as technical assistance and capacity building which aimed at improving overall efficiency which in turn reduced trade costs. He believed that the future progress of the IsDB 
member countries would be highly dependent on trade. 
 Phillipe Le Houérou, Vice President for Po licy and Partnership, European Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development  (EBRD) , outlined some of EBRD's trade-related initiatives 
which included in the area of trade infrastructure  and trade finance and highlighted the importance 
of policy reform, and of public-private partnerships  in reducing trade costs. He provided a sectoral 
focus on food security and the link to trade costs noting that the Food and Agriculture 
Organization's prediction of increased food demand over the next 20 years would require higher 
food production as well as higher trading. Trad e costs for agricultural products, however, were 
twice as high as for industrial products and to alleviate poverty action would need to be taken in 
the rural areas. This had been a key focus for EBRD and it was addressing poverty alleviation by 
providing support to the private sector which was part of the solution as well as part of the diagnostics. To illustrate this point, he referred to trade in Ukraine, the largest exporter of grain, and in Egypt, the largest importer of wheat. In  terms of trade infrastructure and the private 
sector, in Ukraine, in the context of the private sector, this had involved substantially financing 
transportation means (railway lines) so that wheat could be brought from the hinterland to the port of Odessa. The Bank also worked with the private sector in building the necessary capacity, 
through several operations, to load the product as cargo. In addition to public policy dialogue, 
private sector initiatives were being deployed to  reduce trade costs. In Egypt, private sector 
importers worked with the public sector to look at  "red tape" issues and tender process. The result 
was not a "top-down" conditionality approach but rather a "bottom-up" approach, improving the 
                                               
1 Aid-for-Trade Initiative for the Arab States. See http://www.itfc-idb.org/en/content/aid-trade-
initiative-arab-states   
2 The United Nations Special Programme for the Econ omies of Central Asia. The countries of SPECA are 
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  processes in public tender. This had already yielded savings of up to US$30 million for the 
government. He stressed that the Bank's focus on agri-business was on tangible trade operations, 
not necessarily in the area of hard infrastructure, but rather on what was put on the road, load and loading and policy reform. He stated that there was a general focus in agri-business to 
structure the whole sector better, from the commercial to producer level and noted that this link 
was very strong.   
Magdy Martínez-Solimán, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy 
and Programme Support, United Nations Development Programme , said that the message 
of ambition should be sent from the upcoming Conference on Financing for Development to the negotiators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit in September. He elaborated 
that there was ambition in the comprehensive agenda, which had 17 goals and 169 targets, as 
well as in the universality of the agenda. There was also ambition in the form of the agenda's measurement, accountability, participation and transparency. The means of the implementation of, 
and the finance for development, had to match the ambition of the substance of the SDGs and he 
said that it was the responsibility of governments – especially those from developed countries – to ensure that official development assistance (ODA) and Aid-for-Trade support flows had to match 
this ambition, domestic package has to match the ambition and those that define as developing 
and private flows towards the SDGs has to match the ambition.  He noted that Aid for Trade was the kind of catalytic ODA that could trigger domestic investment and private flows; it triggered the need for better infrastructure, policy reform, and reduction of the cost of trade.  The important 
issue of measurement of progress was being raised  in the context of the SDGs agenda, which links 
to accountability. He stated that it was important because it was a means of assessing whether public policy was yielding results. Indicators were being considered, including a move towards 
incorporating trade costs, and this could be done easily because trade costs were measurable and 
simple in their internal construct. Concluding his initial comments, he indicated that the 5
th Global 
Review needed to send a message of ambition to  the UN Financing for Development Conference to 
be held in July in Addis Ababa.  
 Concluding remarks by the Panellists  
Hani Sonbol  shared with the audience a study containing the logistics performance index and its 
effect on trade in countries. Notably, there were several IsDB Group member countries that had made the transition from lower to higher in the index, in the process proving trade to be a factor in 
the improved ranking. He noted that, during th e transitional period, countries had experienced 
difficulties but that IsDB had provided support thro ugh trade. He reiterated that trade proved to be 
a key factor that helped these countries improve their development. As such, trade would continue 
to be the focus in the move towards reaching inclusive sustainable growth in countries, especially 
in the period following transition. With regard to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, he urged for the promotion of the Bali Packag e and implementation of the TFA as well as partnership and 
collaboration between institutions. He concluded by stressing the importance of the private sector 
and technology as a means to reduce trade costs and enhance trade facilitation  
 Phillipe Le Houérou  emphasized the importance of policy and government procurement in the 
reduction of trade costs. He informed that the EBRD was assisting Montenegro to complete their 
negotiation of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and that Ukraine and Moldova were 
expected to complete this process shortly. On the topic of trade finance, he said that while there 
was less focus by the Bank on this, the EBRD did reco gnize it as a factor in increasing trade costs, 
for example in the area of banking and the payment risk involved in international transactions. The EBRD had therefore provided trade finance support to local commercial banks to help reduce risks 
involved in international transactions. In essence, EBRD provided warranties to banks in more 
advanced countries to cover risks associated with local commercial banks. As an example, he said 
that since 1999, US$10 billion had been provided in trade finance to cover between 16,000 and 
17,000 international transactions. As  a final point, he stressed the importance of public private 
partnerships, especially in the effort to reduce trade costs, stating that work was required by 
actors at both the national and international level. The role for the EBRD was to work with the private sector directly. 
 
Moono Mupotola  noted that there was a development agenda in the current African free-trade 
agreements (FTAs). Recently the tripartite FTA had been launched which consisted of 26 countries, representing 58% of the continent's population. Sh e noted that previously the focus had been on 
reduction of tariffs, whereas now it was on areas such as non-tariff measures (NTMs). She stated WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  that one of the parties, COMESA, had reduced over 90% of NTMs in 19 member countries.  
Another component of the FTA was industrial development and sectors had been identified to develop regional value chains within the free trad e area and the private sector, which was a major 
partner, was actively involved in this process. She stressed the importance of political will and 
involvement in the FTAs and, as an illustration of this, cited the current climate in East Africa. 
 Antoni Estevadeordal  said that investment was a critical component in the discourse on the 
reduction of trade costs and that trade would favour suppliers that were in countries that in turn 
had favourable conditions.    Arancha González  highlighted that there was trade taking place in countries that were not the 
more obvious and that, in these countries, there was movement up the value chain; SMEs were 
internationalizing, women were getting involved, and trade was taking place. She remarked that 
this was made possible by solid international partnerships, the private sector, investment and 
markets, and through domestic reforms where she noted that 50% of NTMs were within the 
borders of countries.  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 2 – Supporting Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Moderator : Anabel González , Senior Director, 
Global Practice on Trade and Competitiveness, 
World Bank Group 
 
Panel discussion: 
 Shamshad Akhtar , Executive Secretary, 
United Nations Economic and Social 
Commission for Asia and the Pacific  
 Marcus Cornaro , Deputy Director-General, 
Directorate-General for International 
Cooperation and Development, European 
Commission 
 Gilbert Langat, Chief Executive Officer, 
Shippers Council for East Africa 
 Paul Steele, Senior Vice-President, 
International Air Transport Association  
 Kunio Mikuriya , Secretary-General, World 
Customs Organization 
 Eric G. Postel , Associate Administrator, 
United States Agency for International 
Development 
 Alioune Sarr , Minister of Trade, Informal 
Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local 
Products and SME, Senegal  
 Thomas Silberhorn , Parliamentary State 
Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic 
Cooperation and Development, Germany 
 Desmond Swayne, Minister of State, 
Department for International Development, 
United Kingdom The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement  (TFA) 
contains a range of measures to expedite the 
movement, release and clearance of goods, 
including goods in transit. These technical 
measures impose obligat ions on WTO members 
to increase transparency, to implement 
streamlined and modernized border procedures 
and control techniques, and to improve 
governance through disciplines on rule and 
decision-making processes. Various economic 
studies suggest that the TFA will have 
important trade cost reduction effects, with 
savings accruing to developing countries.  
 
One feature that marks out the TFA is the 
implementation flexibility that it accords to WTO 
members. Section II of the TFA includes various 
special and differential treatment obligations for 
developing country and least developed country 
members, including transition periods and the 
acquisition of implementation capacity through 
the provision of assistance and support for 
capacity building.  Commitments for customs 
and border modernization support reported to 
the OECD reached some US$667 million in 
2013. Some US$1.9 billion has been disbursed 
in trade facilitation assistance from 2006-2013.  
 
What had this support achieved and what 
lessons could be learnt for Trade Facilitation 
Agreement implementation, notably for the 
operation of the WTO's Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Facility, were two of the issues that 
were explored in this plenary session.   
 
To set the scene for the discussion, the session began with a two-minute video3 introduced by 
Jens Munch Lund-Nielsen, Head of Emerging  Market Projects, Group Sustainability, 
Maersk , that highlighted the trade costs incurred to move a container across countries. The film 
followed a container of flowers from Kenya to Holland and showed, in particular, how over 200 documents had to be shared with 30 different actors in order for the container to move along 
its route. The "value chain" showed a system open to errors and delays that ultimately would be 
costly for the container which carried flowers worth US$100,000. This systemic problem occurred in all markets but, in the case highlighted in the video, he said that Maersk was working in 
collaboration with TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) to discuss with the different actors a more 
efficient ("cloud-based") solution that could be  used for the exchange of documentation.   
 
Anabel González, Senior Direct or, Global Practice on Trad e and Competitiveness, World 
Bank Group  (WBG) , provided information on the WBG's support and noted that support for the 
Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was a key priority of the Bank's Global Practice on Trade and Competitiveness. There were various benefits that the TFA could bring to the global economy and 
developing countries and their traders.  Instrumental to passing the agreement was a credible 
commitment by developed countries and the international development community, including the WBG, to support full and effective implementati on of the agreement. The WBG stood by this 
commitment which was closely aligned with the Bank's broader trade and transport facilitation 
work. The challenge now was to ensure quick ratification of the agreement and to focus on implementation of its many positive measures. She stated that the WBG stood ready to assist any 
                                               
3 The full video can be found at: http://www.maersk.com/en/the-maersk-group/about-
us/publications/maersk-post/2015-2/can-the-cloud-lift-global-trade ). WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  country seeking support, either in the ratification process or in the implementation of the 
agreement.    Shamshad Akhtar,  Executive Secretary, United Nation s Economic and Social Commission 
for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) , provided an overview of tr ade facilitation in the Asia 
Pacific region, based on a recent survey conducte d by UNESCAP. The region was performing well in 
the area with the majority of developing countri es on their way to TFA implementation. Some of 
the notable findings of the survey included: average implementation of WTO Trade Facilitation (TF) 
measures in developing countries in Asia Pacific exceeded 50%; many countries had implemented over two-thirds of the TF measures; 40% of co untries had operationalized a Single Window. In 
parallel, measures to enhance transparency had also been implemented with examples including 
the publication of law and regulations, the estab lishment of National Trade Facilitation Committees 
and the strengthening of interagency cooperation and coordination. Evidence also showed that further scope existed for enhancing the promotion of the operationalization of Single Windows and 
its benefits. She stressed the differences in TFA im plementation within Asia noting that Singapore 
and the Republic of Korea had implemented measur es that went beyond their WTO TFA mandates 
and that more work was needed in Central Asia, South East Asia, and the small island developing 
states – in particular the Pacific Islands – where the most remote economies had barely 
implemented 20% of the TF measures. She highlight ed that the level of TF implementation was 
not necessarily linked to a country's level of development and cited as an example Cambodia and Lao PDR, ASEAN members which were both committed to regional connectivity and which had 
achieved more than other more developed countries. Based on evidence, including from 
UNESCAP's survey and the WBG trade cost database , and consistent with figures from the OECD 
and others, it was estimated that full TFA implementation across regions would result in an 
average of a 16-17% reduction in trade costs.  
 Ms Akhtar stated that UNESCAP, as one of the regional commissions of the UN, was working on 
multiple fronts to support implementation of TFA. UNESCAP offered evidence based research 
analysis that took stock of progress made, and which components were lagging behind. UNESCAP 
was working with partners from the World Bank and other agencies. ESCAP was offering capacity building, for which there was a high demand, delivered mainly through the UN's network of 
experts for paperless trade in Asia Pacific – a regional network of trade facilitation practitioners 
enabling knowledge sharing from world leading economies in this field. This network also offered annual courses on Single Window operationalization, together with the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) and Korea Customs, based on the integrated set of five legal and technical 
guides ESCAP has developed. UNESCAP had been working on the legislative front for several decades, providing a platform for the negotiatio n and implementation of regional arrangements 
aimed at reducing trade costs and increasing connectivity. UNESCAP had a mandate from its 
member states for regional connectivity and was providing support for transit and trade facilitation across borders.  UNESCAP was also getting into  connectivity through ICT, which would help 
electronic paperless trade. UNESCAP member states were negotiating the text of a unique regional 
treaty on the facilitation of cross border regional  trade, and this regional treaty would reinforce 
implementation of the broader TFA that would help  the region maintain its competitive edge and 
serve as a model for regional cooperation and development.  Trade facilitation needed to be 
understood in the broader macro-economic context,  and that it would help kick-start the trade 
growth and rejuvenate the global economy. She stated that trade facilitation needed to be 
depoliticised and as it was a great historic step, it requires a historic track record, because it would 
lend confidence to the future agenda.   
 Gilbert Langat, Chief Executive Officer, Shippers Council for East Africa , stated that while 
there had been progress in East Africa, the burd en of import- and export-related procedures and 
documentation remained too heavy. There were many delays and penalties due to a lack of 
understanding of the procedures in the region, which called for the harmonisation of documentation and information flow. With an agricultural product, many agencies were involved in 
the issuance of permits and licences. From the pr ivate sector, this looked like a means to raise 
revenue, instead of facilitating trade, which was a major issue in the region. At regional level, trade facilitation had to be considered from the point of entry and exit, i.e. ports and border points 
procedures. However, many procedures were encountered between the points of entry and exit.  
He stated that there was a need to give more information to those operators participating in trade, noting that some 60% of business was done in the informal sector. He pointed to the single customs territory of the East African Community, which had initially started with a focus on 
imports, but latterly focused more on exports too.  He recalled that most cargo in the EAC WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 27 - 
 
  travelled by road – some 96% of all trade. The rail system did not function well, but they were 
improving it to enhance its capacity. The Single Window was being developed and there was the assistance by Asian countries. This was taking place in Kenya, Rwanda and other parts of the region, with agencies helping to ensure that the customs systems being used (in Kenya, Simba, 
and ASYCUDA in other regions) are actually implemented. In a nutshell, once all this is done, the 
number of delays would be reduced, as well as the documentation, thus meaning that the cost of doing business would also reduce. For trade facilitation and aid for trade to work well, several 
actions were necessary in his view: coordination to mainstream trade and development strategies; 
getting the diagnostics right; involvement of the government and private sector – in East Africa, 
there had been a move towards this with the Mombasa Port Charter.    
Eric G. Postel, Associate Administrator, United States Agency for International 
Development (USAID) , highlighted the role of the private sector, noting that support of the TFA 
could come from a strong partnership between the business sector and donor governments, and 
identified "sequencing" as very important in this regard. The Malaba border crossing between 
Kenya and Uganda illustrated that the most important place to start is in the public-private partnership dialogue and getting the private sector involved very early on in the process. Joint 
border committees had been set up and they have made much progress in reducing border 
crossing times going down from about four days to two hours. In addition, the compliance cost that the truckers were dealing had been reduced by up to US$50 million, demonstrating what was possible when sequencing was done well and in close partnership with the private sector. USAID 
was working closely with Mr Langat and the Shippers Council for East Africa to strengthen their 
capacity to ensure the involvement of the private sector and to start working with the governments around the region to enhance the competitiveness in relation to transport and 
logistics. TradeMark East Africa was also assisting in this area. He said that in looking to the 
future, the next step would be to have the private sector fully involved in the ratification of the TFA. He highlighted that a US side event would include a panel discussion of trade facilitation with 
a true partnership of business and donor governments (the Alliance) to put in place facilities that 
recipient countries could  access to work on the schedule C portion of the TFA.    Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary-Genera l, World Customs Organization (WCO) , began by 
highlighting a time-release study conducted in East Africa. The World Customs Union provided 
initial assistance to East Africa in carrying out this study in 2012. In carrying out time-release studies, the WCO recommended including all shareholders because the delays often be caused by 
by other government agencies, not customs. Businesses could also delay by not providing required 
data to regulatory agencies including customs - an important area was how to improve speedy submission of data. Based on this study, the WC O had recommended the development of an action 
plan to improve each stakeholder's performance th rough, for example, electronic documentation. 
WCO required standardised information from customs and other government agencies, the data model for which was the basis of the Single Window, which many countries were now implementing. They also recommended that with other government agencies, there should be 
more joint clearance at the borders. Finally, getti ng businesses on board was an important issue, 
so they had helped establish authorised economic co-operators, i.e. compliant traders, so that through dialogue and consultation, they could improve their compliance and customs could provide 
facilitation. As a result, this year, the WCO conducted a survey with a pilot project of companies 
that found that the time from Mombasa to Kampala was reduced by five days from the 18 days that the initial time release study in 2012 had found. 
 
To implement the TFA, he argued that three 'P 's' were necessary, namely: (i) political will; 
(ii) people's mind-set – in the past, customs focu sed on fiscal agencies and collection of revenue, 
whereas now, customs looked at contributing to economic competitiveness by streamlining border 
procedures which will in the end would increase revenue collection by enlarging the tax base; and 
(iii) partnership – the WCO's customs' business partnership had been updated and the organisation's 180 members are encouraged to dialogue more, regarding the needs of business.  
He described how this was being done in two ways: business understanding customs requirements 
and enlarging outreach to other government agencies, such as SPS, and find synergy in this area. In this he stated that there was no need to 'reinvent the wheel', as there was already a WTO 
agreement in place as well as WCO tools, such as be st practices and the availability of experts.   
 Desmond Swayne,  Minister of State, Department for International Development, United 
Kingdom (UK) , stated that it was important for the donor country projects to deliver value for 
money. This could be ensured by having the organisations and individuals that were being assisted WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  take ownership of the projects. Working together wi th other donors and multinationals to fill the 
gaps through collaborative efforts would help ensure such 'value for money'. Also rigorous monitoring of costs and results throughout the project would help ensure delivery of value for money.  He stressed that relatively small changes could make big impacts, such as TMEA's use of 
SMS messaging to deal with non-tariff measures (N TMs), which has cut the number of disputes by 
nearly half.  The UK's current annual budget for Aid for Trade was some US$1.5 billion, of which US$260 million is specifically trade facilitation-related. He had also just authorised a further 
US$23 million to help countries implement the TFA. The importance of the TFA was due to the 
huge benefits that would accrue, with the TFA believed to be worth about US$100 billion to the world economy, of which US$10 billion will accrue to Africa.  In essence, the TFA would make a big difference to developing countries.  In conclusion, he suggested that the issue was a basic one, a 
"bread and butter" that required the urgent ratifi cation of the agreement in order to reduce trade 
costs and alleviate poverty.    
Marcus Cornaro,  Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for International 
Cooperation and Development,  European Commission (EU) , stated that trade facilitation was 
of great importance to the EU. Within Europe, trade facilitation through the single market had 
added some 5-8% to aggregate EU wealth. Echoing Mr Swayne's earlier point, he suggested that it 
was the cumulative series of smaller measures that had enabled the EU to get this far. He noted that EU assistance combined software and hardware. A prominent project in East Africa, was the EU's team work on the Northern Corridor, blending  funding available from the EU and other donors 
with concessional loans. A road axe had been developed that linked Burundi, the Democratic 
Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Southern Sudan to the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa, with 
significant gains achieved. This had had to be enhanced with software, thus the push to continue 
to work to implement the TFA. He stated that the main vehicle was regional focus; therefore the 
EU has doubled what was available for regional cooperation, with a focus on making regional economic integration work, by improved trade arrang ements. Calling for ratification of the TFA, he 
recalled that once the EU and its 28 member States  ratified, a quarter of the total required votes 
for entry into force would have been secured. He noted the flexibility in the TFA for developing countries to articulate their assistance prioriti es and the speed in which they would like to see 
various measures implemented. This would in turn helps the EU, as one of the donors with longer 
term multi-annual commitments, prioritise their own support. He stressed that the TFA could boost 
the aid effectiveness agenda, to which the EU was committed.    
Paul Steele, Senior Vice-President, International Air Transport  Association (IATA) , stated 
that air cargo spent 90% of its transport time on the ground waiting to be processed. Air cargo accounted for 0.5% of the volume of world trade, but this some 35% of world trade by value.  Air 
cargo was therefore high value and time sensitive.  He referred to the industry of cut flowers and 
the short video shown at the beginning of the session, stating that the Kenyan Flower Council estimated that 90, 000 jobs depended directly on that trade, some 500,000 livelihoods in Kenya in total and that it accounted for 1.6% of the ec onomy and approximately US$1 billion in foreign 
exchange. The video underscored the difficulties faced by air carg, such as the lack of coordination 
between different agencies, the absence of smart bo rder solutions including Single Window, lack of 
automated procedures, e-freight, e-airway bill et c. In addition, there was no way to voluntarily 
complete customs formalities prior to landing to expedite clearance; many authorities did not use 
risk based approached, tending to treat all cargo in the same manner, with the same lengthy procedures, the heightened security concerns in certain areas, so that all shipments had to be 
controlled. All these slowed air cargos down to the point where 90% of the travel time was spent 
on the ground.   In this context, the TFA represented a unique opportunity to facilitate cargo being moved by all 
modes of transport, and the air cargo industry wa s interested in all the provisions that support 
e-freight solutions, expedited clearance procedures, risk management solutions, mutual recognition agreements and that avoided duplicat ion in procedures.  Air cargo was an important 
contributor to the global economy especially fo r developing countries, therefore IATA had been 
investing in capacity building tools based on the WCO, International Civil Aviation Organisation and 
UNECE standards, which were well-suited to facili tating the implementation of TFA. These include 
programs such as e-freight, and secure freight that seek to expedite air cargo in a safe, secure 
environment. Successful roll-out of these progra mmes required strong collaboration between all 
the actors, and not just the government.  IATA wa s working well with WCO, UNECE, ICC and ICAO 
to offer tangible collaborative long-term solutions.  They were also working with states to facilitate WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  the ratification of agreements such as the 1999 Montreal convention that would facilitate the 
introduction of e-airway bills and the ratification of the TFA.    Alioune Sarr, Minister of Trade, Informal  Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local 
Products and SME, Senegal , highlighted that Senegal had been the first LDC to notify 
Category A commitments to the WTO and that TFA implementation was very important to West Africa. Customs harmonization was becoming a reality through WAEMU
4 support with the same 
customs software being used between West Africans stated.  He believed that the region could 
position itself well through TFA implementation. At this point, Africa's service sector makes up 0.6% of it exports. Gains in the service sector would be replicated in other sectors and improve 
intra-African trade. The TFA would allow greater trade between African countries as the 
commitment to trade reform would attract private sector investment. He noted that governance 
was also important and that an agreement at the 10
th Ministerial Conference in December would 
be a major step forward.  
 
Mr Thomas Silberhorn, Parlia mentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic 
Cooperation and Development, Germany , provided insights into Germany's support to the 
ECOWAS' trade liberalisation scheme. Germany has provided partner countries with advice on legal 
changes in customs administration and how to meet quality standards necessary to reach the markets.  Trade facilitation had a significant impact on investment, and was therefore a factor for competitiveness across the whole range of economic cooperation.  This project sought to bring 
together the regional and national levels in this integration process ('everyday' business within the 
EU) on how to implement common standards in nati onal economies. Germany, as the largest EU 
donor of Aid for Trade, contributed in 2013 US$3.4 billion for aid for trade and trade facilitation 
and this commitment would increase this year to US$5 billion. It showed that it was necessary to 
have a holistic perspective on the trading system, with a need to take into account the entire value chain and create new perspectives for developing countries in the framework of regional 
integration to create new regional value chains, which can be complimentary and a catalysing 
factor for integrating developing countries.  The number of difficulties and obstacles to trade with developing countries lead to a lack of awareness among companies towards the economic opportunities across entire regions and continents.  As an example, he noted that in Germany 
there are 370, 000 companies operating internationally, yet only 1,000 companies acting in Africa.  
This highlighted the huge potential to create awareness for the possibilities of better-integrated markets.  He suggested that TFA implementation would help unlock this potential.   
 
 
                                               
4 West African Economic Monetary Union. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 3: Effective Implementation of SPS Measures to Facilitate Safe Trade 
Moderator : Keith Rockwell, Director, 
Information and External Relations Division, 
World Trade Organization  
 
Panel discussion:   
 Martha Byanyima, SPS Expert, Common 
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa 
 Oscar Camacho Inostroza , Deputy-Director-
General, Agricultural and Livestock Service 
of Chile 
 Chusak Chuenprayoth , President, 
Kamphaeng-Saen Commercial Co. Ltd, 
Thailand 
 Monique Eloit , Deputy Director-General and 
Director-General Elect, World Organisation 
for Animal Health 
 Anabel González , Senior Director, Global 
Practice on Trade and Competitiveness, 
World Bank Group 
 José Graziano da Silva , Director-General, 
Food and Agriculture Organization  
 Mike Robach , Vice-President, Corporate 
Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory 
Programs, Cargill  Border authorities responsible for sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS) requirements and some 
international standards setting bodies have 
expressed concerns that the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) could erode their 
ability to protect animal, plant and human 
health from risks arising from pests and 
diseases associated with the importation of food 
and plant products.   
 
Recent research initiated by the Standards and 
Trade Development Facility suggests that 
countries can make progress in reducing SPS 
trade transaction costs, while simultaneously 
strengthening or reinforcing the protection of 
human, animal and plant health, through 
proper implementation of the WTO Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures Agreement and 
implementation of measures in the TFA.   
 
The aim of this plenary session was to debate 
the issue of how trade facilitation can be 
married with robust, science- and risk-based 
SPS controls, discussing implementation 
experiences and the role Aid for Trade could 
play in ensuring that these twin goals could be 
met. 
 
The session began with the screening of a recently-released video5 by the Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF) showing examples of good practice in implementing food safety and 
animal and plant health controls to facilitate safe  trade at borders. The film described what Chile, 
Peru, and Colombia had done to speed up the flow of goods across their borders, while at the same time preventing the spread of pests or dise ases among animals and plants and ensuring that 
food was safe for consumers.  
 José Graziano da Silva, Director-General , Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) , noted 
the crucial role that international trade can play in developing the agricultural sector and 
improving food security and nutrition, which went hand-in-hand with ensuring the safety of agri-food products. He emphasized the importance of science-based international standards in facilitating safe trade. He drew attention to the importance of coordination between the various 
national SPS and trade agencies to ensure effe ctive implementation of SPS measures and to 
expedite the movement of goods. He suggeste d that a number of provisions of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement could be considered "SPS plus" since they provided for obligations that 
went beyond the SPS Agreement. FAO believed that it should have a key role in supporting the 
implementation of the TFA Agreement.  
Monique Eloit, Deputy Director-General and Director-General Elect,  World Organisation 
for Animal Health (OIE) , said that effective communication between international agencies and 
national institutions could greatly facilitate developing countries in producing safe products. She highlighted, in particular, the importance of stre ngthening the capacity of veterinary services and 
drew attention to the OIE's Tool for the Evaluation  of Performance of Veterinary Services (OIE PVS 
Tool) which allowed countries to establish priorities for capacity building and to carry out strategic initiatives. She urged inter-agency cooperation to avoid multiplication and burdensome inspection 
procedures. To this end, the implementation of risk-based approaches, the use of modern 
communication tools, such as database(s) and electronic certification procedures, would enable safe trade in goods. 
 
                                               
5 The video is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/Eww1MsewAOk   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Anabel González, Senior Direct or, Global Practice on Trad e and Competitiveness, World 
Bank Group , said that facilitating safe trade in food was vital to global food security and 
important for poverty reduction. Globally, the rural sector required technical assistance to ensure compliance with international SPS standards and to increase agricultural trade. It was also 
important to constantly improve the design of national SPS systems and reduce the cost of 
compliance with these measures. She noted that trade facilitation had the potential to not only strengthen SPS systems, but also to streamline th em, and recalled that food safety and efficiency 
were not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually supportive goals. 
 Martha Byanyima, SPS Expert, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa , referred 
to regional level initiatives to reduce SPS-related transaction costs while ensuring adequate health 
protection. It was important that African countries worked together to improve SPS controls and 
inspection services, and increase their participation in standard setting bodies. She highlighted the importance of looking at how SPS standards we re implemented as well as the need to have 
effective and efficient SPS systems. In this regard, she noted that it was key to implement 
correctly SPS measures that were risk-based, non-restrictive and that involved simplified administrative procedures. 
 
Oscar Camacho Inostroza, Deputy-Director-Gene ral, Agricultural and Livestock Service 
of Chile , shared the experiences of Chile and Latin America in reducing SPS-related costs, 
speeding transit times and strengthening border controls. One outstanding area of work was the 
improvement of pre-border controls and pre-risk assessment. He also emphasized the importance 
of electronic certification, citing the example of Chile's partnership with China in this regard.  
Chusak Chuenprayoth, President, Kamphaen g-Saen Commercial Co. Ltd, Thailand, noted 
that SPS systems needed to be effective and feasib le and that measures should be risk-based and 
mutually recognized in order to avoid duplication. A key concern for the private sector was 
implementing processes that reduced waiting time  and overly complex procedures. The public and 
private sector should foster a working relationship and promote cooperation to collectively benefit consumers globally. He further noted that priv ate standards were an important feature in 
international trade and should not be ignored by the public sector.  
 
Mike Robach, Vice-President, Corporate Food  Safety, Quality & Regulatory Programs, 
provided information on the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a collaborative mechanism 
encompassing food safety experts from retaile rs, manufacturers and food service companies. 
Specifically, the GFSI's Global Markets Program helped small and/or less developed businesses develop food safety capacity. He noted that th ere were opportunities to develop systems for 
pre-shipment review to avoid rejection for reasons that were not scientifically justified. He 
remarked that the key challenge was that while the private sector had embraced the SPS Agreement and international standards much more work and cooperation was needed for national governments to do the same. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 4: Reducing Trade Costs in Ce ntral America through Trade Facilitation 
This plenary session was organized jointly with  the Inter-American Development Bank and the 
Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration.  
Keynote speaker: Carmen Gisela Vergara , 
Secretary-General, Secretariat for Central 
American Economic Integration  
 
Panel discussion: 
 Elena María de Alfaro, Member of the 
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 
President of the Business Foundation for 
Social Action, El Salvador 
 Antoni Estevadeordal , Manager, Integration 
and Trade Sector, Inter-American 
Development Bank  
 Jhon Fonseca, Vice-Minister, Ministry of 
Foreign Trade, Costa Rica  
 Alejandro Gamboa Castilla , 
Director-General, Presidential Agency for 
International Cooperation, Colombia This regionally focused session addressed trade 
facilitation in Central America, examining how it 
fits with the region's trade and economic 
agenda, policies and measures to reduce the 
cost of trade, the needs of the private sector 
and stakeholder support to the integration 
process.  
 
Key questions discussed included:  
o What lessons could be learnt from 
on-going initiatives? 
o What was the role of public-private 
partnerships? and 
o What was the role of bilateral and 
South-South cooperation in ensuring 
successful trade facilitation 
interventions? 
 
The session began with a video focusing on Central American integration and SIECA.6 
 Carmen Gisela Vergara, Secretary-General, Secretariat for Central American Economic 
Integration (SIECA) , introduced the session by recalling that the economic integration process 
in Central America had begun in 1960 and that SIECA's role in that process had been redefined in 1993 through the Guatemala Protocol. A Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (COMIECO) 
had also been established to assist in the strengthening and expansion of the free trade zone in 
Central America. She informed that, following inclusion of Panama among SIECA's members, the Central American region was currently the seventh largest economy in the Americas. Central 
American integration was based on a customs union . She provided examples of changes that had 
taken place since 1960: SIECA's member states now stood at six, with the Dominican Republic and Belize also expressing an interest to join; 94% of tariffs within Central America were now harmonized; and the Central American region had increased its internal trade from US$30 million 
to more than US$8 billion in 2014. Inter-regional  trade had increased even during the financial 
crisis and the region had maintained a growth rate that was higher than the rest of Latin America. 
She noted that currently more than 85% of trade was undertaken with countries with which the 
Central American region had free trade agreemen ts and announced that the previous week the 
region had launched negotiations concerning a free trade agreement with South Korea.   
Another reason why Central America as a region wa s attractive for foreign direct investment was 
because it offered a market of 45 million inhabitants rather than individual markets which on average represented only 7 million consumers. A number of large scale projects had been conducted over the last 50 years which sought to  improve human resources, the region's main 
asset, as well as development of SMEs, e-connect ivity, security, and trade facilitation. COMIECO 
recognized that economic integration was a viable alternative for development and would improve each country's competitiveness, and it was working with SIECA's partner institutions, with donors, 
and with the private sector to jointly achieve the region's integration objectives. In practical terms, 
this entailed streamlining processes in order to facilitate trade, including customs, migration and security procedures using new COMIECO initiatives. It was also recognized that the Central 
American region needed to be competitive, productive and inclusive. It was for this reason that 
SIECA was working closely with international organizations and donors – such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the Spain-SICA Fund, the World Bank Group, the United Nations, Chinese Taipei and the EU, without which progress in this regard would not be 
possible.  
 Jhon Fonseca  Vice-Minister, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica , noted that countries in 
Central America faced difficulties in achieving economies of scale due to the size of their markets 
                                               
6 https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=EZZA1Qo1 Qps&feature=youtu.be&a   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  which was why regional integration was a viable development path. He said that these countries 
were engaged in creating a common foreign trade platform which would be the vehicle to access export markets. Of primary importance in this platform was the reduction of trade costs since countries in the region were experiencing logistic costs of about 40% of total costs, while in 
developed countries these costs were only at 8%. Trade facilitation measures would be equivalent 
to a 24% reduction in tariffs. Trade costs were also of concern for the private sector which had identified trade facilitation as the public policy with the greatest impact on development. Central 
America sought to adopt the best practices available to reduce trade costs which, in turn, would 
increase productiveness and competiveness, increa se trade flows, employment and welfare, and 
would reduce poverty.  
On behalf of the private sector in the region,  Elena María de Alfaro, Member of the Chamber 
of Commerce and Industry, and President of the Business Foundation for Social Action,  
El Salvador , said that to be competitive and to take advantage of new trade opportunities 
companies in Central America needed trade facilitation. It was also important to reduce trade costs 
to increase economic growth, attract foreign investment, generate more employment in the region and reduce violence. One important step forward in the process of regional integration was the fact 
that regional decision-making institutions were consulting with private sector industry 
confederations to explore what were the main im pediments to trade. This had allowed the private 
sector to have a say in the region al road map for foreign trade.  
 
Alejandro Gamboa Castilla, Di rector-General, Presidential Agency for International 
Cooperation, Colombia , said that Colombia's development efforts had two main objectives, 
namely the internationalization of the economy and productive transformation. This required 
funding from development partners. For this reason Colombia had included chapters on trade 
capacity building in its regional trade agreements (RTAs) with developed countries and wanted to do the same in its RTAs with developing countries. One third of Colombia's outgoing foreign direct 
investment was focused on Central America which had contributed to increased trade flows. 
Colombia also saw the Inter-American Development Bank as an impartial authority which could generate consensus on the best practices for regional cooperation.
7  
 
Antoni Estevadeordal,  Manager, Integration and Tr ade Sector, Inter-American 
Development Bank (IaDB) , said that IaDB was investing in hard (infrastructure) and soft 
(regulatory policies) regional projects for economic  integration against a target of at least 15% of 
IaDB financing going to regional integration proj ects. The Bank was also conscious that national 
capacity building projects would only really functi on in conjunction with regional interventions. It 
was also important to enhance dialogue between the public and private sectors. He informed that 
IaDB had used the Central American region to test some projects on trade facilitation, productive 
capacity and economic infrastructure and that  some of these – such as the TIM (Goods in 
International Transit) – had proved successful and were now being extended to other regions. After Mr Estevadeordal's statement, a video was shown which highlighted TIM's contribution to 
reducing trade costs in Central American countries.
8 The TIM project, now managed by SIECA, was 
being extended to Colombia and Ecuador.  
                                               
7 Information on APC-Colombia can be found at: https://youtu.be/VHFWx20tFPQ   
8 The video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =7oxpjtw0IaQ&feature=youtu.be  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 5: The Role of Trade Facilitation in  Supporting Africa's Regional Integration 
Agenda 
This plenary session was organized jointly with the African Union, the African Development Bank, 
and the UN Economic Commission for Africa. 
 
Moderator:  Natasha Walker , International 
Communications Consultant 
 
Panel discussion: 
 Fatima H. Acyl , Commissioner for Trade and 
Industry, African Union 
 Alassane Diop, Chief Executive Officer, 
Dubai Ports World Dakar, Senegal 
 Abdalla Hamdok , Chief Economist and 
Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations 
Economic Commission for Africa  
 Ahmed Hamid , Commissioner, Trade, 
Customs, Industry and Free Movement 
Department, Economic Community for West 
African States  
 Hiroshi Kato, Vice President, Japan 
International Co-operation Agency 
 Moono Mupotola, Division Manager, 
Regional Integration and Trade Division, 
African Development Bank 
 Alioune Sarr , Minister of Trade, Informal 
Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local 
Products and SME, Senegal  
 Thomas Silberhorn , Parliamentary State 
Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic 
Cooperation and Development, Germany  
 Hope K. Situmbeko, Aid for Trade 
Coordinator, Common Market for Eastern 
and Southern Africa  
 Hanna S. Tetteh, Minister of Foreign Affairs 
and Regional Integration, Ghana This regionally focused plenary session 
discussed the contribution that trade facilitation 
can make to the implementation of Africa's 
regional integration, notably in the context of 
the establishment of the Continental Free Trade 
Area (CFTA).  
 
Trade facilitation can help promote effective 
regional integration in Africa, thereby concretely 
reaping the trade and development gains which 
the establishment of the CFTA promises. This 
aspect is particularly critical for landlocked 
countries that stand to gain considerably from 
the reduction in trade-related costs, as explicitly 
acknowledged in the Vienna Programme of 
Action.  
 
Sainabou Taal, Trade Policy Analyst, World Trade Organization , opened the session by 
outlining the key findings of a UNECA report entitled "Reducing Trade Costs to Support Africa's Transformation: the Role of Aid for Trade".
9 The report found that trade costs were falling in some 
regions but remained stubbornly high in others, particularly for intra-African trade. Overall, the 
OECD/WTO 2015 monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise confirmed that trade facilitation 
reforms were seen as promising interventions to reduce trade ‐related costs. Various examples 
drawn from the case stories submitted in relation to the M&E exercise indicated that well-planned 
trade facilitation projects could be very successful and could deliver "value for money". The report 
confirmed that the continent was making headway on its integration agenda. The Joint COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (FTA), for example, was advancing, and negotiations toward a Continental Free Trade Area had begun. The WTO Trade Facilitation 
Agreement could give these on-going efforts further focus and forward momentum. Furthermore, 
leveraging foreign direct investment from within and outside the continent to close the infrastructure financing gap was an attractive option. Aid for Trade was adapting to these new 
realities and was also playing an important role in other areas. 
 Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Se cretary, Federal Ministry for Economic 
Cooperation and Deve lopment, Germany , emphasized that, as a donor, Germany's role in 
enhancing transparency and predictability of Aid for Trade was through the adoption of the 
guidelines on aid effectiveness and noted donor coordination as a key element. He also stressed 
                                               
9 https://www.wto.org/engl ish/tratop_e/dev el_e/a4t_e/globa l_review15prog_e/uneca_final.pdf   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  the importance of private sector participation, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises 
(SMEs). To help foster entrepreneurship, trade facilitation interventions should therefore also focus on creating strong institutions and the enabling environment.    
Fatima H. Acyl, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Trade and Industry , noted the 
growth of Aid-for-Trade (AfT) flows to Africa over the last decade, with approximately 53% of AfT support going to infrastructure and 44% to prod uctive capacity, but she urged for more Aid for 
Trade to be channelled towards industrial developmen t. She also highlighted the issue of volatility 
of AfT commitments and disbursements to Africa and stressed the need for predictability. With regional integration the main aim of the AU, she commended the positive steps forward taken by the continent in commencing negotiations towards the establishment of the Comprehensive Free 
Trade Area with a view to boosting intra-Africa n trade. She recommended the prioritization of 
future AfT support to Africa in the areas of trade facilitation, infrastructure development and industrialization. She also highlighted the important role of women, and SMEs. She announced that 
the AU and UNECA would meet this year with all the Central Banks in Africa on the issue of access 
to finance.    
Hanna S. Tetteh, Minister of Trade, Ghana , said that trade facilitation and the CFTA were 
essentially about creating regional value/supply chains. She opined that, to date, the focus had largely been on the main entry points (seaports and airports). In order to maximize impact, she recommended that interventions be targeted at trade hubs where SMEs were based, i.e. land 
borders, which would facilitate transit trade and regional supply chains. She also suggested that 
"soft" should be accompanied by "hard" infras tructure throughout the supply chain. Access to 
finance, the elimination of non-tariff barriers and cross-border infrastructure were identified as 
important elements in promoting the participation of women and SMEs. A biometric ID card in 
West Africa – to enter into force by 2016 – should increase mobility significantly.  Concluding her remarks, the Minister stated that the implementa tion of the West African Common External Tariff 
and harmonizing customs processes were positive steps in the ECOWAS region.  
 Ahmed Hamid, Commissioner, Trade, Cu stoms, Industry and Free Movement 
Department, Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) , indicated that, in 
West Africa, trade facilitation had made significant progress over the past five years – particularly 
in relation to the free movement of natural persons. However, he noted that landlocked countries faced trade facilitation obstacles in terms of transport and storage, and energy. He expressed 
regret over the limited access to, and high cost of, credit for industrial and infrastructure 
development and also called for improvement in  the quality of education and training.  
Commissioner Hamid identified the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor and the railway from Niamey to 
Cotonou as regional priorities in ECOWAS, to gether with upgrading of the banking system. 
Governments had a role to play here and Aid for Trade should focus on projects where the payoff 
will have the most positive impact (roads, railway and, most importantly, education). Finally, education was overarching in the sense that it needed  to include vocational training, as well as the 
tertiary sector education. 
 Hope K. Situmbeko, Aid-for-Trade Coordinator, Common Market for Eastern and 
Southern Africa  (COMESA) , stated that the need for trade facilitation was evident and agreed by 
all. On impact, she highlighted some of the key areas where COMESA was taking steps to reduce trade costs in particular through adjustment facility programmes and simplified trade regimes to 
facilitate trade for SMEs. These projects had resulted in an increase in cross-border trade 
particularly for landlocked countries. The launch of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area would also result in further reductions in trade costs. She noted that  COMESA was providing 
adjustment support to its members to allow them to develop programmes to address the various 
constraints they experienced in taking advantage of the opportunities of regional integration, 
particularly the Tripartite Agreement.  
Abdalla Hamdok, Chief Economist and Deputy  Executive Secretar y, United Nations 
Economic Commission for Africa , recalled that trade costs remained a key determinant of 
competitiveness due to the relevance of non-tariff measures (NTMs) and the outsourcing patterns 
of multinationals. He observed that rising labour costs in emerging economies gave Africa an 
opportunity to be the new frontier in global value chains. In this regard, Africa would have to focus 
attention on building strong regional institutions, infrastructure and human resources. He also observed that the momentum for regional integration was high and that African countries should 
ensure that they implemented the CFTA by 2017.  Finally, he announced the development of a WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 36 - 
 
  regional integration index to help track implementation of treaties at continental and sub-regional 
levels.  Moono Mupotola, Division Manager of the Regional Integration and Trade Division, 
African Development Bank , indicated that Africa had approximately US$600 billion in reserves 
of which approximately half could be used to fully finance infrastructure shortcomings. She opined that the inability to tap into these resources was due to a lack of bankable projects.  She called for 
capacity building in project preparation and, as an example in this regard, referred to the Africa 
Trade Fund. On impact, she provided examples of honey value chain products in Rwanda and Zambia where SMEs had been linked to formal ma rkets and provided with the necessary support.   
 
Hiroshi Kato, Vice President, Japa n International Co-operation Agency , was of the view 
that the term "aid predictability" was no longer relevant and that, rather, there was a greater need for predictability in policies, programmes and projects. He cited the Programme for Infrastructure 
Development in Africa (PIDA) as a best practice  in ensuring predictability and recommended for 
similar master plans at the level of Regional Economic Communities. In his opinion, regional master plans would not only ensure investor confidence but would also provide an integrated 
approach to infrastructure development across countries. He suggested that infrastructure, human 
resource and private sector development were fundamental to stimulate growth – and stated that he would be happy to see Japan's development policies continue to promote there three fundamentals.  
 
Alassane Diop, Chief Executive Office r, Dubai Ports World Dakar, Senegal , called for 
private sector involvement in trade development programmes. In terms of impact, he said it was 
important to look at whether investments in reducing trade costs had been felt by the end user. In 
his opinion, a lorry waiting 92 hours at a border had lost productivity and he highlighted how trade facilitation through a public-private partnership at the Port of Dakar had resulted in reduced 
waiting time and increased cargo flow. He underlined the importance of the private sector lobbying 
governments to remove unnecessary barriers. One of  the commercial challenges he identified were 
barriers on the Malian corridor. Persuading stakeholders that development of the corridor would have a positive impact for all was an important and challenging task.  
 
Alioune Sarr, Minister of Trade, Informal  Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local 
Products and SME, Senegal , hoped that trade facilitation would not be treated as a passing 
trend and that the topic would remain in the trade and development dialogue. He proposed other 
areas for intervention, including a focus on SMEs (which constituted 90% of employment in Africa), creation of a favourable business enviro nment and regulatory frameworks, and the need to 
promote intra-African trade. Trade facilitation should also focus on trade in services which was an 
area that contributed to more than 50% of the gross domestic product of most countries. He noted that Senegal would spend US$1 billion on railway upgrading, US$1 billion on a 113km highway project to link major cities, US$120 million to build a university, and on projects to improve food 
security such as promoting horticultural training  (rice and various vegetables). He recommended 
that ECOWAS should continue to implement trade facilitation projects particularly for the movement of natural persons. In his opinion, trade facilitation would only work if business people 
could travel.  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 37 - 
 
  Session 6: Reducing Trade Costs in Asia and the Pacific 
This plenary session was organized jointly with the Asian Development Bank. 
 
Moderator:  Shamshad Akhtar , Executive 
Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social 
Commission for Asia and the Pacific  
 
Presentation of joint report : Alisa DiCaprio, 
Regional Co-operation Specialist, Economics 
Research and Regional Cooperation 
Department, Asian Development Bank 
 
Keynote speakers: 
 Tekreth Kamrang, Secretary of State, 
Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia 
 Naindra Prasad Upadhaya , Permanent 
Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and 
Supplies, Nepal 
 Marokon Alilee, Director General, Ministry of 
Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu 
Business, Vanuatu 
 Temate Melitiana, Permanent Secretary, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism, 
Environment and Labour, Tuvalu 
 Barrett Salato, Senior Trade Officer, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External 
Trade, Solomon Islands 
 
Panel discussion:  
 John Adank , Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, New Zealand  
 Merewalesi Falemaka, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative of the Pacific 
Islands Forum to the WTO This regionally focused plenary session focused 
on how countries in Asia and the Pacific are 
addressing trade costs in a changing 
international trade environment. It highlighted 
the specific challenges faced by exporters in the 
Pacific sub-region resulting from distance to 
markets.  
 
The session also took a forward looking view 
towards the potential of Information and 
communications technology  (ICT) and the 
digital economy to address trade costs and 
promote inclusiveness. 
 
Alisa DiCaprio,  Regional Co-operation Specialist, Economics Research and Regional 
Cooperation Department, Asia n Development Bank (AsDB) , presented the main findings of a 
new AsDB report titled "Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Thinking Forward about Trade Costs 
and the Digital Economy".10 The report, funded with assistance from the Australian Aid Program, 
focused on three issues: e-commerce, inclusiveness of women in trade, and the Pacific region. She explained that, in recent years, ICT had taken a higher profile in Aid-for-Trade (AfT) spending. 
Better ICT infrastructure and increased usage could attenuate the geographical isolation of Pacific 
islands. Women-led firms could benefit from the proliferation of e-commerce, also because trade participation of SMEs was much higher through e-commerce as compared to traditional trade. And, 
given the small size of firms in the Pacific Islands, trade logistics needed to be adapted to small 
shipments.  
Tekreth Kamrang,  Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia , said that 
Cambodia was confident that e-commerce represented an opportunity to reduce trade costs and increase growth. In recent years, Cambodia had improved its ICT infrastructure and increased ICT 
usage. Cambodian consumers had initially been wary of online shopping but she said that 
increased usage of ICT had helped build confiden ce for online business. In terms of policy, the 
Government had drafted an e-commerce law which would likely be adopted by end-2015.  
Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, Permanent Secretar y ,  M i n i s t r y  o f  C o m m e r c e  a n d  S u p p l i e s ,  
Nepal , highlighted the geographical difficulties and structural problems faced by Nepal which 
resulted in it being among the group of countries  with the highest trade costs. After the recent 
earthquake, trade costs were higher than ever before and support was required to re-build firms' 
                                               
10 http://www.adb.org/publicat ions/aid-trade-asia-and-pacific-thinking-forward-about-trade-costs-and-
digital-economy  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 38 - 
 
  production units and to help them regain export  capacity. Support for infrastructure development 
was also urgently needed. He noted that support should also aim at improving the knowledge of local firms, for instance through skills training.  
Marokon Alilee,  Director General, Ministry of Touris m, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu 
Business, Vanuatu , underscored that Vanuatu recognized the importance of ICT and its linkages 
to sustainable economic growth. He mentioned th at three policies – on ICT, cybersecurity and 
universal access – had helped achieve connectivity improvements. Public private partnerships 
(PPPs) had enabled Vanuatu to connect to broadband via submarine cables. Increased competition in telecommunications had reduced prices and increased people's access to ICT. Regarding Aid for Trade, he remarked that ICT would play a central role in various areas such as providing 
information on foreign markets or allowing distance education. 
 Barrett Salato, Senior Trade Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, 
Solomon Islands , noted that the Solomon Islands, which consisted of 900 islands, faced inherent 
challenges due to internal dispersion and remoteness from major markets. The Government considered policy interventions targeting physical and soft infrastructure as the key to unlocking 
trade and development. Based on its National Development Strategy, the Solomon Islands had 
adopted a National Transport Plan (2011), a Nation al Infrastructure Investment Plan (2013), and a 
Trade Policy Framework (2015). He expressed apprecia tion to donors, noting in particular the AfT 
support from Japan to construct a port and a highway in Honiara, as well as support from 
New Zealand to construct a second international airport and road that connected the capital to a 
tuna cannery town and remarked that the latter would boost tourism and also presented an opportunity for fish exporters. 
 
Temate Melitiana, Permanent Se cretary, Ministry of Foreig n Affairs, Trade, Tourism, 
Environment and Labour, Tuvalu , said that while Tuvalu had benefitted from AfT support for 
power and transport infrastructure the support was not enough to fully address its infrastructure 
constraints. Tuvalu faced challenges such as geographic isolation and lack of economies of scale. Furthermore, Tuvalu still needed to identify the products with which it could successfully engage in international trade. The Government had recently finalized a trade policy framework with the help 
of the United Nations Development Programme an d the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF). 
The Trade Policy Framework had identified niche agri culture, tourism, labour mobility, and fisheries 
as areas where Tuvalu could tap into international markets. Several economic infrastructure 
projects were ongoing, with further investments still required to improve connectivity and reduce 
trade costs in air services, shipping, telecommunications and banking services to facilitate e-commerce. 
 
John Adank,  Ambassador, Permanent Representa tive to the WTO, New Zealand , pointed 
to the fact that Asia-Pacific was a vast and extremely diverse region where a one-size-fits-all approach did not work. In recent years, New Zealand had re-oriented its AfT strategy towards 
sustainable development. For New Zealand, ICT was an AfT priority in the Pacific, not only in 
relation to infrastructure improvement, but also  to increasing the usage of ICT in government 
services, health, disaster assistance, and by the private sector. Furthermore, internet access could 
help "brand" the Pacific Islands with respect to  both tourism and products. He highlighted the 
importance of tourism, fisheries and agriculture sectors for the Pacific Islands. The creation of 
linkages between these sectors, i.e. local food supply to tourists, should be a priority. In addition, 
in relation to fisheries, partner countries should ensure that Pacific island countries could secure 
the full value of their resources by reductions in export barriers and fishery subsidies.  Merewalesi Falemaka, Ambassador, Permanen t Representative of the Pacific Islands 
Forum to the WTO , underscored that the Pacific Islands faced higher trade costs due to their 
small size and geographic remoteness. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, in collaboration with the World Bank Group, had organized workshops to help Pacific island countries prepare 
notifications and identify technical assistance needs. The implementation of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement could facilitate regional integration of  the Pacific Islands. She noted that despite the 
ICT and e-commerce opportunities, for example in th e area of cultural industries, trade in goods 
was still hampered by high trade costs and supply side constraints, such as standards compliance, 
and continued AfT support was therefore needed. It  would therefore be important for small Pacific 
least-developed countries to obtain support from the EIF.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 39 - 
 
  In response to a question from the floor, Ms DiCaprio  said that she considered logistics for small 
exporters and the harmonization of e-commerce laws as areas where more AfT support was needed. Another intervention from the floor highlighted the trade potential of ICT to enable services trade, and the challenge with regard to the lack of cyberlaws in the Pacific Islands.  
 
Shamshad Akhtar  closed the session by highlighting that the different challenges faced by the 
Pacific Islands should not be looked at in isolation, but rather that a comprehensive approach 
should be taken. Furthermore, the Pacific island co untries required special efforts in areas such as 
ICT and access to logistics services. Regarding the latter, she mentioned that maritime connectivity had been identified as a particular challenge for Pacific island countries at a recent UNESCAP event.  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 40 - 
 
  Session 7 – Reducing Trade Costs fo r Islamic Development Bank Members 
This plenary session was organized by the Islamic Development Bank Group. 
 
Master of Ceremony:  Hilda Ali Rashid 
Al-Hinai, Deputy Permanent Representative to 
the WTO, Oman  
 
Moderators: Hani Sonbol , Acting Chief 
Executive Officer, Islamic Corporation for 
Insurance of Investments and Export Credits 
and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, 
International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation  
 
Keynote speakers: 
 Saidrahmon Nazriev, First Deputy Minister 
for Economic Development and Trade, 
Tajikistan  
 Marc Yombouno, Minister of Trade, Republic 
of Guinea 
 
Panel discussion: 
 Abdolazeez S. Al-Otaibi, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  
 Slimane Chikh, Ambassador, Organization 
of Islamic Cooperation 
 Amr Ramadan, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Egypt 
 Mariam Md Salleh ,  Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Malaysia  
 
Discussants: 
 Tom Butterly , Deputy Director, Economic 
Cooperation And Trade Division, United 
Nations Economic Commission for Europe  
 Margareta Davidson-Abdelli, Counsellor, 
Swedish Embassy in Cairo, and 
Representative of the Swedish International 
Development Cooperation Agency in the 
Arab Region  
 Lassaad Ben Hassine, Manager, AfTIAS, 
International Islamic Trade Finance 
Corporation  
 Lilia Naas, Chief, Office of the Arab States, 
International Trade Centre  This regionally focused session addressed 
efforts to reduce the cost of trade among IsDB 
Group members in the context of a dynamic 
picture, characterized by continued high rates 
of growth of some IsDB members, on-going 
economic instability among others, and 
significant fiscal challenges arising from slowing 
commodity prices for many.  
 
The issue of trade facilitation was examined 
against this background, with particular 
attention given to the examples of global 
excellence in transport and logistics in some 
IsDB member states and the challenges arising 
from cumbersome and time-consuming border 
procedures found elsewhere.   
 
The challenge of raising standards across IsDB 
Members to align with those of the highest 
performers – who were often world leaders in 
their areas – was also discussed.   
 
The session commenced with a summary of a series of recent activities that the IsDB had 
organized in relation to the reduction of trade costs and trade facilitation, the main event being the 
preparatory Regional Seminar "Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth" held in Amman, Jordan, on 21-23 April 2015.    
Hani Sonbol, Acting Chief Executive Office r, Islamic Corporation for Insurance of 
Investments and Export Credits and Deputy  Chief Executive Officer, International 
Islamic Trade Finance Corporation  (ITFC) , referred to the recommendations from the regional 
seminar held in Amman, namely that: the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) was important to 
reduce trade costs; bilateral and regional trade agreements needed to be implemented to foster 
intra-Arab and international trade; assistance to reduce trade costs should focus on border 
procedures, transport and network infrastructures and non-tariff measures (NTMs); border 
procedures (i.e. trade facilitation) should focus on border agency cooperation; and private sector engagement was crucial.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 41 - 
 
  Abdolazeez S . Al-Otaibi, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO, Kingdom 
of Saudi Arabia , stressed that in order to reduce trade costs, it was necessary to: upgrade rules 
and regulations; improve infrastructure; and use modern technology. Trade costs were also pertinent to services. He stressed that those IsDB member states that were eligible should take 
advantage of special and differential treatment. He  also highlighted the importance of the private 
sector.      
Marc Yombouno, Minister of Trade, Republic of Guinea , said that there were several projects 
under way in Guinea aimed at strengthening private sector infrastructure to reduce trade costs. He referred to the negative economic impact of the recent Ebola outbreak – partiocularly vis-à-vis the privat sector – and emphasized that any IsDB financial framework should have a built-in resilience 
mechanism to manage such crises.   
 Slimane Chikh, Ambassador, Organiza tion of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) , noted that the 
5
th Global Review would help towards meeting the challenges of 21st Century cooperation between 
the Gulf nations. He highlighted the work of the Consultative Group meetings over the past seven 
years and noted the current ten-year plan of action (2016-2025) which would focus at further 
developing intra-OIC trade. He also stressed the importance of the private sector as well as 
national and regional security in the trade dialogue.    Amr Ramadan,  Ambassador, Permanent Represen tative to the WTO, Egypt , discussed the 
particular importance of trade due to the rise of global value chains. He stated that there were a 
number of issues that would help to reduce trade costs which were not directly related to trade facilitation (i.e. border elements). Infrastructure challenges were high and projects, such as the 
enlargement of the Suez Canal, would contribute to  reducing trade costs. A particular concern for 
OIC countries was to improve their input to value addition in production. He reiterated the importance of the private sector (including SMEs) and noted that other focus areas in the trade 
cost reduction discourse included countries' legal frameworks, institutional capacity and human 
resources.    Mariam Md Salleh,  Ambassador, Permanent Represen tative to the WTO, Malaysia , 
provided an overview of Malaysia's experience and its international and regional trade profile. She 
said that other countries could learn from Malaysia's experience. Noting that Malaysia had been the fifth country to ratify the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, she said that trade facilitation was 
a key priority for Malaysia and was in line with its role as current chair of ASEAN. 
 Tom Butterly,  Deputy Director, Economic Cooperatio n and Trade Division, United Nations 
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECA) , highlighted the UNECE's 50-year involvement in 
the area of reducing trade costs and said that concrete results would hinge on Road Maps and Strategic Action Plans which were usually domestically approved. The TFA, however, did play a key role as it was the mechanism that produced action. The UNECA's Trade Facilitation Implementation 
Guide
11 was one of the tools to achieving these results and he recommended the use of global 
standards in the implementation of trade facili tation which would encourage a smooth elimination 
of unnecessary procedures. There were many tools that could be utilised in respect to trade 
facilitation, including National Trade Committees which could play a key role in achieving policy 
goals (including the development of Road Maps), and the peer-to-peer UN network of experts in TF used in Asia. 
 
Margareta Davidson-Abdelli,  Counsellor, Swedish Embassy in Cairo, and Representative 
of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in the Arab 
Region , referred to the origins of Sweden's support, bo th in the Arab region and internationally, 
which included Sweden's decision to link both aid and trade for development. She informed that 
SIDA's current strategy would conclude in December 2015 and that a new strategy – which would include economic integration and working conditions/labour market – was under consideration.  
The overview of SIDA's support highlighted the need to build capacity and provide technical 
assistance in order to ensure programme sustainability. Capacity building and technical assistance were being delivered in the areas of techni cal barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS) measures. She stressed the impo rtance of actions plans that would implement 
the basic WTO agreements – especially TBT and SPS - due to the pressing issue of food security.   
 
                                               
11 http://tfig.unece.org/   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Lassad Ben Hassine, Manager, AfTIAS, ITFC , provided examples of IsDB's AfT initiatives and 
programmes. He referred to the Aid-for- Trade Initiative for the Arab States ( AfTIAS )12 which had 
been launched in 2013 to assist Arab States in trade development by building their competitiveness and success in regional and global markets. In 2014, the Initiative had 
implemented five projects relating to: NTMs; enhancement of border control management; 
promotion of regional integration; skills for trade and economic diversification; and capacity building to assist in WTO accession. He concluded that, to reduce trade costs, it was necessary to 
improve infrastructure and develop shipping networks and to build more ports.   
 Lilia Naas, Chief, Office of the Arab States, International Trade Centre (ITC) , provided 
information on ITC's role in the reduction of trade costs in the Arab region and globally. She said 
that high trade costs had a direct impact on the capa city of the private sector to reap benefits from 
the available business processes and from globalisat ion. ITC's projects included NTM surveys, the 
results of which showed that: most NTMs affected regional trade; home-country measures were 
exacerbating trade; procedural obstacles were more problematic and increased trade costs; and 
there was a lack of information and transparency. ITC's support also targeted customs procedures, 
rules of origin, technical barriers to trade, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.   
 
Questions and comments  A member of the audience remarked that the Arab region and developing countries could utilise 
international instruments more effectively to re duce trade costs. Several instruments already 
existed, such as the TIR Convention (Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets) and the Customs Transit Convention, which had largely benefitted the 
Arab region. Another participant stated that accreditation was a tool to build trust and increase 
confidence, reduce cost, warranty sustainability.    
Tom Butterly,  UNECA  recommended that the region take a focused approach and use the 
Business Process Analysis Initiative to see where cost and time was incurred and to benchmark them. He said that the Initiative was an effective and practical way to implement trade facilitation in a country or even regionally.   
 
                                               
12 http://www.itfc-idb.org/en/content/aid-trade-initiative-arab-states  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 8: Access to Cooperation for Smal l and Vulnerable Economies through the 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative 
Moderator: Gyan C. Acharya , UN 
Under-Secretary-General and High 
Representative for the Least-developed 
Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and 
Small Island Developing States 
  
Panel discussion: 
 Wayne McCook, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Jamaica 
 Arnold Jorge, Director, Multilateral Aid for 
Trade Section, Department of Foreign 
Affairs and Trade, Australia 
 Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell, Minister for Public 
Enterprises, Samoa 
 Jodie Keane , Economic Advisor, Trade 
Division, Commonwealth Secretariat  
 Carmen Gisela Vergara , Secretary-General, 
Secretariat for Central American Economic 
Integration Many small economies face specific challenges 
in their participation in world trade. Low 
economies of scale and limited natural and 
human resources are further exacerbated by 
high transport costs. Physical isolation and 
geographical distance to markets are just two 
of the explanatory reasons for high trade costs, 
a situation made worse by low volumes of trade 
– a disincentive for commercial traders and 
transport companies. 
 
Recent WTO research on the participation of 
small economies in global value chains has 
shown that by attracting more investment, 
reducing trade costs through specialization and 
improving labour skills, small economies can in 
fact add more value to their production 
processes in such diverse sectors as fish, 
textiles and tourism services.  
 
A range of bilateral and multilateral agencies 
are providing Aid-for-Trade support to small 
economies in the Pacific, African, and 
Caribbean/Latin American regions. Donor and 
partner experiences have thus far been varied. 
 
This session examined the positive and negative 
outcomes emerging from efforts to help small 
economies gain more from trade.  
 
Setting the scene for the discussion,  Gyan C. Acharya, UN Under- Secretary-General and High 
Representative for the Least-Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and 
Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) , asked how Aid for Trade could further assist 
Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) in the Pacific, the Caribbean and Central and South America. 
  
Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell, Minist er for Public Enterprises, Samoa , said that with regard to 
Aid for Trade (AfT) Samoa had benefitted from assistance from the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework (EIF) and had graduated from LDC st atus in 2014 and noted that, thus far, the 
transition was progressing smoothly. He explained that Samoa wished to maintain as many LDC 
benefits as possible but was also seeking to strengthen its regional integration through more trade with Pacific states. In this regard, agriculture, trade facilitation and tourism projects were being 
implemented and trade and investment was being promoted. He said the EIF had helped to push 
trade capacity and to strengthen relations with the private sector, an area where the Government 
sought to further strengthen ties.  
 
Arnold Jorge , Director, Multilateral Aid for Trade Sect ion, Department of Foreign Affairs 
and Trade, Australia , said Australia was strongly committed to the Pacific and noted that the 
region had complex challenges and that there had been instances where AfT projects could have 
been better implemented. He explained, for exam ple, that there had been projects where more 
consultations would have helped partners to ensure the smooth functioning of an entire value chain, i.e. from storing products in warehouses to marketing those products overseas. He also said 
donor efforts could have been less conservative and more ambitious, especially as concerned 
projects with the private sector. Also, in order to further reduce the cost of trade in the Pacific, he noted that more emphasis should be placed on  ensuring sustainable economic growth and on 
integrating women into the region's AfT programmes. He said future efforts would focus more on WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  regional trade arrangements such as PACER Plus13 and programmes which helped states meet food 
quality standards, gain more from mobile ba nking systems and from e-commerce platforms.  
 Carmen Gisela Vergara, Secretary-General,  Secretariat for Central and American 
Economic Integration (SIECA) , said that SVEs faced difficulties and needed to engage 
regionally. She explained that governments in Central America had been trying to improve their economic integration for over 50 years and that the private sector was now urging governments to 
exercise more political will to making deeper region al integration a reality. One key area of activity 
concerned the reduction of paperwork to clear goods and to tackle both the hardware and software issues of implementing trade facilitation. In regard to the hardware, the region was implementing a competitiveness strategy and was being assisted by the United States Agency for International 
Development and the Inter-American Development Bank. Clearance systems now took into 
account Central American trademarks and had implemented advance rulings to help speed up the clearance of goods in transport. With regard to software, SIECA served as a hub for handling 
electronic clearance documents and was now behind the effort to merge five different reporting 
requirements into one electronic clearance document, handling about one million requests a year.  
Wayne McCook, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO, Jamaica , explained 
that SVEs faced difficulties with large infrastructure projects such as airports and often needed external assistance. He said that small states now clearly understood that whatever helped a country to trade better was considered as Aid for Trade. He informed that with its 
2013 Aid-for-Trade strategy, CARICOM was focusing more on assisting countries to gain market 
presence in key export markets. The Strategy co nsisted of taking a holistic look at what was 
needed, upgrading key economic infrastructure, an d ensuring that freight logistics worked. The 
region continued to face challenges in connecting its various states but several donors, mainly the 
European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom, had projects in place to encourage enterprise innovation, export development and business reform. 
 
Jodie Keane, Economic Advisor, Trad e Division, Commonwealth Secretariat , explained that 
donors did not always understand the needs of small states and that AfT flows to SVEs tended to be erratic and unpredictable. Since 2005, there had been a cumulative shortfall of some 
US$2.3 billion between what had been committed and what had actually been disbursed. 
Moreover, SVEs received 1% of AfT flows as compared to 7% for LDCs. Furthermore, the Caribbean received less than the Pacific and Af rica. She explained how different regions were 
attracting different amounts of assistance and that there were also stark differences in the kinds of 
projects being funded with, for example, th e Caribbean focussing more on trade-related 
adjustment, skills building and improving productivity, and the Pacific region more on addressing  
issues linked to transportation and storage. 
 Questions and answers  
Participants discussed the need for more private sector investment and asked how small states 
could attract more private sector funding. Comments were also made about the growing levels of government debt and problems with securing funding from donors who were increasingly looking 
to differentiate small states depending on their per capita income levels. Some believed that 
regional funds could help tackle both of these challenges. Views were expressed about the need to focus more on global value chains and enhanced competitiveness and the possibility of having a 
specific Aid-for-Trade framework for SVEs given the many challenges these economies faced.  
 
                                               
13 Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus. See 
http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreement s/pacer/pages/pacific-agreement-on -closer-economic-relations-pacer-
plus.aspx   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  DAY 2 – 1 JULY 2015 
Session 9: WTO and Development: Looking Ah ead to the Nairobi Ministerial Conference 
Moderator: Keith Rockwell, Director, 
Information and External Relations Division, 
World Trade Organization  
 
Panel discussion 
 Roberto Azevêdo , Director-General, World 
Trade Organization 
 Amina Mohamed , Ambassador, Cabinet 
Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
International Trade, Kenya   In 2015, the WTO marks its 20th anniversary .  
The system of transparent, 
multilaterally-agreed rules that the WTO 
embodies has made a major contribution to the 
strength and stability of the global economy. 
The WTO has helped to boost trade growth and 
resolve numerous trade disputes. Over the past 
20 years, global trade in goods has nearly 
quadrupled, reaching US$19 trillion in 2013 
compared with US$5 trillion in 1996. Not only 
has world trade expanded on average by 7.6% 
annually in the period 1995-2015, but the 
developing world's share of global trade has 
also grown to reach almost half. The WTO's 
2014 World Trade Report  termed the rise of the 
developing world as the most significant 
economic event of our time. The authors noted 
that "partly because of the shift to more 
outward-looking economic policies, partly 
because of the impact of new transport and 
communications technologies, and partly 
because the world economy is more open than 
ever before, emerging economies have been 
able to harness globalization to achieve 
unheard-of rates of economic growth – with 
11 economies, representing half the world's 
population, growing collectively at over 
6 per cent a year since 2000".   
  
Among developing countries, while many have 
seen trade bolster their economic growth and 
poverty alleviation, others continue to face the 
same trade-related infrastructure and 
supply-side constraints that motivated Ministers 
to launch the Aid-for-Trade Initiative in 
2005 - and to reconfirm their commitment to it 
at the WTO Bali Ministerial Conference in 
December 2013.   
 
The aim of this session was to survey what has 
been achieved on trade and development since 
the WTO's creation and to look forward to the 
challenges that lie ahead, examining the role of 
Aid for Trade in addressing these 
issues - particularly in the context of the WTO's 
Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December 
2015.   
  
The Ministerial Conference, the WTO's first in 
Africa, offers an opportunity to build on past 
achievements and to map a way forward for the 
Organization. As a guide to what is at stake, 
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and International Trade, and the WTO's 
Director-General offered their thoughts and 
replied to questions from Members. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 46 - 
 
  A short video, "Transforming Lives", was screened featuring a Kenyan truck driver and his family 
which provided a clear message on how reducing trade costs could transform lives.14  
 Remarks by the Director-General, World Trade Organization 
I am delighted to be joined today by our friend and colleague Ambassador Amina Mohamed, 
Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade.   
Of course, Ambassador Mohamed is also the Chair of the WTO's 10
th Ministerial Conference which 
will be held in Nairobi on 15-18 December this year.     And that Conference is what we are going to talk about this morning. 
 
It is the focus of much of our work this year at the WTO. So, like our friend in the video, we are all on the road to Nairobi! 
  
We only have a short session this morning, so I want to say just a few words about why I think this work is so important.  
  
This Ministerial Conference will be our first o pportunity since our successful meeting in Bali in 
2013, to show that the multilateral trading system can deliver new negotiated outcomes - articularly for the poorest and most marginalised. 
  
It will also be the first time that a WTO ministerial has been held in Africa. And I think that the acid test of our success will be whether we can deliver for Africa. 
  
Perspectives on trade have changed in recent years.   
It was notable that a recent survey of global public opinion found that it was not the people of Asia 
or North America who have the most positive view of trade – but the people of Africa.   Trade is increasingly seen by many – quite rightly – as a powerful tool for development. 
  
We all know that 2015 is a big year in the sustainable development calendar, with the new sustainable development goals, their financing, and the future of the climate all being discussed at 
the multilateral level. 
  Trade has a big role to play in this debate. 
  
Since the creation of the WTO in 1995, around two-thirds of poverty reduction has come from economic growth in developing countries. And trade is a major engine helping to drive that growth. 
  
The WTO has provided more and more developing countries with a seat at the table – where their voice is heard just as loud as any other. 
  
Today developing countries make up fo ur out of every five WTO Members. 
  
They play a key role in managing the system, shaping its agenda, and negotiating its agreements. 
  And they are increasing their participation in world trade.  
Developing countries' share in global merchandise trade has increased from 27% in 1995 to over 
43% today. In commercial services trade, the share has risen from around 25% to roughly 35% over the same period. 
 
So huge strides have been taken. But, clearly, we need to do more. And one area where the WTO has struggled to deliver is through our negotiations. 
  
That's one reason why the successful Bali package that we delivered in 2013 is so important. 
                                               
14 A continuous screening of the video was provided in the Atrium. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 47 - 
 
    
It showed that Members can deliver important negoti ated outcomes – and that it could do so with 
development at its heart, and with developing countries playing a leading role in the negotiations.   
The package included: 
  • The Trade Facilitation Agreement to cut trade costs; 
• a series of measures for LDCs; and  
• steps on various agricultural issues, including cotton and food security.   Bali was a first in many ways. It was the WTO's first multilateral agreement of course. But it also 
broke new ground in the technical assistance which it foresaw to support members with 
implementation. We already have started delivering this support through the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility. 
  
Thus, providing practical support to build capaci ty is another crucial element of our work.  
  
That's what Aid for Trade is all about. To date, more than US$245 billion have been disbursed for 
official development assistance programmes and projects.   S o  h o w  c a n  w e  m a k e  s u r e  t h a t  t r a d e ,  a n d  t h e  W T O ,  k e e p  o n  p l a y i n g  t h e i r  r o l e  i n  s u p p o r t i n g  
development – and leverage trade's contribution even more? 
  I think that at the multilateral level we have two key tasks to support growth and 
development: First, we must move forward and im plement the Decisions taken in Bali, to ensure 
that the significant benefits promised are deliver ed. And, second, we must make further progress 
on the Doha Development Agenda. 
  
The big Doha issues of agriculture, industrial  goods, and services, have languished on the 
negotiating table for far too long.   
Results here could transform lives across the world. 
 I think Members are focused on agreeing meaningful outcomes to support growth and 
development in Nairobi in December. 
 And I will do everything I can, together with the Secretariat, to support Members in this effort. 
 
We have had a huge range of conversations and consultations so far this year. And we have made progress in terms of real engagement on the big issues.  
But it has not been easy.  
 The path forward still remains far from clear. And this is why it is now time to get serious and start 
taking the important political calls.  
 We must map out a clear road to Nairobi, which will enable us to deliver in December.  
  
A successful conference in Nairobi would be the ideal finale to this historic year for development.   And it would provide a tremendous impetus for all of our work, across all of the areas that I have 
outlined.   
  As Amina has graciously said, "hosting the Ministerial Conference in Kenya is not only Kenya's 
pride, but the pride of the entire continent of Africa." 
  And I think there is a real sense of expectation ou t there. I mentioned earlier the positive attitude 
which many across the continent have towards trade as a driver of development. 
  Let's reward that faith.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 48 - 
 
  I think we share the responsibility to ensure that trade continues to play its full role in 
development, and in continuing to improve the lives of people in Africa and around the world, in a 
very concrete and practical manner.   
Nairobi is an opportunity to get something done right now. We should not let it slip. 
  Thank you. 
 
Remarks by Amina Mohamed, Ambassador, Cabine t Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and International Trade, Kenya 
Thank you, Roberto, for inviting me to this 5
th Global Review. Thank you fo r your leadership of the 
WTO at this challenging moment. As I thank you Director-General, I praise your entire staff in the 
Secretariat – all of them – who have organized this mammoth and worthy 5th Global Review! I 
have been here before! I know what it takes, in  energy, dedication, creati vity and organizational 
competence to implement this! The WTO deserves a solid round of applause!  
 This is a year of anniversaries and landmarks: 20 years of the WTO. Ten years since the launch of 
the Aid-for-Trade Initiative in 2005. And a year in which the 10
th WTO Ministerial Conference will 
be held, for the first time in Africa, in Nairobi. So, as we mark these anniversaries and acknowledge these landmarks, it should also be a moment for reflection. What have we achieved? What should we do to improve the chances th at the future trade and development will be 
coherent, poverty-reducing, and welfare enhancing?  
 I am pleased to be here today with all of you to participate at this 5
th Global Review of Aid for 
Trade. This year's theme is "Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth".  
 The original design of the Aid-for-Trade agenda remains solid and unquestionable. The rules-based 
Multilateral Trading System requires a development dimension. However defined, surely, the 
ultimate aims of trade policy and trade rules must be poverty reduction, growth, welfare and 
development that work for all members of the gl obal economy. We have a WTO that functions 
reasonably well, although there is scope for improv ement. Even as we seek to improve, strengthen 
and adapt the WTO to an ever-more challenging glob al environment, the foundation of the WTO is 
solid. On this foundation, we shall and must continue to build.   
This year's Global Review is timely. It is our biennial opportunity for collective stock-taking, 
assessment and planning, to ensure that Aid for Trade delivers to assist developing countries, particularly least-developed countries (LDCs), to build their supply-side capacities, trade-related 
infrastructure required to benefit from the rules-based Multilateral Trading System and, 
participate, meaningfully, in an increasingly competitive global economy.   So, Aid for Trade is an important component of  the supply-side aspects of the development 
dimension of the WTO (not just the Doha Development Agenda).  
 Yet, we also know that domestic reforms, including structural reforms, must accompany 
capacity-building, for sustained growth and develo pment. This is one fundamental lesson that we 
have learned, collectively, from the results of WTO accessions, as well as from our own 
experiences. Members that have joined the WTO since 1995 have acceded, using accession 
negotiation as an instrument of domestic reforms. We should underline the lesson that domestic 
reforms are also central to competitiveness, sustained growth and development.   And here again I would like to congratulate Robert o for the recent remarkable achievements in the 
area of accessions – a domestic reform approach to growth and development. I join other WTO 
Members to welcome the conclusion of the accessi on of Kazakhstan. Liberia, an LDC, should 
shortly be concluded. Afghanistan, another LDC, is on queue for later this year and, possibly, by 
Nairobi.  
 Let us take a broader look at 2015. This year sh ould mark a significant year for the development 
agenda. Major global negotiations presently underway are expected to mature and yield harvest 
this year.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 49 - 
 
  The international community will soon gather in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Financing for 
Development Conference (arising from the Monterrey Consensus). Much work has been done. It now has to be concluded. Implementation will be critical.   
The Post-2015 Development Agenda is intertwined with the Sustainable Development Goals; 
environmental protection is a sacred global goal. This is why every effort must be made to conclude a new Climate Change agreement, arising from the United Nations Framework 
Convention on Climate Change.  
 And the WTO must play its role by contributing to growth and development, through a Work Programme that enables the Organization to satisfactorily conclude the DDA and strengthen the 
Organization in all pillars of its work: regular work; multilateral negotiations, including accessions; 
and, dispute settlement.   
The outcomes from the work of the WTO must always be substantive and concrete and contribute 
to real and lasting results for growth and development.   
I argue that multilateralism has a development value. In this 20
th year of the WTO, we should seek 
to strengthen trade multilateralism. The GATT/WTO has played an important role in strengthening multilateralism. It has promoted an inclusive and open rules-based and non-discriminatory trading system. It has contributed to rapid economic gr owth. The legal and policy framework of the WTO 
remains a bulwark against protectionism. For those who cynically raise questions about WTO 
relevance, collectively, we should ask them 'so, why is it that over 30 new Members, now accounting for approximately, 20% of the WTO Membership, acceded since 1995'? The WTO has 
contributed to the enhanced welfare in these Me mbers and to growth in the global economy. 
Twenty more are negotiating their membership.   
Our collective duty is to continue to strengthen the WTO as a rules-based Multilateral Trading 
System. We need to work together to ensure that  we fuel the engine of trade multilateralism. 
Increased trade contributes to global economy re covery and growth and in doing so, raises the 
living standards of the less developed.  
 
We can and we must focus on tangible outcomes between now and MC10 in Nairobi. We have set a 
goal to ensure enough ratification of the Trade Fa cilitation Agreement (TFA), so that by Nairobi it 
comes into force.  
 It is therefore important that Members should expedite their Domestic Ratification Process, so that 
by end of November this year we would have ac hieved the threshold of two thirds of the total 
number of Acceptances required for the TFA to enter into force.   Kenya is pushing and soon we should deposit Kenya' s Instrument of Acceptance of the Protocol on 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement. The TFA will streamline customs processes. Red tape and 
administrative costs associated with exportation and importation of goods will be reduced. You know the estimates – give or take – the Trade Fa cilitation Agreement should increase global GDP 
by US$1 trillion per annum and create 21 Million jobs. It may be more. It may be less.  
 The common theme from Plenary and Panel discussio ns yesterday is that high trade costs are a 
brake on trade integration, growth and development. Trade Facilitation is a policy good for 
countries in an integrated and competitive global economy.   The establishment of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility has been valuable. It is a critical 
and concrete mechanism where Aid for Trade helps developing and least-developed countries to 
reap the benefits of trade facilitation.   
Yet, reduction of trade costs and trade facilitati on are not stand-alone measures. They must be 
accompanied with an agenda – a Work Programme for trade opening. We, the Members, have placed a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of  our Director-General. But we must give him the 
scope and flexibility to lead and develop a Post-Bali/Nairobi Work Programme that is realistic, 
balanced and meaningful – that reduces trade barriers, contributes to global economic recovery and growth for all: developed, developing, and least-developed. It cannot work in any other way. Benefits must be shared.  
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 50 - 
 
  The work programme will have to strike a balance between the core areas of negotiations namely 
agriculture, NAMA and services; and the special needs and interests of the developing and least-developed countries. The development aspects will be horizontal and integral across all elements of the work programme.  
 
We cannot build from nothing. We have to build on the progress that we have achieved through 
years of negotiations, the decisions that were ta k e n  i n  B a l i  i n  o r d e r  t o  d r a w  u p  w i t h  a  w o r k  
programme – adapting, updating and modernizing as we continue to fortify and extend trade 
multilateralism.   Time is turning against us. The solutions have to be found and found here in Geneva – well in 
advance of Nairobi.  
 Our common objective is that the Nairobi Ministerial Conference will be a forum where we can 
harvest specific outcomes that I have discussed with you today: accessions; an ambitious 
Post-Bali/Nairobi Work Programme; and, the coming into force of the TFA.   
Let us take stock again when we meet in October for the WTO Public Forum.  
 This biennial Global Review is a first class idea, being superbly implemented. It has emerged as one of the flagship activities in WTO engagement  with the global community. Keep it going and 
remain creative.  
 I thank you all for your attention.  
 
Questions and comments  
In reply to the Moderator's  question on how the TFA was important for Africa, 
Ambassador Mohamed  said that the TFA must be ratified by the time of the Nairobi Conference, 
and remarked that Kenya and East Africa were "totally convinced" and needed to convince others. She gave detailed and concrete examples of the tremendous gains in competitiveness, and the 
reductions in time and cost of doing business through the Port of Mombasa, and the need for 
application of resources through hard infrastructu re and public-private partnerships (mentioning 
also the standard gauge railway from Mombasa to de stinations including Kampala, Kigali, etc.). In 
short, trade facilitation had done a lot for Kenya, with some aspects requiring resources, while 
others did not require much at all to achieve concrete results.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 51 - 
 
  Session 10: Reducing Trade Costs in South-South Trade 
Moderator: Shishir Priyadarshi, Director, 
Development Division, World Trade 
Organization 
 
Panel discussion: 
 Alejandro Gamboa Castilla , 
Director-General, Presidential Agency for 
International Cooperation, Colombia 
 Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara, Minister of 
Trade and Industry, Sierra Leone 
 Pranav Kumar, Head, International Trade 
Policy, Confederation of Indian Industry 
 Saidrahmon Nazriev, First Deputy Minister 
for Economic Development and Trade, 
Tajikistan 
 Syed Tauqir Shah, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Pakistan 
 Jianhua Yu, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, People's 
Republic of China South-South cooperation is an established 
feature of the Aid-for-Trade landscape. A 
growing range of actors are engaging in this 
area, and new institutions are emerging. One 
distinguishing feature of much South-South 
cooperation is a focus on infrastructure 
development and upgrading – addressing a 
constraint that developing countries 
consistently rank as highest among the factors 
limiting their participation in global trade.   
 
Twenty years ago South-South trade accounted 
for approximately 10% of world trade; today 
this figure is up to 30%. Strong growth rates in 
emerging economies are keeping South-South 
trade flows dynamic. Developing economies 
account for over half of global foreign direct 
investment flows – with an increasing portion of 
that investment emanating in the south. As 
such, it is not just South-South actors that are 
seeking to tap into this growth sector of global 
trade.   
 
The aim of this session was to examine the 
opportunity for economic transformation in the 
context of the UN's emerging Post-2015 
Development Agenda offered by South-South 
trade and how action to address high trade 
costs could help promote this economic 
opportunity. 
 
Shishir Priyadarshi, Director, Developm ent Division, World Trade Organization,  noted that 
the importance of South-South trade – and of developing countries and emerging economies 
setting the trade development agenda – had increase d many fold in the last two decades. This had 
been highlighted in a recent event as one of the most significant changes in the global trading arena over the last 20 years. South-South trade had, in value terms, overtaken North-South trade. 
As for South-South development cooperation, this was not just about development assistance, but 
also about trade and investment flows. Discussion on South-South development cooperation had gained increasing prominence in the Global Revi ew. The important role that emerging developing 
economies were playing in South-South cooperation was today well recognized. 
 
Pranav Kumar,  Head, International Trade Policy, Conf ederation of Indian Industry (CII) , 
noted the private sector's important role in South-South development cooperation, particularly in 
the context of Aid for Trade and the mobilization of alternative sources of development finance. 
The share of South-South trade in total exports of developing countries had increased from 40% in 2000 to 59% today. He noted implementation of a private-sector related project (with the 
International Trade Centre and the UK Department for International Development) to link India 
with East Africa which underlined the importance of linking South-South cooperation and trade and investment. As result, investment had almost tripled from just over US$6.4 trillion to US$18 trillion. Foreign direct investment (FDI) was also important. Over the last ten years India, 
China, and Brazil had become increasingly import ant sources of FDI. Improved trade, investment 
and growth could be achieved by better merging private sector goals and governments' development goals. While aid – and Aid for Trade – could facilitate trade and development what 
was needed for sustainable growth was investment for trade. He referred to the CII India-Africa 
Conclaves which framed cooperation between the India and Africa private sector. Almost 2000 
projects worth US$172 billion had been discussed since the Conclave's launch in 2005. A similar 
exercise – the South Asia Economic Conclave – had also been launched with the support of the 
World Bank Group.  He opined that value chains cannot be created without reducing the cost of doing business. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 52 - 
 
   
Sharing experience of South-South trade and partnerships, Jianhua Yu, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WT O, People's Republic of China , noted that inclusive 
development called for collective actions by developing countries and least developed countries 
(LDCs) to participate in global trade. Accordin g to WTO figures, South-South trade had risen to 
45% of world trade. South-South trade accounted for 70% of China's total trade. He said that a common objective was needed to reduce trade costs to enhance developing countries' trade 
capacity and create new opportunities. China's South-South cooperation included in the area of 
enhancing trade capacity (US$190 million for medium and large infrastructure projects – e.g. Silk Road and the Asia Infrastructure Development Bank); reducing trade costs (role in negotiating and implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, contribution to the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Facility, and seminars to share experience); and creating trading opportunities (duty 
free quota free access for LDCs in over 90% of tariff lines). There was a need to mobilize more resources, both globally and locally, and to increa se support from public and private stakeholders.  
 
Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara, Minister of Trade and Industry, Sierra Leone , observed that 
LDCs' participation in worldwide trade was currently less than 1%. The objective was to double this 
by 2020. Trade – including South-South trade – was a gateway to increasing a country's wellbeing 
and there had to be a conscious effort to bridge  the gap without foregoing national interests. A 
massive rethink of world trade order was needed to identify root causes and find solutions. Investment and expertise were required to enhance infrastructure, energy, etc. so that developing 
countries could take advantage of the opportunities offered by South-South trade.  Successful 
bilateral relations had led to the establishment of a rail network between the five EAC member 
countries. This was something that could be replicated by ECOWAS member countries.  
 
Saidrahmon Nazriev, First Deputy Minist er for Economic Development and Trade, 
Tajikistan , highlighted the importance of infrastructure to facilitate trade and integration. He 
cited, in particular, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and Silk Road 
transport corridor projects as examples of successful inter-regional cooperation that had facilitated trade – and reduced trade costs – between ten countries in Asia. The United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA)
15 was another example of successful trade 
facilitation cooperation. 
 Syed Tauqir Shah,  Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO, Pakistan , 
reported on regional initiatives, in particular the CASA 1000 regional electricity project which 
linked Central and Southern Asia, and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline project designed to provide a vital link to the Silk Road project. The recently-launched 
US$46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project – which would open new trade and 
transport routes across Asia – also epitomized South-South trade at its best.  Alejandro Gamboa Castilla,  Director-General, Presidential Agency for International 
Cooperation, Colombia , noted Colombia's dual role as beneficiary and donor. South-South 
cooperation also included transfer of knowledge, not only for developing countries but also for developed countries. Colombia had initiated regional  strategies in Central America, the Caribbean, 
South America, Africa and Asia to establish to ols and mechanisms to exchange knowledge, but 
more donor support was needed. Taking on board specific private sector and regional needs was essential for effective South-South trade cooperation. Colombia had therefore designed these 
strategies ("learning tours") with a focus on promotion of entrepreneurship. Learning tours had 
been conducted in El Salvador and Honduras, and others were in the pipeline for Benin, Ghana, 
Kenya and South Africa.  
From the floor, the UNIDO  representative announced the release of the 2015 edition of the Trade 
Capacity Building Inter-Agency Resource Guide which focused on South-South and Triangular cooperation.
16 
 
                                               
15 SPECA economies include: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan 
and Uzbekistan. 
16 http://www.unido.org/tcbresourceguide2015.html   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 53 - 
 
  Session 11: Launch of the New EIF: Trade for LDC Development  
Opening remarks: Roberto Azevêdo, 
Director-General, World Trade Organization  
 
Moderator:  Deborah Berlinck, Journalist, 
Collaborator of Folha de São Paulo, Brazil 
 
Panel discussion:  
 Arancha González, Executive Director, 
International Trade Centre 
 Joshua Setipa, Minister for Trade and 
Industry, Lesotho 
 Morten Høglund, State Secretary, Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs, Norway  
 Aziz Mahamat Saleh, Minister of Economy, 
Trade and Development, Chad  
 Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General for 
International Development Policy, German 
Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation 
and Development, Germany 
 Marokon Alilee, Director General, Ministry of 
Tourism, Trade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu 
Business, Vanuatu  
 Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, Permanent 
Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and 
Supplies, Nepal  
 Cecilia Björner, Director General of 
International Development Cooperation, 
Sweden 
 Daniel Blockert, EIF Steering Committee 
Chair 
 Yvette Stevens, EIF Board Chair  
 
Closing remarks: Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive 
Director, Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) - the 
only global Aid-for-Trade (AfT) programme with 
an exclusive focus on least developed countries 
(LDCs) – recently underwent a comprehensive 
independent evaluation of its first phase 
(2009-2015). The findings confirmed the EIF's 
continued relevance to LDCs' trade and 
development priorities, indicated that results 
are showing good signs of sustainability, and 
highlighted areas to further strengthen 
efficiency and effectiveness.  
 
Following the evaluation recommendations, the 
EIF partnership approved a second phase of the 
programme (2016-2022) and started an 
inclusive reform process which culminated in 
the organization of the EIF Global Platform, 
where nearly 250 EIF practitioners from LDCs, 
donors and partner agencies convened in 
Geneva to discuss the proposed improvements.   
 
At this launch event, the new EIF programme 
framework for Phase 2 was presented to the 
Aid-for-Trade community.  
 
 
The session began with an audio-visual presentati on of what the Enhanced Integrated Framework 
had achieved in the past five years. It was follow ed by additional audio-visual video material on 
the inclusive consultations among the wider EIF Partnership that had led to substantive reforms and changes in the new EIF Programme as well as the timeline to the EIF Pledging Conference in 
December in Nairobi.
17  
 Opening remarks by the WTO Director-General 
The Director-General  u n d e r l i n e d  t h e  i m p o r t a n c e  o f  t h e  E I F  P r o g r a m m e  t o  L D C s  a s  a  t o o l  f o r  
growth, sustainable development, and poverty reduction. He announced the EIF Pledging Conference which he would host at the 10
th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, calling on donors to 
provide real support to the Programme. 
 Via video messages, the  Heads of EIF Partner Agencies (UNDP and UNCTAD), as well as 
high-level representatives of th e IMF and the World Bank Group , pledged continued 
support and strong commitment in helping to achieve the EIF objectives in Phase 2 of the EIF 
Programme.
18  
 
                                               
17 See: http://www.enhancedif.org/en/media/3788%20  and http://www.enhancedif.org/en/media/3790  
18 See: http://www.enhancedif.org/en/media/3785%20  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 54 - 
 
  Panel discussion 
 Speaking on behalf of the EIF Partner Agencies, Arancha González, Executive Director, 
International Trade Centre , welcomed the reforms which would enable the Programme to work 
better. She requested the AfT community to empower the EIF as a force for economic 
development in LDCs, and highlighted that the EIF co uld be instrumental in realizing the vision of 
the Post-2015 Development Agenda for LDCs. 
 
An interactive dialogue by LDC ministers and senior officials ensued with film footage from direct project beneficiaries, followed by donor panellist supporting statements and the presentation of the new EIF Programme. 
 
Joshua Setipa, Minister for Trade and Industry, Lesotho , elaborated how Lesotho had used 
the EIF as a coordination platform across different ministries and in alignment with work on the 
National Development Strategy. He highlighted how the EIF-funded greenhouse project was 
delivering concrete results and was transforming  lives of many of the smallholder farmers, 
supporting 200 poor people from a baseline of zero to a collective income per month of 
US$86,000. His intervention was backed by an owner and primary supervisor of tomato and 
mushroom cultivation, one of the female beneficiaries of the project.  Morten Høglund, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway , highlighted how 
trade was crucial for LDCs' development, with the EIF as the main channel of assistance to LDCs. 
In this regard, Norway announced a donation of  NOK 150 million for Phase 2 of the EIF over the 
next five years (2016-2020). He also encouraged other donors and development partners to follow 
Norway's lead in making a contribution to Phase 2 of the EIF particularly at the upcoming EIF 
Pledging Conference.  
Aziz Mahamat Saleh, Minister of Ec onomy, Trade and Development, Chad, presented 
information on how the EIF had supported Chad to leverage additional AfT resources in the leather sector, which had enabled Chad for the first time to produce 'Made in Chad' shoes, and a range of standardized leather products. His intervention was followed by one of the project beneficiaries, a 
leather craftsman developing and producing footwear designs at the Training Unit of the 
N'djamena Crafts Centre.   
Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General fo r International Development Policy, German 
Federal Ministry of Economic Coop eration and Development, Germany , reiterated support 
to the EIF Programme and elaborated how the EIF supported Germany's bilateral AfT programmes. 
H e  e m p h a s i z e d  t h a t  f o r  L D C s  t o  l i v e  u p  t o  t h eir developmental responsibilities, they required 
concerted support from development partners. He acknowledged that the EIF provided the tool to 
channel this concerted support to the LDCs' needs,  with the LDCs in the driving seat to create 
better livelihoods for their citizens. He asserted Ge rmany's intent to provide support in concrete 
figures at the EIF Pledging Conference in December.   
 With the context of the remoteness of the Pacifi c region and the devastating cyclone aftermath, 
Marokon Alilee, Director Genera l, Ministry of Tourism, Tr ade, Commerce and Ni-Vanuatu 
Business, Vanuatu , elaborated on how the EIF had made a difference to its national trade policy. 
He explained how the EIF had helped build capacities to manage the National Trade Development 
Committee and the implementation of the National  Trade Policy Framework. As a service based 
economy, he highlighted the tourism support project in Vanuatu which was implemented with joint funding from the EIF and New Zealand. In this re spect, he introduced one of the tourism project 
beneficiaries, a female Arts and Crafts seller in Port Vila market, whose tourism activities had been 
massively affected by the cyclone.    
 In his presentation, Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, Perman ent Secretary, Ministry of 
Commerce and Supplies, Nepal , profiled  the results that the EIF had delivered in Nepal on trade 
mainstreaming, capacity building and on support to  trade priorities to access market opportunities. 
He elaborated how the EIF Programme was helping to rebuild Nepal after the tragic earthquake in 
a more sustainable way, through promoting trade opportunities and the trade sector in Nepal. This 
included supporting economic empowerment of women through the EIF ginger project. His intervention was backed by a female ginger farmer and the President of Women's Ginger Cooperative. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 55 - 
 
  Cecilia Björner, Director General of Inte rnational Development Cooperation, Sweden , 
elaborated why donors should invest in Phase 2 of the EIF. Recalling that Sweden had held the 
first ever EIF Pledging Conference, she emphas ized that the EIF was an important and unique 
platform for LDCs to access tools to take forward opportunities that trade provided for 
development. She highlighted that the EIF was an important tool to realize the Sustainable 
Development Goals in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. She underscored the EIF as an avenue to focus on women's economic empowerment and ge nder equality in the LDCs, and further noted 
that trade could be a powerful tool to unlock the productive potential of women. She concluded by 
stating that Sweden would provide concrete supp ort to the EIF at the Pledging Conference in 
Nairobi.  
Questions and answers 
 Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDCs and as LDC Coordinator , welcomed Norway's donation to 
provide resources for Phase 2 of the EIF and requ ested other development partners to support the 
EIF Programme.       
Presentation of the New EIF Programme Framework 
 Yvette Stevens, EIF Board Chair and Daniel  Blockert, EIF Steering Committee Chair , 
presented the main innovations of the New EIF Programme Framework. These included, inter alia : 
increased Programme value for money; a set budget to fund EIF Phase 2 at US$274-320 million; 
stronger results framework; and a full risk assessment strategy. The presenters documented how the Programme would offer a much more efficien t, flexible and effective Programme to help 
poorest nations to reap the benefits of trade for economic development.  
 After all the changes to the new EIF Programme had been highlighted, Phase 2 of the EIF was 
formally launched with the unveiling of the new EIF logo and EIF tagline: Trade for LDC 
Development.  Closing remarks by Mr Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director of the EIF Executive 
Secretariat 
In his closing remarks, the Executive Director re sponded to questions that had been raised. The 
Executive Director also appreciated and welcomed Norway's donation that would help the EIF to 
continue to deliver results in the poorest countries, without losing momentum.  
  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 56 - 
 
  Session 12: Electronic Commerce and the Aid-for-Trade Initiative  
Moderator:  Alfredo Suescum, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, Panama 
 
Panel discussion:   
 Michael Ferrantino , Lead Economist, Global 
Practice on Trade and Competitiveness, 
World Bank Group 
 Torbjörn Fredriksson , Chief, ICT Analysis 
Section, Division on Technology and 
Logistics, United Nations Conference on 
Trade and Development  
 Kemal Huseinovic , Chief, Infrastructure, 
Enabling Environment and E-Applications, 
International Telecommunications Union  
 Hanne Melin , Director, Global Public Policy, 
eBay Inc.  
 Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell, Minister for Public 
Enterprises, Samoa  
 Carlos Grau Tanner , Director General , 
Global Express Association  UNCTAD's latest Information Economy Report  
highlights that some of the greatest dynamism 
in electronic commerce can be found in 
developing countries. Research by eBay  
suggests that barriers to trading across distance 
are up to 94% lower for developing countries 
via electronic market places, as compared to 
traditional markets.  Their research documents 
the rise of the "micro-multinational", with 
higher survival rates than their offline peers and 
reaching high numbers of export markets from 
an early stage in their life.   
 
Yet the opportunities offered by e-commerce 
remain largely untapped. Many small- and 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain 
unable to access reliable network services. In 
the absence of mobile money platforms or 
postal or parcel delivery services, many SMEs in 
developing countries find it difficult to make an 
online presence work for them. Some have 
suggested the need for an Aid for E-trade 
initiative  to accelerate the global ecommerce 
revolution.  
 
This session examined these questions and 
considered what more could be done to 
promote aid, investment, technology and 
knowledge transfer, in what was emerging as a 
powerful tool for the integration of small firms 
in developing countries to the trading system.    
 
Alfredo Suescum,  Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO, Panama  
introduced the session by pointing to the opport unities offered by e-commerce, possible costs of 
not carrying out e-commerce, and the possibility of an Aid for eTrade initiative.  
Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell,  Minister for Public Enterprises, Samoa , highlighted the vast 
improvement that Samoa had experienced over the last decade with regard to information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, usage and e-commerce. The opening of Samoa's telecommunications sector in 2005, privatisation and continuing regulatory reform, formed the 
basis of this progress. Currently, Samoa made use of ICT for market access information, 
destination and product marketing, online booking services and financial services, including the receipt of remittances. Supported by the World Bank Group, Samoa was planning to develop a 
second fibre optic cable to enhance broadband access and was also currently developing an 
e-government strategy aimed at improving the delivery of public services and the linkages 
between government agencies. While the Government had adopted an Electronic Transactions Act, 
Samoa still needed to develop strategies to better link the private and public sector, as well as 
integrated strategies for the tourism and the financial sector.  He also mentioned that Samoa had just updated its customs system to ASYCUDA allowing for more efficient procedures and noted that Samoa still needed to better exploit the opportunities that e-commerce offered by building trust, 
infrastructure and human capacities 
 Hanne Melin, Director, Global Public Policy, eBay Inc. , said that analysis of sellers on eBay's 
market platform revealed an ongoing trade revolution. In contrast to traditional firms, the large 
majority of small firms in both developed and de veloping countries used the eBay platform for 
exporting. Online platforms could be considered as a virtual shop in every country of the world. 
She highlighted that e-commerce allowed small firms to export without the need to grow large or 
to reach a certain productivity level before exporting. A possible Aid for eTrade initiative could foster multi-stakeholder cooperation, review cust oms processes, and help bridge the challenges WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 57 - 
 
  and opportunities arising from e-commerce.  She called for closer cooperation between businesses 
and customs. Traders created an electronic footprin t and this data could be used for risk modelling 
and assessment systems.  
Carlos Grau Tanner,  Director General, Glob al Express Association , described international 
express delivery companies such as DHL, FedEx, TNT,  or UPS as services providers that ran a fast 
and secure logistics chain for both large and small firms as well as for "e-tailers". Delivery 
companies faced both border and behind-the-border barriers. Behind-the-border issues included 
mostly issues related to establishing a commercial presence (GATS Mode 3) such as investment restrictions, licensing issues and the regulatory environment. Border issues such as customs procedures were the one element that express delivery companies did not control. The 
implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreemen t (TFA) would be of tremendous help to both 
traditional trade and e-commerce.  He cautioned to keep a comprehensive view regarding border 
procedures as often one formality such as an original signature could block otherwise electronic 
processes. 
 Michael Ferrantino, Lead Economist, Global  Practice on Trade and Competitiveness, 
World Bank Group , illustrated opportunities and challenges of e-commerce using concrete 
examples from developing countries. In particular , he mentioned the example of a firm in Ghana 
that processed shea nuts into butter and soap for the local and international market as well as providing inputs to global value chains. Another example was a Kenyan firm that used e-commerce 
by providing an export platform for domestic, traditional producers of jewellery. He further 
provided examples of innovative services firms in  Senegal and Nepal in the fields of social media 
analytics and app programming, respectively. He highlighted challenges related to e-commerce 
such as the lack of electronic payment systems (i ncluding credit cards) in developing countries, 
and the lack of postal addresses for around a third of the world population.  He cautioned 
developing countries against putting in place data localization policies for security and privacy as 
this could make cybercrime easier. He would put more trust in firms to handle such data as they 
had better technology and incentives to protect such data.  Torbjörn Fredriksson, Chief, ICT Analysis Sect ion, Division on Technology and Logistics, 
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , highlighted some of the 
findings of UNCTAD's Information Economy Report 2015 that had assessed the potential of e-commerce for developing countries. The Report found that the scope of e-commerce had 
expanded in the past few years as a result of: (i) improved ICT connectivity; (ii) lower entry 
barriers to e-commerce (e-commerce platforms, payment solutions); and (iii) a rapid increase of e-commerce by developing country firms. Business-to-business (B2B) transactions worth 
US$15.2 trillion dominated business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions which were worth 
US$1.2 trillion. For small firms, B2B was often easi er than B2C as they needed to handle fewer 
clients. However, small firms still lagged behind la rger firms and tended to buy rather than sell 
online. Most e-commerce was still domestic in nature. In his view, the biggest challenges were a 
low uptake of e-commerce by customers, affordab le broadband access, transport systems, skills 
development, better data and the development of legal frameworks on electronic transactions, 
cybercrime, and consumer protection.  He highlighted that UNCTAD was pulling together laws 
related to e-commerce and said that e-commerce regulation involved a number of public 
institutions such as Central Banks, telecommunications regulators and consumer protection agencies.  
 
Kemal Huseinovic , Chief, Infrastructure, Enabling Environment and E-Applications, 
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) , underscored that reliable, accessible and 
resilient ICT infrastructure was needed for e-commerce. The ITU stood ready to help countries 
develop national strategies and plans in this regard. Broadband was a crucial national 
infrastructure (such as electricity and road) and this was why the ITU and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had launched the Broadband 
Commission with the aim of proliferating broadband access. He further mentioned that it was 
necessary to educate and train citizens to build trust in ICT infrastructure and services. The ITU also helped countries to develop a light-handed,  enabling regulatory environment and stood ready 
to collaborate with other international institutions on this. 
 As a concluding question, Alfredo Suescum  asked what the panellists thought the WTO could do 
in order to promote e-commerce. Mr Ferrantino  suggested assessing commitments of services 
sectors relevant to e-commerce. Mr Fredriksson  believed that emphasis should be given to the WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 58 - 
 
  legal and regulatory framework, in particular the issue of e-signature as part of e-transaction laws. 
Ms Melin  suggested that the WTO should send out a strong signal on the benefits of e-commerce 
to Members states. Minister Purcell  highlighted the continued need for Aid-for-Trade support 
towards ICT infrastructure and capacity building. Mr Huseinovic  suggested that the WTO should 
sign a memorandum of understanding on e-commerce with the ITU at the forthcoming ITU 
Telecom World 2015 to be held in Budapest. Mr Grau Tanner  highlighted the need for TFA 
ratification by the time of the Nairobi Conference and for taking a hard look at services, including 
thinking "out of the box". 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 59 - 
 
  Session 13: Reducing Trade Costs for LDCs' Merchandise Trade Development  
Moderator: Robbert de Kock , Secretary 
General, World Federation of the Sporting 
Goods Industry 
 
Panel discussion:  
 Marten van den Berg, Vice Minister for 
Foreign Economic Relations, Netherlands 
 Célestin Monga , Managing Director, 
Programme Support and General 
Management Division, United Nations 
Industrial Development Organization 
 Phouvieng Phongsa, Deputy Director 
General, Planning and Cooperation 
Department, Ministry of Industry and 
Commerce, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic 
 Joshua Setipa , Minister of Trade and 
Industry, Lesotho  
 Sorasak Pan, Secretary of State, Ministry of 
Commerce, Cambodia 
 Jeffrey Whalen, Senior Counsel, Customs 
and International Trade, Nike Inc. Lowering trade transaction costs can result in a 
significant improvement in a country's ability to 
compete effectively in the global economy. 
Export/border procedures as well as transport 
infrastructure were identified as the most 
important sources of trade costs for the export 
of merchandise goods by the 27 least 
developed countries (LDCs) that replied to the 
2015 Aid-for-Trade self-assessment monitoring 
questionnaire.  
 
The comparison of transaction costs between 
LDCs and other WTO members confirm that 
LDCs face a comparative disadvantage with 
regard to cost of exporting merchandise. In 
addition, transport bottlenecks and certain 
non-tariff measures undermine the potential of 
LDCs to enter value chains.  
 
This session examined the issue of trade costs 
in LDCs from the perspective of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement adopted by Members at 
Bali in 2013. In addition, the Bali Decisions  
were examined, particularly through a sector 
lens, identifying those issues that constrain 
producers and investors from taking advantage 
of market access schemes.  
 
The debate was structured around the challenges in the expansion of the sporting goods sector – a 
sector which is growing in importance in LDCs.  
 
Robbert de Kock, Secretary General, World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry , 
drew attention to the fact that the global sporting goods industry, which was currently worth more than US$300 billion, was making a positive contribution by promoting access to, and encouraging, 
physically active lifestyles.  
 Speaking from the perspective of the private sector,  Jeffrey Whalen, Senior Counsel, Customs 
and International Trade, Nike Inc. , noted that Nike was  the market leader in sport footwear 
and apparel and manufactured in 42 countries employing more than one million workers. He said that, while LDCs had started to integrate into global sports production networks, the sourcing 
decisions of the company depended on a host of factors such as the state of infrastructure, utility 
services, availability of labour supply as well as skilled professionals, local labour laws and their enforcement, strong enforcement of intellectual pr operty laws, and protection of investment.   
 
Joshua Setipa, Minister of Trade and Industry, Lesotho , said that the key challenge for 
Lesotho was its geographical location. As a landlocked country, with the nearest seaport being 800 km away, transport cost was the biggest chal lenge undermining Lesotho's competitiveness in 
global exports. An overriding objective for Leso tho was therefore improvement of trade facilitation 
infrastructure, rather than industry-specific measures.   
Sorasak Pan, Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia , said that the key 
challenge faced by Cambodia, which was experiencing  a rapid rise in footwear production, was the 
inadequate level of industrial infrastructure. He pointed out that the Aid-for-Trade Initiative had been instrumental in mobilizing funding for Cambodia's Trade Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), an 
integrated approach to Aid for Trade, and that Cambodia's 2014-2018 Trade Integration Strategy 
had identified key areas to support the development of its trade sector.   
Phouvieng Phongsa, Deputy Director-General , Planning and Cooperation Department, 
Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR , noted that the main challenge for Lao PDR 
concerned the market destination for exports of its sporting goods and remarked that the EU WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 60 - 
 
  currently absorbed 80% of Lao PDR's apparel exports. The sourcing of inputs (i.e. fabrics) was also 
concentrated to a few countries, with 60% of fabrics coming from Thailand. He also identified delivery time as a critical issue, noting that, for Lao PDR, it took almost 70 days to manufacture an article upon receipt of the order while the average time taken by competitive suppliers was 
between 30 to 35 days.  
 Célestin Monga, Managing Director, Prog ramme Support and General Management 
Division, United Nations Indust rial Development Organization  (UNIDO) , appealed for a 
rethink of development strategies. He underscored the difficulty of developing capital-intensive 
industries in low-income countries and suggested that LDCs focus on strengthening labour-intensive industries and make selective interventions, as was being done in Ethiopia and 
Senegal. He also explained that infrastructure problems could be solved by carefully designing 
industrial parks in a country or by establishing "specialized" economic zones. He believed that in a world of excessive savings, what was missing was how to link these savings into investment 
opportunities in low-income countries. He noted that UNIDO could assist LDCs and other 
developing countries in finding financial support for their industrial development initiatives.   
Marten van den Berg, Vice Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Netherlands , recalled 
the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh in 2013 which had brought the issue of social performance to the forefront of the apparel industry. He stre ssed that strengthening the regulatory framework 
was critical, but that the capacity of countries to implement regulations (e.g. regular inspections of 
factories to check compliance) was also lacking. He also acknowledged that in the context of value 
chains it was difficult to ensure responsible business conduct.  
In the discussion, and in respect to market access challenges in the sporting goods industry, some 
panellists (Lesotho, Lao PDR)  did not consider this a major issue per se  since for them the 
overall economic competitiveness issue was the most  overriding challenge to overcome. While high 
transport costs was the single most important factor undermining the full potential of Lesotho, 
Lao PDR identified factors such as increased wage, labour shortage, and stronger currency as becoming a potential threat for its apparel industry.  
Mr Pan  identified rules of origin conditions as an issue affecting the development of Cambodia's 
bicycle industry. Some of the conditions of the EU's General System of Preferences (GSP) scheme, 
for example, were considered as not favourable  to Cambodia for sourcing spare parts from 
neighbouring countries. Some participants pointed out that the very logic of value chains should 
ultimately make the case for rules of origin becoming redundant.   
Mr Whalen  underscored the need for transparent, predictable and "fair" market access for 
sporting goods. He said that the sporting goods industry was facing one of the highest average duties and noted that in the United States (US) , for example, the average duty for apparels was 
around 14%. While sporting goods accounted for a mere 1.8% of the total value of US imports, 
the sector represented 70% of revenues collected by US customs. He also pointed out that while 
AGOA
19 exporter countries enjoyed duty-free status in the US market, there were market access 
limitations for NIKE's Asian suppliers as footwear and apparel articles were not included in the US 
GSP scheme. He acknowledged the contribution made by the WTO at the Bali Ministerial 
Conference through the provision of a framework for transparent and simple rules of origin for LDC exports. He also noted that certain trade policy instruments of countries were being applied in an 
arbitrary manner and called for consistent application of WTO rules.  
 
 
                                               
19 African Growth and Opportunity Act. See http://trade.gov/agoa/ . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 61 - 
 
  Session 14: Reducing Trade Costs for LDCs' Services Trade Development  
The session was held in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the 
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD).  
Moderator:  Gyan C. Acharya , UN 
Under-Secretary-General and High 
Representative for the Least-Developed 
Countries, Landlocked  Developing Countries 
and Small Island Developing States 
 
Panel discussion: 
 Bernard Hoekman , Professor, Robert 
Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, 
European University Institute  
 Rogers Karebi, Secretary General and 
Founding Member, Uganda BPO Association  
 Darlington Mwape, Ambassador and Senior 
Fellow, International Centre for Trade and 
Development  
 Alioune Sarr , Minister of Trade, Informal 
Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local 
Products and SME, Senegal  
 Myat Su , Businesswoman, Silk Road to Asia 
Travels and Tours Company Ltd, Myanmar 
 Relative to merchandise goods, services have 
received less attention from economists and 
policymakers. This is starting to change. Recent 
initiatives have gathered services experts to 
discuss how trade policy can best promote the 
contribution of services to growth and 
development ( ICTSD ), or have provided 
capacity building support for LDC delegates 
regarding services challenges and negotiations 
(ITC). Increasingly, the potential of the services 
sector as a driver of economic growth in 
developing countries is being recognised. 
Additionally, services trade can play an 
important role for sustainable development, 
including poverty reduction and economic 
empowerment of women; key objectives in the 
UN's emerging Post-2015 Development Agenda.  
 
A rapidly advancing body of research illustrates 
the point that in addition to customary market 
access barriers, issues such as network 
infrastructure and domestic regulation add 
significantly to trade costs for service suppliers. 
An important step to realizing the untapped 
potential of services was taken in February 
2015 at the high-level meeting of the WTO 
Services Council to operationalize the LDC 
Services Waiver. The meeting sent a clear 
indication of the willingness of the trading 
partners of LDCs to provide preferences to LDC 
services and service suppliers.  
 
Against this backdrop, this session highlighted 
the opportunities for LDCs to penetrate 
commercial services markets by increasing 
supply side capacity and addressing barriers to 
services trade. Based on concrete examples, 
the session focused on some of the key 
challenges faced by LDC-based companies and 
explored possible services trade facilitating 
solutions, as well as support by investors and 
aid for trade to enable steady growth of 
services sectors and improve export 
performance of LDCs to advance sustainable 
development objectives.  
 
Gyan C. Acharya , UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the 
Least-Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island 
Developing States , said that the session would complement the preceding session ("Reducing 
Trade Costs for LDCs' Merchandise Trade Development") by introducing perspectives and views from academia and the public and private sector, and by identifying the potential, opportunities 
and challenges faced by least developed countries in being competitive in trade in services. He 
added that, despite its qualitative and quantitati ve importance, the services sector was often 
overlooked as a source of export diversificat ion. While it accounted for 47% of LDCs' gross 
domestic product (GDP), trade in services only accounted for 13% of GDP in their exports. This 
gap pointed to the growth potential of the services sector in LDCs and to the role the sector could 
play in economic development and poverty eradication.  For this to happen, it was necessary to WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  ensure that both goods and services were integrated in global markets. For instance, the computer 
information services sector was the most dynamic sector, recording a 3% growth, followed by tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), air transportation, and construction supply. The real issue to grapple with was how LDCs could be helped to build infrastructure and 
enhance their capacity and share of exports. Re ducing costs for LDCs' trade in services could 
therefore be a major element in helping them to en hance their share of exports in services. If the 
potential in the services sector for LDCs was harnessed, it could make a substantial contribution in 
shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda and in achieving sustainable development goals 
(SDGs). It was encouraging to note that Aid for Trade was helping LDCs address some of the major challenges in this sector, including in relation to infrastructure development, and enhancing LDCs' capacity for services and gaining access to international markets.  
 
Bernard Hoekman, Professor, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute , noted that  in order to achieve the sustainable development goals, 
services – which accounted for 50% of GDP and even more (about 70%) in more developed 
economies - were fundamental. In addressing the question of how trade entered into the picture, 
and why so little attention is given to trade in services, he pointed to the fact that this was mainly 
because services were tradeable through different channels – for example through foreign direct 
investment. Trade costs in services were much hi gher than for goods because policies were less 
supportive. Trade mattered because it was key to achieving Goal 8 of the Millennium Development Goals. Trade facilitated imports, exports, techno logy transfer and improving know-how. Trade in 
services also played an important role in achieving these objectives. He said that global value 
chains required huge amounts of services trade. It was also true that trade costs in services were higher than for trade in goods. This was primarily because of extensive policy constraints in this 
sector (such as, for example, barriers to commercial presence and visa issues) which made it 
difficult for the services supplier to effectively interact with buyers. Institutional barriers also raised the cost of trade in services. Addressing these policy constraints and institutional barriers could 
help LDCs reduce costs in their trade in services. He said it was unfortunate that services were 
now being discussed outside the WTO under TiSA
20, which did not include LDCs and emerging 
economies.   
Presenting a private sector perspective on the issue, Rogers Karebi, Secretary General and 
Founding Member, Uganda BPO Association , shed light on the challenges and opportunities of 
trade in services in Uganda. Referring to Uganda's Vision 2040, he touched upon a number of the 
Vision's initiatives that made Uganda a good cand idate for outsourcing. With a large pool of young 
English-speaking graduates and the high entrepre neurial nature of Ugandan youth, the country 
offered a huge human resource. In order to addre ss its high unemployment rate, Uganda planned 
to create jobs by investing in business process outsourcing (BPO), aiming at creating 200,000 jobs 
over the next two years. If complementary police s that were being put in place worked, another 
600,000 jobs would be created in the coming years. He highlighted a number of challenges that resulted in high costs in doing business. These in cluded: exorbitant cost of internet which was a 
barrier for outsourcing; prohibitively high real estate renting; inadequate intellectual property 
protection and insufficient regulation on data protection; reluctance on the part of government to outsource some of its functions to local services providers; an investment climate which was not 
conducive to attract investment (even local investment); excessive and irrational taxation policy; 
access to markets (here the International Trade Centre was providing a lot of support); and excessive (over 24%) interest rates, which hampered access to finance. A plan was needed to 
mitigate these challenges to enable LDCs to compete with countries with lower trade costs. This 
could involve: connection to backbone infrastructure; incubators; and setting up of an ICT park. In conclusion, he said that Uganda had started to implement an e-commerce policy which looked to be a promising initiative. It was time to leverage on the innovative youth, and help them 
commercialise their creations, and said that establishing links with industries, agriculture, and 
tourism was the right direction to take.  
Alioune Sarr, Minister of Trade, Informal  Sector, Consumption, Promotion of Local 
Products and SME, Senegal , said that  for most LDCs, services were the cornerstone of the 
economy (e.g. banking, aviation, marine, etc.). Wh ile services had a direct impact on a country's 
development and economic growth – contribu ting around 60% of GDP – the sector was 
unfortunately not being given the attention it dese rved. The services sector was at the heart of 
Senegal's economy, with the banking sector, for example, accounting for 26% of its economy, and 
                                               
20 Trade in Services Agreement. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  with a growth rate of more than 20%. Trade facilitation that reduced the cost of trade in services 
for LDCs was therefore very important. He flagged, in particular, the role of women in the services 
sector, and the lack of social protection that impeded their participation. Senegal's 
Telecommunication Policy had resulted in a high penetration rate in the Telecom sector, with the 
result that there were more telephones than people. Senegal had also passed a number of laws 
and had undertaken numerous policy steps to represent Senegal's Telecom Vision (including on Security, Cyber Crime and Data Protection). He said  that Senegal had focused on trade facilitation, 
which had made it easier to establish and to conduct business. Investments were being channeled 
into education, with the aim of improving and building human capital. Trade Facilitation in the context of LDCs implied a focus on building and improving services infrastructure. In terms of 
public policy, LDCs needed to channel investment into the services sector, and trade facilitation 
was key to these efforts. An additional challenge was how to leverage growth and job creation for 
the under-25's who represented 60% of the population in Senegal.  
Darlington Mwape, Ambassador and Senior Fe llow, International Centre for Trade and 
Sustainable Development (ICTSD) , remarked that services played a critical role in GVCs and 
were needed to be able to climb the value chains  in both goods and services. Services should not 
be thought of in compartments, but rather in a holistic way; branding, designing, manufacturing, 
marketing, etc. were all complementary and mutually inclusive. He said that barriers in services were mainly of a policy and regulatory nature. Liberalization alone and providing market access was not enough. Policy and regulatory reforms we re needed to help LDCs achieve growth. For 
example, under Mode 4 (movement of natural pe rsons) of the General Agreement on Trade in 
Services (GATS), visa granting procedures were  cumbersome, which added to the costs. Another 
example was from Zambia, which had difficulty in attracting investments in air transport services 
because of what he termed an "irrational" fuel tax policy. Specific interventions were therefore 
necessary to address some of these challenges, and policy reforms were required from both the 
supplier's side as well as the services recipient's side.  ICTSD had commissioned country studies to 
identify priority sectors as well as specific barrier s in specific sectors. The studies aimed at making 
appropriate recommendations for reforms that could help harness true potential in services trade. 
Aid for Trade, especially in the area of policy reform, could contribute to positive change for LDCs and presented a win-win scenario. Regulations should complement market access and Article 8 of 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which required various regulators to share good practices, and 
provided a good model in this respect.   
Myat Su, Businesswoman, Silk Road to Asia Travels and Tours Company Ltd, Myanmar , 
said that with its 3 million visitors per year, Myanmar's tourism was a driver of its economy and was therefore both an economic and political prio rity for job creation and poverty alleviation. 
Culture and eco-tourism were also key policy priorities. She cited the many challenges that 
Myanmar faced in the services sector which includ ed: a shortage of competent and skilled labour; 
training of managers; lack of quality infrastructure including roads; inadequate access and supply of water and electricity; shortage of good hotel accommodation; inadequate access to information 
technology; difficulty of obtaining visas; security and political stability concerns; dependency on 
foreign currency and inefficient banking services; access to finance, high interest rate (13%) and oft-changing bank policies which lacked transparen cy and were unpredictable for businesses; high 
taxation rates; and a lack of proper policies fo r establishing businesses and companies. Vocational 
training, human capacity building, and governme nt and SME support could help in addressing 
some of these challenges.  
 
In closing the session, Mr Acharya  noted the following: that services had a very important role to 
play in not only increasing the access of LDCs to global markets but also creating an opportunity for growth and development within a country; that  services needed to be viewed in a holistic 
manner (regulatory policies, infrastructure, interagency and inter-organizational coordination, 
market access etc.); the need to channel investments into education, health, job creation, training and human resource development; the need to fo cus investment on infrastructure development 
and capacity building; the importance of not only market access but also regulatory reforms, policy 
measures, investment in infrastructure, as well as partnerships with all stakeholders and particularly with the private sector; the need to use in-country studies to determine the level of 
LDCs' services sectors, and to monitor progress in  terms of timelines based on regulatory reforms, 
as well as market access; that there was huge potential for growth if investments were made in infrastructure and regulatory reform, and also if better and more integrated market access opportunities were available; that access to finance, promotion of the private sector and 
investment in ICT were critical. Agencies such as the International Trade Centre, the Netherlands WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, the United Nations Conference on 
Trade and Development, and the Enhanced Integrated Framework, also played an important role in helping LDCs. While Aid for Trade could look into all the issues, it could also help identify in a more in-depth manner what the key areas were, where international support could be directed, 
and where domestic political will and domestic changes would bring the services sector to a new 
level. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  DAY 3 – 2 JULY 2015 
Session 15: Reducing Trade Costs in the Cotton Value Chain  
Moderator:  Adam Sneyd , Assistant Professor, 
Department of Political Science, University of 
Guelph, Canada 
 
Panel discussion : 
 Paul Brenton , Lead Economist, Trade and 
Competitiveness Global Practice, World 
Bank Group 
 Hippolyte Dah , Minister of Industry, Trade 
and Handicrafts, Burkina Faso 
 Kai Hughes , Managing Director, 
International Cotton Association 
 Claude Allagbe, Director General of 
Domestic Trade, Ministry of Industry, Trade 
and Small and Medium Enterprises, Benin 
 Abdel K. Konaté , Minister of Commerce and 
Industry, Mali  
 Steve MacDonald , Agricultural Economist, 
Economic Research Service, United States 
Department of Agriculture 
 Aziz Mahamat Saleh , Minister of Economy, 
Trade and Tourism Development, Chad  
 José Sette , Executive Director, International 
Cotton Advisory Committee This plenary session examined the issue of 
trade costs from a sectoral perspective, with a 
specific focus on the cotton value chain.   
 
High trade costs erode the competitiveness of 
low-income suppliers. Discussions and 
negotiations at WTO since the " Sectoral 
Initiative for the Cotton Sector " was submitted 
in 2003 have highlighted that the cotton sector 
is a driver of economic growth and poverty 
reduction in developing countries, particularly in 
least developed countries (LDCs). Cotton trade 
also has a role to play in economic 
empowerment of women. Research points to a 
range of issues that drive up transport costs for 
cotton suppliers, such as transport 
infrastructure failings, transit regimes and 
customs documentation issues.  
 
The aim of this session was to examine the 
issue of trade costs for cotton exports, analyse 
how LDCs can identify priority areas for growth, 
the barriers they may face in building capacity 
in these areas, and how to attract the support 
of development partners and investors to 
enhance export performance and add value in 
the cotton chain.  
 
Adam Sneyd, Associate Professor at  the University of Guelph, Canada , introduced the 
session with thought-provoking questions on the possibility of framing a new vision of 
development with sustainable and innovative approa ches in relation to investment and upgrading 
scales for better poverty-reduction outcomes.    
Abdel K. Konaté, Minister of  Commerce and Industry, Mali , highlighted the high dependence 
of Mali's economy on cotton production and exports. While a number of institutional reforms had been undertaken to reduce trade costs and enhance cotton production, market access and export 
subsidies issues were still part of the difficulties that African countries faced. He believed it was 
important that these two issues remained on the table of negotiations in the WTO. He said less than 2% of cotton production was being transformed locally and that the soft and hard 
infrastructure issues should be addressed accord ingly. He noted that an ambitious three-year 
programme of industrial development was under pr eparation to spur the local transformation of 
cotton in Mali for which 15% of the national budget had been allocated.  
Hippolyte Dah, Minister of Industry , Trade and Handicrafts, Burkina Faso , stressed that in 
order to improve their competitiveness in international cotton markets, African countries, and the C4
21 in particular, should strengthen the regional integration and harmonize domestic legislation. 
He underscored the need for African countries to ratify the agreements to which they had adhered.  
He noted that non-tariff barriers th at affected cotton producers should also be addressed, including 
at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.  
 
Aziz Mahamat Saleh, Minister of Ecomon y, Trade and Tourism Development, Chad , 
recognized the need to enter the cotton value chain but cautioned against the long-term dependence on cotton for Chad's exports. He questi oned the sustainability of the cotton sector in 
LDCs in light of the Mega Regional Agreements that were being negotiated in certain regions. He 
suggested that this question be at the heart of the debate at the WTO's 10
th Ministerial Conference 
to be held in Nairobi. 
                                               
21 Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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   Claude Allagbe, Director General of Domestic  Trade, Ministry of Industry, Trade and 
Small and Medium Enterprises, Benin , highlighted the importance of the cotton sector for 
Benin's economy and the reforms that had so far been undertaken, including the single window approach to reduce port-congestion delays and inland transit time to facilitate cotton exports.     
 
José Sette, Executive Director, Inte rnational Cotton Advisory Committee , spoke about 
cotton competitiveness in Africa in general, highlighting that cotton yields across Africa were low in 
terms of world standards, but stressing that African cotton production was competitive in terms of 
scale. Transportation and border procedures costs were very high, duplicating those in other countries. He emphasized that the situation was improving with regional arrangements being developed and with the shift from government in tervention to private sector-led policies.  
 
Paul Brenton,  Lead Economist, Trade and Competitiv eness Global Practice, World Bank 
Group , stressed the importance that the World Bank accorded to trade logistic costs, especially for 
agricultural products. He noted that in Africa th e infrastructure and policy constraints were huge. 
He cited a new project recently launched by the Wo rld Bank on the coordination of policy reform 
along the Abidjan-Ouagadougou corridor to enhance the quality of trucking services and simplify 
customs procedures to reduce trade costs. He  highlighted the importance of ensuring the 
monitoring of the consequences of this project which could be replicated in the future in other countries.   
Steve MacDonald, Agricultural Economist, Ec onomic Research Serv ice, United States 
Department of Agriculture , suggested that African countries should invest and modernize the 
textiles sector as the opportunities in the future would be geared towards that upper end of the 
value chain. He considered that private sector involvement and regional solutions were essential as 
cotton productivity and specialization in Africa was fragmented and exchanges between countries were very low. 
 
Kai Hughes, Managing Director, International Cotton Association , spoke about the dire 
consequences of contract disputes and defaults worldwide that were damaging the reputation of certain countries. He suggested that governments should avoid adopting protectionist policies and 
should enhance training and capacity buildi ng principally in their judicial system.  
 Comments made by participants included where were located the best opportunities in the value 
chain, the importance of access to finance for  cotton producers in West Africa, the need to create 
a favourable business environment to develop the cotton value chain, and the issue of interconnectivity between highways and maritime ports.  
 
Concluding remarks by panellists   Panellists made several suggestions as far as the Aid-for-Trade Initiative was concerned including 
that Aid for Trade should be used to finance soft and hard infrastructure in Africa, especially in 
landlocked countries, to facilitate private sector access to private capital and to tap on opportunities in global markets on textiles and cotton by-products; and that Aid for Trade could 
also be used to increase the provision of farm inputs, enhance extension services, and improve the 
business environment.   
 
  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 16: Trade and Gender: Empowering Women through Inclusive Supply Chains  
Opening statements :  
 Pamela Hamamoto , Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative of the United 
States to the UN and other International 
Organizations in Geneva 
 Päivi Kairamo , Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Finland  
 
Moderator: Arancha González , Executive 
Director, International Trade Centre 
 
Panel discussion : 
 Axel Marcel Addy , Minister of Commerce 
and Industry, Liberia 
 Archana Bhatnagar, Managing Director, 
Haylide Chemicals  
 Louise James , Managing Director, Accenture  
 Shinto Nugroho, Head of Public Policy and 
Government Relations, Google Indonesia 
 Mayela Quesada, Coffee Producer, Costa 
Rica 
 
Closing Statement: Hamish McCormick , 
Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the 
WTO, Australia  Economic research from a range of sources 
suggests that women's earnings drive poverty 
reduction. Women have a higher propensity to 
use their earnings and increased bargaining 
power to buy goods and services that improve 
family welfare, thus creating a virtuous cycle: 
female spending supports the development of 
human capital, which in turn fuels 
contemporaneous economic growth.  
 
The aim of this session was to help provide a 
better understanding of the importance of 
integrating women into value chains, the key 
drivers for successfully doing so, and to 
stimulate discussions about actions the 
Aid-for-Trade community is taking to improve 
the current situation.   
 
The session also examined the role of women in 
trade – a subject highlighted by many of the 
case stories received in the 2011 Aid-for-Trade 
monitoring exercise. Women produce products, 
transport goods across borders, manage and 
own trading firms, or are employed to work in 
them. However, women's potential in trade is 
often held back by the many constraints they 
face, including barriers to trade.  
 
 
Opening statements  
Based on Finland's own experience,  Päivi Kairamo, Ambassador, Permanent Representative 
to the WTO , Finland  stressed the importance of empowering women through international trade. 
She further highlighted that trade could not ac hieve equality on its own, but needed to be 
complemented by social and cultural change.   
Pamela Hamamoto, Ambassador, Permanent Repr esentative of the United States to the 
UN and other International Organizations in Geneva , noted the relevance and importance of 
the topic of empowering women and said that a continued spotlight should be put on the 
challenges women business owners and entreprene urs faced in order to facilitate and enhance 
their role in the global economy. She remarked  that, although women currently represented 40% 
of the global labour force and approximately on e third of small- and medium-sized enterprises 
(SMEs) were owned by women, on virtually ever y global measure women were more economically 
excluded than men. She said that the theme of the 5
th Global Review, which focused on reducing 
trade costs, was also particularly beneficial to SMEs and therefore to most women-owned businesses. She introduced two recently-launc hed initiatives: "The Future She Deserves"
22, the 
over-arching goal of which was to leverage Ge neva-based institutions to better protect and 
empower women and girls, and the "Geneva Gender Champions Initiative"23 which aimed to create 
a leadership network personally committed to gender equality and women's leadership.  
 
Panel discussion  
Axel Marcel Addy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Liberia , focused on Liberia's action 
to support women empowerment. The case of a successful Liberian farmer, who had recently 
                                               
22 https://geneva.usmission.gov/2015/02/06/press-release-launch-of-the-future-she-deserves-
initiative/   
23 https://geneva.usmission.gov/2015/07/01/inte rnational-geneva-gender-champions-launch-
ambassador-hamam otos-remarks/   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  accessed export markets, was showcased via a video.24 He said that the economic empowerment 
of women was a necessary component of develo pment strategies and highlighted government 
procurement as an important factor in building the economic capacity of women entrepreneurs. 
Liberia had recently adopted a law stipulating that 25% of contracts had to be awarded to SMEs, of 
which 5% had to be awarded to women-owned businesses. Liberia, together with international 
support, supported women in creating an international network, for instance through trade fairs and visits to other countries. Lastly, he noted th at women entrepreneurs had actively contributed 
to the efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak. 
 Archana Bhatnagar , Managing Director, Haylide Chemicals , who spoke in her role as a 
representative of small women-owned business, said that supporting a woman entrepreneur 
meant not only supporting the business owner, but also her employees. Referring to her own 
business – the manufacture of "green" cleaning products – she noted that non-tariff barriers and the lack of certification had been challenges she had had to overcome. Schemes giving women 
access to finance, technology, market access an d other necessary factors were essential. She 
further noted that government procurement programmes had worked well for women-owned businesses in India. She recommended that the corporate sector adopt similar schemes and cited 
the Ingternational Trade Centre's work as an enabler in creating a network for women enterprises 
in this regard. Finally, she stressed that a top- down approach needed to be taken in order for 
change to be embraced in practice.    
Mayela Quesada,  a Coffee Producer from Costa Rica , shared her experience as a small 
business owner. In 2007, her micro-enterprise had won the "tasa de exelencia" award and since then had been able to significantly expand her business, inter alia  through exports to Asia. Selling 
the final packaged product was essential for her enterprise to reap all economic benefits available 
in the coffee business. Challenges still existed related to the lack of access to certification and managing financial flows. Her company was proud of the achievements it had made in attracting 
the best coffee roasters by paying the best salaries in the region, and supported school education 
for employees' children. A second business she had started was on gluten free food, which she aimed at exporting globally in the form of packaged, frozen food. However, obtaining finance to achieve certification still remained a challenge. International support in the form of aiding 
participation in trade fairs with international buyers had been very useful and had helped her 
conclude several contracts. In this regard, trade promotion institutions mattered. Finally, she opined that helping SMEs overcome financial difficulties relating to tax burden and social 
contributions was essential. 
 Shinto Nugroho , Head of Public Policy and Government  Relation for Google, Indonesia , 
spoke about how technology helped women advanc e, whether as entrepreneurs or otherwise. 
Google had created programmes supporting women' s access to technology and finding female 
developers in Indonesia. Another programme supported women entrepreneurs using technology in their businesses. She noted that technology was a key factor to enable women entrepreneurs to 
grow their business and export. Networking opportuni ties were essential in this regard and created 
global supply chains. Technology also allowed women to adapt their business to social and family obligations. Furthermore, an online community had been created to help women overcome 
obstacles faced in obtaining access to finance. Th e government was helping by creating "hubs" for 
internet access in order for women to get necessary information for export, which also often created networking opportunities.  
 
Louise James , Managing Director, Accenture , spoke about Accenture's supplier diversity 
programme. For Accenture, a buyer with sizable purchasing power, it made economic sense to integrate women-owned businesses in its supply chains. Mentoring and networking was essential 
and Accenture, as a consulting firm, had created programmes in which employees mentored 
women-owned businesses. Accenture had found it crucial to create an affirmative policy for procurement, which was monitored and tracked. Success depended on local champions that 
understood the benefits of working with women suppliers. International partners were needed. 
Finally, the size of contracts and bringing together suppliers was important to enable women-owned businesses to take on orders. A ccenture's programme was not philanthropy, but 
rather about attracting the most innovative and resilient suppliers. She stressed the importance of 
                                               
24 https://youtu.be/brbyG3QY4Vk  
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  also discussing and identifying things that did not work in order to learn and take programmes to 
the next level.   Interventions from the audience included questions on what was preventing women from entering 
the technology and innovation business sectors. In response, the Panellists identified education as 
playing a major role in allowing women realize their full potential, especially in the business sector related to technology and innovation. It was also opined that perceptions of women in these 
business areas needed to change over time, e.g. by  providing role models. Participants also noted 
the importance of government procurement policy in creating markets for women business owners. Finally, the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) reported on an AsDB study which found that gender-neutral were not enough to open export markets for women.  
 
Closing statement  
Hamish McCormick, Ambassador, Permanen t Representative to the WTO, Australia , said 
that governments and businesses were increasing their efforts to support women empowerment 
through trade but there still was a gap between aspirations and reality. Public procurement 
accounted for over 30% of Gross Domestic Product in most countries, but women secured less 
than 1% of that market. Both government and businesses needed to leverage procurement for 
inclusive growth. For the future, new programmes and initiatives needed to be created, and 
existing programmes needed to be fine-tuned. Women representatives needed to be involved 
directly in policy-making by increasing transparen cy and inclusiveness and all stakeholders needed 
to work together to tackle the complex challenges involved in women's economic empowerment.  
 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 17: Reducing Trade Costs and the Aid-for-Trade Results Agenda: Lessons from 
Recent Evaluations and Impact Studies  
Moderator:  Tom Pengelly , Managing Director, 
Saana Consulting & Saana Institute 
 
Panel discussion : 
 Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento , Director, 
Trade Capacity Building Branch, United 
Nations Industrial Development 
Organization  
 Alex Thomas Ijjo , Research Fellow, 
Economic Policy Research Centre, Uganda 
 Miguel Jiménez-Pont, Head, Evaluation and 
Monitoring, International Trade Centre 
 Melvin Spreij, Secretary, Standards and 
Trade Development Facility, World Trade 
Organization 
 Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba, Deputy 
Chief Executive Officer, TradeMark East 
Africa 
 Joaquim Tres , Integration and Trade Lead 
Specialist, Inter-American Development 
Bank  
 Daniela Zehentner-Capell, Director, 
Trade-related Development Cooperation, 
BMZ, Germany Development effectiveness in the 
implementation of Aid-for-Trade interventions is 
key to reduce unnecessary trade costs, 
strengthen domestic political will and mobilize 
coalitions in favour of reform, including donor 
support and South-South Cooperation and 
Triangular Cooperation. The Enhanced 
Integrated Framework, the International Trade 
Centre, the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility, the World Bank Group's Trade 
Facilitation Facility, and the United Nations 
Industrial Development Organization, have all 
been independently evaluated since the last 
Global Review in 2013. The Inter American 
Development Bank set up an Aid-for-Trade 
Fund with a results framework to report to 
stakeholders and a leading integration and 
trade capacity building program whose impact 
is being assessed with cutting edge results that 
can be helpful to other organizations. Uganda's 
Economic Policy Research Centre has also 
conducted its own research looking at the 
impact of Aid for Trade on the country's trade 
performance. A variety of different evaluation 
techniques are now in place and experience is 
growing with regard to the strengths and 
shortcomings of different methods.  
 
The aim of this panel was to debate different 
techniques, sharing key outcomes and lessons 
from recent evaluations and impact 
assessments, and to outline how these are 
informing programme strategy decisions. The 
speakers also reflected on lessons for how 
maximum value can be secured from future 
large-scale evaluations of Aid fof Ttade 
programmes. The aim of the discussion was to 
contribute to an improved understanding of the 
evaluation and impact assessments and its role 
in ensuring efficient and effective Aid for Trade 
delivery to reduce trade costs more effectively 
and to springboard accountability to national 
and international stakeholders.  
 
In his introductory remarks, Tom Pengelly, Managing Director, Saana Consulting & Saana 
Institute,  noted that Aid for Trade was an "industry" worth some US$55 billion. A rule of thumb 
was that some 5% of project budgets were being dedicated to monitoring and evaluation (M&E). 
As more and more evaluations come on-stream he suggested that this was a tremendous opportunity for learning – as long as M&E results could be shared both within and across projects 
and programmes. At present, though, this was not happening. He cited a 2014 ECPDM study  that 
suggested that the results and learning from EU evaluations had not been effectively used, mainly 
as a result of a lack of ownership by those involved.  They tended to view evaluation as a standalone, end of project exercise. To help guid e discussions the following figure, taken from the 
2013 WTO-OECD Aid for Trade at a Glance publication
25, was displayed. 
 
                                               
25 Aid for Trade at a Glance 2013: Connecting to Value Chains; Chapter 5: Evaluating the Effectiveness 
of Aid for Trade, page 159. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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Melvin Spreij, Secretary, St andards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), World Trade 
Organization , recalled the recent evaluation of the ST DF and the on-going evaluations of STDF 
projects – all of which had been published. One area where evaluations had influenced STDF 
operations was with regard to terms of refere nce for projects which had become progressively 
more rigorous and exacting over time – and which had translated into clear end-of project results. 
Other points he made included the balance between cost and outcome, recalling that there were 
well-known difficulties associated with capturing the results of "higher-level" advocacy activities. 
He also highlighted a disconnect between "stand ard" results-based management conclusions of 
evaluators and development practice. One action that he identified as improving the STDF's 
performance in this area would be the recruitment of a dedicated M&E staff member.   
 
Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Director, Trade Capacity Building Branch, United Nations 
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) , suggested that evaluation was a powerful tool 
to manage change. Evaluation was perceived as an end of the pipeline activity, whereas in reality 
it had to be included in the project planning and inception phase.    
Miguel Jiménez-Pont, Head, Evaluation an d Monitoring, International Trade Centre 
(ITC) , highlighted the two corporate evaluations that ITC had gone through (by ITC and the 
United Nations oversight body). The outcomes of both evaluations had highlighted the same 
shortcoming in ITC's internal M&E systems, i.e. that while information existed on outputs, it did 
not capture outcomes and impacts. The independent evaluation had been a powerful tool for 
change management, having been undertaken in a participatory and consensual manner, not as a "bean-counting exercise" – something that meant that there was ownership of results by the 
institution and its incoming new management.   
 Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba, Deputy Chief Ex ecutive Officer, TradeMark East Africa 
(TMEA) , stressed the importance of building indicators into the design of projects, noting that the 
TMEA's "results meter" highlighted where a projec t was falling behind before problems arose – and 
so allowing for corrective actions to be taken. Indicators and targets were being used extensively by TMEA including to build ownership by agreeing these parameters with project beneficiaries. As 
such, targets were being used by TMEA to hold  delivery partners accountable, a process that 
worked due to the ownership of results by stakeholders.  
Joaquim Tres, Integration and Trade Lead Sp ecialist, Inter-American Development Bank , 
stressed the importance of continuous assessment and evaluations drafted with clear language. He also suggested that publishing negative results and demonstrating a willingness to adapt projects 
on the basis of these results demonstrated intellect ual rigour and generated trust with both donors 
and partners.    Alex Thomas Ijjo, Resear ch Fellow, Economic Policy Research Centre, Uganda , highlighted 
his research on the impact of Aid for Trade in Uganda and discussed some of what he termed "the 
missing elements", notably with regard to capa city and empowerment. His comments focused on 
the need to improve inclusiveness and participation.   
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Daniela Zehenter-Capell, Di rector, Trade-Related Deve lopment Cooperation, BMZ 
Germany , highlighted Germany's €3 billion annual expend iture on Aid for Trade. After a decade of 
Aid for Trade, she suggested that it was an appr opriate moment to be looking at best practice. 
Germany was working with the EU to redesign their Aid for Trade policies.   
 
In the discussion, Nigeria  noted the essential role played by evaluation, but questioned the need 
for multiple evaluations of the same institution or programmes. He also wondered as to 
participation of beneficiaries in the desi gn of evaluation questions. In reply, UNIDO  highlighted a 
project conducted to build conformity a ssessment capacity in Nigeria how the " Building Trust " 
project had engaged project beneficiaries in its evaluation  
 
Addressing a comment from Norway, TMEA  highlighted how transparency was ensured on the 
basis of quarterly evaluation meetings. She also highlighted how data had to be generated for the 
first time changing directions if necessary and transparency.   
 
In reply to a comment from Raymond Saner of the Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development (CSEND), Daniela Zehenter-Capell  stressed the importance of accountability to tax payers and 
argued that data was essential for this purpos e – particularly given that the recent German 
evaluation had been conducted as a desk study.    In his final remarks, the Moderator  reiterated the need for M&E to promote a culture of learning, 
rather than to be considered as a stand-alone, end of programme exercise.
 
 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Session 18: Closing Plenary Session  
The plenary session provided an opportunity for Members and Observers to make formal 
statements on the theme of reducing trade costs for inclusive, sustainable growth and to offer 
views on the future of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative.   
 
The session was presided by Juan Esteban Aguierre Martínez, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative  to the WTO, Paraguay and Chair of the WTO Committee on Trade and 
Development 
 
Juan Esteban Aguirre Martínez, Ambassador, Permanent Representative  to the WTO, 
Paraguay and Chair of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development , noted that the 
5th Global Review (5GR) had brought together trade and development professionals from a wide 
range of Members, international organizations, ac ademia and civil society. Discussions over the 
three days on various issues related to the main theme of the Global Review, "Reducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth", had provided considerable information about how high 
trade costs affect the trade integration of many developing countries and least developed 
countries, slowing their economic growth and nega tively affecting their development prospects. 
Discussions had also focused on what was already being done – and what more needed to be 
done – to tackle the issue of reducing trade costs as well as on how the Aid-for-Trade (AfT) 
Initiative could assist in addressing these challenges.
 
 
Bangladesh, speaking on behalf of the Grou p of Least Developed Countries (LDC Group) , 
welcomed the continued focus on Aid for Trade an d the theme of the Global Review. Discussions 
had highlighted the extent to which high trade costs prevented LDCs from realizing their full 
potential in world trade and had shown that LDCs faced a comparative disadvantage in exporting 
goods to global markets. Lowering trade costs could enable LDCs to compete effectively in international markets. While LDC governments were  taking appropriate measures to facilitate 
trade, support from the international community was also necessary. The monitoring and 
evaluation exercise and subsequent results should help to identify concrete, pragmatic and operational measures which could reduce – or even  eliminate – the inefficiencies and challenges 
preventing LDCs from participating effectively in global and regional value chains. In this context, 
the Post-2015 Development Agenda should be one of the guiding elements in drawing up the new 
AfT work programme in conformity with the relevant Bali Ministerial Decision.  
The LDC Group also welcomed the launch of Phase 2 of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) 
as well as Norway's recently-announced commi tment of US$20 million to be disbursed in 
January 2016. The Group called for its rapid and e fficient operationalization and implementation, 
including through the pledging conference scheduled to take place on the margins of the WTO's 
10
th Ministerial Conference (MC10) where the LDC Group expected strong political and financial 
commitment from the donor community.   
Emphasizing that the share of Aid for Trade to LDCs must be commensurate with their 
development needs and challenges as well as the structural constraints and multiple vulnerabilities they confront, the LDC Group called for increase d and sustained efforts on the part of the 
development partners to ensure that at least one third of total Aid for Trade went to the LDCs, and 
that the share of grants in AfT flows to the LDCs pr ogressively increased to four fifths of the total.  
AfT resources should be aligned with national pr iorities and needs, respecting the principle of 
national ownership and leadership of the country concerned in the development process and the 
LDC Group called for mobilization of Aid for Trade towards building productive capacity, economic diversification, and overcoming infrastructural bottlenecks, including energy, connectivity, road and other means of transportation as per the needs of LDCs. 
 
Turning to the operationalization of the Trade Faci litation Agreement Facility (TFAF), he said that 
LDCs and developing countries expected to be  provided with the support they needed to 
implement, as well as to benefit, from the TFAF and hoped to see some forward movement in this 
regard.   
Concluding his remarks, he said that Aid for Trade could be a valuable complement to the Doha 
Development Agenda (DDA), but it could not be a substitute for the development benefits that 
would result from a successful conclusion to the DDA. Keeping this in mind, the LDC Group urged WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Members to pursue trade policies that were favourable to their exports. He said that in the run up 
to MC10, it would be necessary to build on the Bali Decisions so that LDCs could derive the intended benefits collectively desired by Memb ers. The LDC Group therefore encouraged Members 
to design service preferences for LDCs in such a way that they could derive economic benefits. The 
Group also look forward to concrete progress being made in the upcoming meeting of the 
Committee on Rules of Origin – where improvements were necessary for LDCs to benefit from preferences. And finally, the Group urged Memb ers to advance the implementation of the Bali 
DFQF Decision and noted that if a strong package for LDCs was possible at MC10, the efforts of the 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative would bear fruit.  Benin, speaking on behalf of the African Group , noted  that the theme of the 5GR was of 
particular importance to the African Group given the current discussions on the establishment of a 
Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) in Africa. The aim of the CFTA was to promote regional 
integration, increase the share of Africa's intern ational trade, and create a favorable environment 
for trade and investment in order to strengthen Africa's competitiveness and capacity to access 
regional and global value chains (GVCs). On the qu estion of reducing trade costs, the Group called 
for a pragmatic approach that would address the co ntinents' concerns, capitalize on achievements, 
share good practices, and identify and resolve remaining challenges. Trade facilitation was also 
important to Africa and expectations were that the TFAF would be operationalized as soon as possible so as to provide developing countries and LDCs with the support they needed to carry out 
reforms under the TFA to allow them to benefit from the economic gains that would ensue. A 
future biennium work programme on Aid for Trad e should provide the framework for the measures 
to be taken so that developing countries' and LDCs' could achieve this goal.   
In this regard, the African Group believed that AfT resources should be additional, predictable, 
effective and sustainable. This was particularly important given that recent figures showed that, while Africa and Asia were the main recipients of  regional AfT flows, in 2013 commitments to Asia 
had exceeded those of Africa, with flows to Asia amounting to US$22.7 billion compared to 
US$19.3 billion for the African continent. This repres ented an increase of Aid for Trade to Asia of 
33% over the 2012 figure and a decrease of 12% to Africa, making the African continent the only region that had seen a double contraction of AfT commitments since the global financial crisis in 
2009. This decrease had particularly affected the already vulnerable small African economies, and 
in particular LDCs, where for 2011-2013 Aid for Tr ade had represented more than 5% of Gross 
Domestic Product. Another challenge that needed to be resolved was the level and ratio of AfT 
commitments against disbursements; for Africa this was at 71%, compared to 73% for Asia, 
77% for Oceania, 83% for America, and 86% for Europe.   
The African Group believed that the success of the 5GR was contingent on the efficient 
implementation of the outcomes that resu lted from discussions. The Group therefore 
recommended that Members worked in consultation with other AfT stakeholders, including regional economic communities, regional development banks, the private sector, etc., to effectively monitor 
Aid for Trade and develop the next work progra mme on Aid for Trade. MC10, which would also 
mark the 10
th anniversary of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative, should be used as an opportunity to 
reiterate commitment to the Initiative and to mo bilizing additional, predictable, effective and 
sustainable resources. The upcoming 10th anniversary should be used as an opportunity to conduct 
an evaluation of results since the Initiative's launch in 2005. At MC10 an assessment should then 
be made of the implementation of the Initiative so that guidance could be provided as to its future 
direction. 
 Paraguay, speaking on behalf of the La ndlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) , referred 
to the side event it had jointly organized with Tajikistan at which the main elements of the Vienna 
Programme of Action (VPoA) for Landlocked Developing Countries 2014-2024 were presented, in 
particular those where Aid for Trade could play a cr ucial role. The side event – the first such event 
to be organized by the LLDCs – had also review ed the progress made by LLDCs in implementing 
trade facilitation reforms and had served to emph asize the importance of reversing the structural 
weaknesses that prevented LLDCs from harnessing trade to achieve economic growth by targeting 
their root causes and the channels through which LLDCs could work themselves into the economy. 
All panellists had agreed that donors and international organizations should be urged to redouble 
efforts to tackle high trade costs, especially as  a means to support the implementation of the WTO 
TFA. Particular attention was also given to the development and expansion of efficient transit systems and transport development, trade faci litation, enhancement of competitiveness, 
expansion of trade, structural transformation, an d regional cooperation, in order to transform WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  LLDCs into land-linked developing countries. In this regard, it was noted that the primary goal of 
the VPoA was to address in a more coherent manner the special development needs and challenges faced by landlocked developing countries due to their remoteness and geographical location, and to contribute to their enhanced, sustainable and inclusive growth.  
 
Finland  informed that Aid for Trade and private sector development would remain one of the key 
priorities of future Finnish development cooperation and that it expected to enhance investment in 
AfT activities. Finland welcomed the prominent role  given to the theme of trade and gender in the 
5GR and said that it was important for trade liberalization to support gender equality and women entrepreneurs. Protectionism and closed markets stalled progress in gender equality and led to fewer opportunities for women entrepreneurs and lower wages for women. The objective of trade 
liberalization needed to be shaped into concrete action points. In this respect, the WTO and other 
organizations' activities, such as the conclusion of the DDA negotiations, full implementation of the TFA, and the Aid-for-Trade Initiative in general,  played a major role. Finland looked forward to 
another successful decade for Aid for Trade.  
 Chinese Taipei  noted that  out of the approximate US$274 millio n of its Official Development 
Assistance (ODA), more than 30% was devoted to improving the economic infrastructure and 
production sectors of its partnership countries thus strengthening their economic development. Chinese Taipei had shared its cooperative experiences in developing countries and LDCs at the side event it had organized during the 5GR where presentations were made on successful case stories 
in Africa ("Sweet potato marketing and production  program" in Swaziland), in Latin America and 
the Caribbean ("Customs and trade facilitation projec t" in Belize), and in the Pacific ("Developing 
tropical fruits vegetable project" in Fiji). Noti ng the link between the 5GR theme "Reducing Trade 
Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth" and Chin ese Taipei's "Customs and Trade Facilitation 
Project" in Belize which involved building a Supplies Control Unit Database System (SCU), and UNCTAD's Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) to digitalize import and export 
licensing procedures and to streamline administrative processes, he said that these on-line 
services would improve Belize's ability to analyse import and export data and lead to more efficient trading, with the average time to process applicat ions for related permits and licences expected to 
be reduced to just 1.6 days. It was estimated that approximately 5,000 people in Belize would 
benefit from the improvements in the trade and tariffs service. As a result of this trade facilitation, 
barriers to trade would be reduced, trade procedures would be better managed, and domestic prices should be stabilized in Belize. 
 
Regarding technical assistance and cooperation, Chinese Taipei had recently signed an MOU with the WTO to contribute to the "Standard Trade Development Facility" for a further three years. The 
contribution represented a total of US$240,000 to be spent on improving SPS measures in 
developing countries and LDCs. As far as preparations for MC10 were concerned, Chinese Taipei reaffirmed that all Bali Decisions regarding LDC issues should be fully implemented, including the LDC services waiver. The decision to hold MC10 in Africa for the first time in 20 years was a clear 
demonstration of the international community's commitment to facilitate Africa's integration into 
the multilateral trading system. More needed to be  done to enable LDCs to use trade as a means 
to leverage growth and development and Chinese Taip ei intended to link its future AfT strategies 
more closely to the guidelines coming from th e UN Post-2015 Development Agenda and the new 
Sustainable Development Goals to be agreed in September 2015. Along with its two foreign aid concepts ("Partnerships for Progress" and "Sustainable Development") and guided by its three 
governing principles ("Seeking Proper Goals" , "Acting Lawfully" and "Exercising Effective 
Administration"), Chinese Taipei's aim was to build more effective cooperative partnerships to advance the integration of all developing countries and LDCs into world trade. A periodic exercise such as the Global Reviews of Aid for Trade was vital, not only as a forum for donors, partner 
countries and implementing agencies to share ex periences and best practices, but also as a 
mechanism for keeping up the momentum on Ai d for Trade. Chinese Taipei reaffirmed its 
commitment to the Aid-for-Trade Initiative and stood ready to work with its development partners 
to reduce the cost of trade, to expand trade fa cilitation, and to advance the integration of all 
developing countries and LDCs into the global trading system.  
 
Zimbabwe  associated her remarks with those made on behalf of Benin (on behalf of the African 
Group) and Paraguay (on behalf of LLDCs). She acknowledged the importance of the Aid-for-Trade 
Initiative and the significant contribution it made to Members' trade and development. She welcomed the continued rise in levels of Aid for Trade and noted that, during the period under 
review, Zimbabwe had received trade-related aid amounting to over €3 million which included WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  €2.9 million from the European Union for implem entation of trade-related programmes under the 
International Trade Centre's Trade and Private Sector Development Project (TPSDP). The TPSDP 
was assisting Zimbabwe's efforts to implement the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement through the facilitation of access to market information and opportunities, institutional capacity 
building of its export promotion body ZIMTRA DE, business associations, the Government, and 
other trade and private sector agencies.   
On Trade Facilitation, she said that the 5GR theme "Reducing trade Costs for Inclusive Sustainable 
Growth" was relevant to TFA implementation and informed that Zimbabwe would soon be carrying out a needs assessment exercise in order determin e gaps in terms of capacity to implement and 
capacity for compliance. In Zimbabwe's view, Aid for Trade should therefore target programmes to 
implement the TFA. In order to fully comply with the provisions of the TFA, Zimbabwe appealed to 
the donor community and to development partners to provide funding for infrastructure projects such as roads, rail, internet connectivity, one stop border posts, transport corridors, dry ports, 
energy projects and modernization of customs fa cilities. By targeting Aid for Trade for such 
infrastructure projects, Zimbabwe could reap greater benefits that would translate into development and poverty reduction. She welcomed the African Development Bank's mobilization of 
resources for infrastructure projects and for establishing a funding facility and added that Aid for 
Trade should also target supply-side constraints in order to enhance the effectiveness of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative. With respect to the TFAF , Zimbabwe was concerned that the Facility was 
still undercapitalized and appealed for more funding.   
 
As an example of a successful infrastructure pr oject, she highlighted the One-Stop Border Post 
(OSBP) established in 2009 between Zimbabwe and Chirundu, Zambia which had been funded by 
COMESA and other donor agencies. Since the introduction of the OSBP, revenue collection for both 
countries had increased by 50%, the costs of clearance of goods had been significantly reduced, and border efficiency had greatly improved. This  was a positive and high impact project that 
should be replicated at all of Zimbabwe's border  posts, and in this regard cited the Beitbridge 
border post between Zimbabwe and South Africa as an example.    Zimbabwe experienced unique challenges due to its landlockedness and geographical location and 
was faced with much higher trade costs than coastal countries. Aid for Trade should therefore land 
link the country to various trade destinations and Zimbabwe called on the donor community and development partners to ensure that a larger pr oportion of Aid for Trade was targeted to LLDCs 
and that this type of aid was aligned to the beneficiary country's policy objectives. Zimbabwe 
further called on Members to implement the VPoA which would benefit LLDCs.  
Norway noted  that creating the right conditions for business and trade to expand was essential 
for job creation and development. Aid was important to support and foster private sector development, trade and investments, and business was a key partner for achieving development objectives. Almost all fast growing economies had a dynamic trade sector. Trade was a valuable 
and immediate source of income and, while, on the whole, trade expansion contributed to 
economic growth and increased employment, a considerable number of developing countries, and in particular many least developed countries, remained at the margins of this process. It was 
therefore a matter of some concern that, since 2006, there were only three LDCs amongst the ten 
largest AfT recipients. Norway would like to see an  increased share of AfT resources, and ODA in 
general, going to the poorest countries. It was against this backdrop that Norway had contributed 
NOK 150 million to Phase 2 of the EIF. Aid for Trade was of particular importance to deal with 
supply-side constraints in LDCs and could stimulate the necessary transformation. Trade facilitation measures were a case in point, and it was important that donor countries followed up with commitments to assist developing countries with TFA implementation. 
 
Regional integration was also essential for grow ing economies and Norway was encouraged by the 
new Tripartite Free Trade Area in Africa which could mark a new beginning for intra-African trade. 
According to optimistic estimates, trade between African countries could increase from 12% to 
30%, provided the necessary political will to implement the agreement was present. 
 
Achieving women's economic empowerment must be  high on the AfT agenda since the promotion 
of equal opportunities for women in production and trade was vital for economic growth, as well as a prerequisite for a just society. Development required investing in the most valuable resource of any country, i.e. its population. Education for girls, women's legal rights to land and women's 
access to financial services were crucial to integrate women into the economy and trade. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Governments that did not work proactively to include women in the workforce should be aware 
that such practices came at a price: much lower living standards, as well as lower levels of welfare for society as a whole.   
The problem of climate change was similarly linked to the challenges of development, and a 
climate change perspective was also needed within Aid for Trade. International donors had a critical role to play in supporting developing countries' efforts in climate change mitigation and 
adaptation. Liberalizing trade in environmental g oods would contribute to wider access to modern 
and climate friendly technology.   Concluding her remarks, she noted the need to increase aid effectiveness, achieve concrete 
results, and enhance quality assurance in AfT efforts and said that Norway would like to call for a 
more strategic, evidence-based and results-oriented approach.  
The Republic of Guinea  said that the 5GR theme was timely since the production of goods and 
services had globalized and the globalization of pr oduction needed a variety of ways to achieve the 
best conditions in world markets. The Republic of Guinea was therefore convinced that Aid for 
Trade could be used as a response to the problems and requirements of global markets. 
Public-private partnerships were essential in developing countries and LDCs to allow these countries to build and upgrade basic infrastructure, particularly in the areas of telecommunications, energy, transport and logistic s, education, health. Coordination among key 
actors at regional and international level was also vital for the implementation of countries' 
programmes and projects. The modernization of th e business and industrial environment, through 
investment and technology transfer, were all elements that would contribute to facilitating trade, 
but reducing trade costs for sustainable and in clusive growth was even more important. The 
Republic of Guinea recommended that the periodic Global Reviews continue and believed that the Aid-for-Trade Initiative had proved its worth , particularly through initiatives such as the EIF. He 
noted that the mainstreaming of trade in its national programme for poverty reduction had been 
effective in the Republic of Guinea and had led to better coordination with partners. The EIF had 
been instrumental in this regard.  
Referring to the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference, he said that this should be used as an 
opportunity for Members to reaffirm and strengthen their commitment to Aid for Trade.   
In concluding his remarks, he explained that the Ebola outbreak had almost isolated the 
Republic of Guinea economically with air and se a routes at one point becoming scarce and very 
expensive. This had resulted in an increase in trade costs to and from the country. He expressed 
appreciation for the support that had already been provided during the outbreak and urged for 
continued assistance so that the Republic of Guinea could overcome this health crisis.  Tanzania  said that the 5GR discussions had  allowed for an in-depth analysis of the issues which 
exacerbated trade costs and various ways had been explored of how to reduce burdensome trade 
costs, through AfT financing, to provide sustai nable solutions which promoted inclusive growth. 
However, high trade costs remained a long-term challenge for most LDCs which ultimately 
impacted on pricing of imports and exports and eroded their competitiveness in international 
markets.   
The EIF, and the new programme framework for its Phase 2, was the unique multi-donor 
programme supporting LDCs' trade needs and the critical avenue for channelling AfT resources to these countries. Tanzania appreciated the efforts undertaken by development partners thus far on Aid for Trade in LDCs and welcomed Norway's recently-announced commitment of US$20 million 
to support EIF Phase 2. Tanzania had benefited from Aid for Trade through various programmes, 
projects, capacity building and analytical work. He noted that LDCs faced a number of challenges, including supply-side constraints, which affected their ability to integrate into international trade 
and said that Tanzania welcomed both the launch of the EIF Phase 2 and the pledging conference 
to be held in the margins of MC10 as another step for confirmed support to LDCs. Tanzania called upon all multilateral agencies and financial institutions to continue their support to facilitate access 
to finance for the private sector which were also part of the engine and catalyst for LDCs' 
economic development. He emphasized the importance of fulfilling the commitments to be made at the pledging conference and ensuring their timely disbursement by donors and partners. Beneficiary countries were eagerly waiting to work together to ensure that what had been agreed WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  upon was timely translated into realities and looked forward to continued engagement with all 
partners.    Nepal  associated his remarks with those made by Bangladesh (on behalf of the LDC Group). He 
said that, as an LDC as well as an LLDC, Nepal recognized how excessive trade costs could impede 
an economy's integration into the multilateral trading system and prevent it from accruing any meaningful benefits. The 5GR had provided an o pportunity to discuss and explore ways and means 
of reducing trade costs to enable a smooth and efficient operation of global trade to achieve 
inclusive, sustainable development and poverty reduction. Since its launch in 2005, the Aid-for-Trade Initiative had played an instrumental role in building trade capacity and infrastructure, and in addressing developing countries' and LDCs' supply-side constraints. The 
recently-launched publication "Aid for Trade at a Glance 2015" showed that, since 2006, a total of 
US$246.5 billion in ODA had been disbursed in addition to US$190 billion other official flows for financing trade-related programmes in developing countries. Of this, LDCs received only a small 
percentage, especially bearing in mind the numer ous challenges faced by the poorer countries 
such as LDCs. More than three quarters of total Aid for Trade had been spent on financing projects in four key sectors, namely transport and storage, energy generation and supply, agriculture 
development and banking and financial services. These were all critical sectors for economic 
growth and for making trade an engine of growth  for LDCs economies. Nepal therefore reiterated 
that future Aid for Trade should be guided by  the fundamental principl es of additionality, 
predictability and sustainability as well as effectiveness. 
 
Turning to the EIF, he said that it had worked exceptionally well as a dedicated AfT programme tailored to LDCs' needs. Nepal was committed to enhance partnerships and leverage all possible 
resources for more effective implementation of projects under the EIF, paying special attention to 
diversification of activities and product development, and hoped that the EIF would receive sufficient attention from all relevant donors and international agencies to make Phase 2 of the 
Framework an even greater success. 
 On trade facilitation, he noted that the TFA was a landmark achievement in the history of the WTO. By applying various constructive measures and provisions under trade facilitation, poorer 
countries could achieve a lot in bringing down the cost of their trade transactions, enhancing 
competitiveness and enhancing their integration in regional and international economies and value chains. Global partnerships and unlocking the resources for taking effective trade facilitation 
measures that addressed the real needs of countries at various levels of development was 
essential in this regard.  
On Aid for Trade, he said that in future this need ed to address the specific needs and challenges of 
the most vulnerable and marginalized economies, particularly those which, like Nepal, were suffering hardship as a result of devastating disaster. In this regard, targeted, sustainable and predictable Aid for Trade, coupled with removing or lessening both tariff and non-tariff measures, 
were key factors, among others, to support  those LDCs facing high trade costs. 
 Finally, Nepal called upon the international community to incorporate all the messages from the 
5GR when designing the next stage of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative.  
 Indonesia  said that  the 5GR had allowed for  important and fruitful discussions on reducing trade 
costs for inclusive, sustainable growth. She referred to the report on Aid for Trade in Asia and the 
Pacific, presented at the 4
th Global Review in 201326, and highlighted some of the report's findings 
that were germane to the 5GR theme. The Report  had accentuated that trade organized through 
value chains was an important engine of growth for countries in the Asia/Pacific region. More than 
80% volume of Asia's merchandise trade was in parts and components and this figure would 
continue to grow. While gains from participation in the global trading system were strong in the region, these were uneven due to gaps in a country's capacity to trade. Trade capacity building 
and engaging the private sector were therefore es sential to enable these countries to access GVCs 
and this concept should be mainstreamed in any national AfT programme.  
                                               
26 Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Driving Priv ate Sector Participation in Global Value Chains. See 
https://www.wto.org/engl ish/tratop_e/devel_e/a 4t_e/global_review13pro g_e/aftrtg_asian_e.pdf   
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  Indonesia was very active in AfT-related activities and had received approximately US$3.2 billion 
Aid for Trade over the last ten years which had been focused on the development of economic infrastructure and building productive trade capa city. For Indonesia, domestic infrastructure 
combined with an improved investment climate and development of trade financing, were crucial 
to reap the maximum benefits of trade and to  achieve national objectives. Infrastructure 
development had become the main focus of Indonesia's new Government with the aim to make its national economy more competitive. To achieve this objective, Indonesia planned to construct 
2,000 kilometres of roads nationwide, ten new airports, ten ports, and ten industrial estates to 
support the national logistic system, to re-boost economic production and to enhance economic integration. To improve its investment climate, Indonesia was implementing a One Stop Service (OSS) Centre which would provide quick, simple, transparent and integrated license services. 
Public-private partnership projects were also being offered by the Government to accelerate the 
provision of infrastructure with the aim of stimul ating economic growth at the targeted level of 
5.7%. It was expected that these AfT projects would support Indonesia's national development 
programme to achieve sustainable development.  Improving AfT effectiveness was therefore 
particularly important given the declining trends of AfT financial assistance.  
Since becoming a middle-income country in 2008, Indonesia's engagement in international 
cooperation had shifted from one of "beneficiary" to a more active player. Its traditional cooperation approach had also shifted to one of development effectiveness and global partnership. 
Within this new role, Indonesia saw international cooperation, and particularly South-South and 
Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), as a tool for more effective development cooperation, with an 
emphasis on knowledge sharing. In this regard, Indonesia had engaged in a number of cooperative undertakings, as a partner as well as a donor and, from 2000-2014 had carried out more than 
404 programmes and activities with at least 4472 part icipants from the Asia, Pacific, Africa, Middle 
East and South American regions. Indonesia's aimed to scale up its knowledge sharing activities as 
part of capacity building with an emphasis on SSTC which, it believed, served as a genuine model 
for global partnership for development by providing a two- and three-way learning process where 
all parties contributed their best advantages, thus creating a truly mutual cooperation. In this regard, Indonesia saw SSTC as an essential co mplement to North-South cooperation.   
 
In conclusion, she noted that Indonesia was involved in the UN's emerging Post-2015 
Development Agenda which aimed to support th e emergence of a global development agenda 
which would be recognized by all countries and st akeholders as one that would address the global 
challenges they faced and aspirations they all had for a better future. Aid resources therefore 
needed to be harnessed and generated to support the requests for assistance post-2015.   
Ecuador said that Aid for Trade should promote a diverse and inclusive economy oriented towards 
developing countries' and LDCs' knowledge, social and technological innovation. It should focus on, inter alia , solving existing problems in logistics, productivity, connectivity, knowledge transfer, and 
market access which would reduce business costs and enable micro-, small-, and medium-sized 
enterprises (MSME) in these countries to access GVCs. In this regard, the TFA could contribute to 
this objective through the effective implemen tation of Section II of the Agreement.  
 
Aid for Trade could only be effective if it reduced existing asymmetries in the global trading 
system. As affirmed by ECLAC
27, Ecuador believed that these asymmetries were reflected by the 
lack of consistency between the importance of developing economies and their level of 
participation in world trade or their opportunities to access markets. It was therefore imperative 
that the Global Review assessed how Aid for Trade had effectively contributed to developing countries' and LDCs' efforts to increase their participation in international trade. Ecuador, like others, believed that trade was a tool for achieving development through capacity building, 
knowledge- and experience-sharing, and transfer of technology. By way of common agendas, it 
should strengthen regional integration and South-South cooperation by taking into account the development needs of each country involved in the integration process.  
 
To reduce trade costs, the productive sector need ed to be strengthened to increase productivity 
and quality of export products, with an emphas is on MSME processes. Aid for Trade should 
therefore target diversified and eco-efficient prod uction aimed at promoting an export economy of 
                                               
27 Financing for Development in Latin America and th e Caribbean: A Strategic Analysis from a Middle-
Income Country Perspective. See http://www.cepal.org/en/publications/37767-financing-development-latin-
america-and-caribbean-strategic-analysis-middle   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  services and goods with the necessary quality to be recognized in markets, taking into account 
natural and social factors.  The Central African Republic associated his remarks with those made by Bangladesh (on behalf 
of the LDC Group), Barbados (on behalf of the ACP Group), and Benin (on behalf of the African 
Group). He welcomed the opportunity provided  by the 5GR to assess the progress made in the 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative and expressed appreciati on for technical and financial partners' support 
which had allowed developing countries and LDCs in particular, to reduce trade costs and enhance 
their access to GVCs. A number of challenges still needed to be addressed such as, for example, providing support to enhance the trade of the most  vulnerable countries, including those that had 
been victims of natural disasters which had seriou sly reduced their productive and export capacity, 
as well as their trade infrastructure which, in some cases, had been completely destroyed. The 
5GR had particularly highlighted the difficulties faced by landlocked developing countries with regard to trade policies which had an impact on efforts to achieve poverty reduction. Non-tariff 
barriers, for example, were discouraging importers from investing in landlocked developing 
countries such as the Central African Republic which, in turn, had an impact on goods in transit. The TFA must therefore allow for the timely elimination of all barriers to trade and therefore 
contribute to sustainable growth. Reducing trade costs meant investing in energy which was 
essential for production, investing in transport in order to facilitate transferring products from one 
point to another, and allowing consumers to pay the right price. He said that the 5GR discussions had highlighted the beneficial effects of trade and noted that US$1 invested in Aid for Trade could 
on average produce US$20 dollars in terms of expo rts. But an assessment should not only rest on 
figures. Concrete effects of sector-specific AfT support to countries and geographical regions should also be assessed and it was for this reason that trade costs must be taken into account in 
the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Central African Republic welcomed the launch of 
Phase 2 of the EIF and considered that this programme would contribute effectively to strengthening developing countries' productive ca pacity and increase the value of products.  
 
Guatemala, on behalf of the Sma ll, Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) , welcomed the 
opportunity provided to the SVEs to actively part icipate in the 5GR and expressed appreciation for 
the support provided by partners and donors. The SVEs believed that  important issues and 
challenges remained vis-à-vis Aid for Trade, includ ing, for example, the geographical distribution 
of AfT assistance. Reducing trade costs was vital in order for SVEs to increase their competitiveness and integration in GVCs. The 5GR discussions had allowed for a meaningful 
exchange of views and he hoped that SVE's needs would continue to be taken into account in 
future AfT activities.  
Korea  noted that  Aid for Trade had been indispensable fo r the economic growth of developing 
c o u n t r i e s  a n d ,  i n  p a r t i c u l a r ,  L D C s ,  a s  e v i d e n c e d  b y  p r e v i o u s  G l o b a l  R e v i e w s .  A s  p a r t  o f  t h i s  successful process, Korea had continuously increa sed its AfT which, in 2013, had reached more 
than US$0.5 billion, representing over 40% of tota l bilateral aid. The reduction of trade costs was 
essential for developing countries' and LDCs' development and economic growth and the 5GR had 
highlighted the importance of lowering trade costs not only in terms of merchandise goods but also of the services sector. The 5GR discussion had im proved understanding of how trade facilitation 
measures were imperative for the sustainable grow th of world trade as well as for the inclusive 
development of developing countries. Sharing Korea's achievements in the area of trade facilitation, he noted that, since the early 1990s, Korea had introduced a number of innovative 
customs systems (e.g. an automated electronic customs system, a paperless import declaration 
system, a single window system, and an authorized economic operator system) which had enabled Korea to increase its trade volume at an annual rate of almost 14%, compared to the annual world trade volume of 7.6%. Through joint efforts with the WTO and the World Customs Organization, as 
well as bilateral assistance programmes, Korea had also supported developing countries in the 
area of customs modernization and trade facilitation capacity building . With MC10 in mind, Korea 
was making every effort to complete its domestic procedure to ratify the TFA.  
 
Korea welcomed the launch of Phase 2 of the EIF and said that it would continue to strongly support the programme as it had done during Phase 1.  
 
Noting the WTO's 20
th anniversary, he said that a successful conclusion to the DDA negotiations 
and the Post-2015 Development Agenda was essential for giving new direction to the inclusive development of the world economy. Aid for Trade wa s indispensable in this regard, not only for the 
growth of the developing world but also for common prosperity. Given the many important WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  upcoming global events, such as the Third Intern ational Conference on Financing for Development, 
the UN Summit for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and MC10, 2015 was a particularly symbolic year to address Aid for Trade. Korea hoped that, through the concerted and collective efforts of the international community, these o pportunities would be used to advance the AfT 
agenda. Korea, for its part, would continue to contribute to ensure the success of all these 
initiatives.   
Uganda  associated his remarks with those made by Bangladesh (on behalf of the LDC Group), 
Benin (on behalf of the African Group), and Paraguay (on behalf of the LLDCs). He  said that the 
5GR discussions  had provided an opportunity to understand  the role of Aid for Trade in reducing 
trade costs for sustainable development. Uganda welcomed the launch of Phase 2 of the EIF and 
urged that Norway's contribution of NOK 105 million be used as a best practice for other partners 
to follow. Uganda looked forward to a successful pledging conference in the margins of MC10.  
With regard to the TFA, he noted that, with the support of development partners such as 
TradeMark East Africa, the East African Community (EAC) had already undertaken significant work in facilitating trade. The establishment of 13 One-Stop-Border Posts was planned, with seven of 
these already operational. EAC had also introduced, inter alia , a Single Customs Territory which 
had removed multiple weighbridges, and police and customs checks along the Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali route, and computerized clearance and electronic cargo tracking which had removed many obstacles along the Northern Corridor. These efforts had reduced the cost of 
doing business by about 50% in the East African re gion with, for example, the time to move cargo 
between Mombasa and Kampala now taking four days instead of 18 days, and the time for a truck to move from Mombasa to Kigali taking three days compared to 21 days. EAC had also put in place 
a law at regional level to eliminate existing NTBs and to prevent the emergence of new ones. Out 
of 95 NTBs that had been identified, 71 had been  abolished, and a time-limited work plan had 
been put in place for the elimination of the rema ining 24. In addition to the various National 
Response Strategies in place, a National Response Mechanism had been set up to collect real time 
information, improve inter-institutional coordination, and to reduce the response time to resolving in-country incidence of NTBs. Uganda was undertaking the necessary processes to ratify the TFA and, in its view, MC10 should therefor e be focusing on unfinished business. 
 
Aid for trade was especially important for Africa which was home to more than 70% of LDCs. Africa's infrastructure deficits were alarming with reports indicating that less than 40% of the 
continent's population had access to electricity, about a third of the rural population had access to 
roads, and only five per cent of agriculture under irrigation. The continent therefore needed 
hydropower dams and transmission power lines to facilitate production and roads, railways and 
ports to facilitate commerce and trade, and core IC T infrastructure to support trade in goods and 
services, as well as governance structures. He said that addressing all these issues would reduce trade costs and noted that the cost of addressing Africa's infrastructure deficit had been estimated to be approximately US$90 billion every year for the next decade. EAC was committed to ensure 
that all benefitted from regional integration. The Northern Corridor Infrastructure Program, for 
example, included 14 projects for railways, ICT, tr ade and tourism. There was also a plan to build 
the Standard Gauge Railway line to cross the entire corridor.  
 
In the run up to MC10, he said that a mind-set should be adopted that built on using trade as a vehicle for development. He called on the CTD Chair to urge Members to use the example of EAC 
as a best practice; EAC's efforts with regard to removing NTBs could, for example, inform the 
discussions on market access. MC10 should build on  the achievements thus far and deliver on the 
development objectives of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.
28 He stressed that Aid for Trade was a 
vehicle, and not a substitute, for the development benefits resulting from a successful conclusion 
of the DDA. Uganda called on Members to prioritise LDCs' needs and interests consistent with 
Paragraph 57 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.29 AfT commitments to LDCs should be 
commensurate with their development needs and ch allenges and aligned with their individual 
structural constraints and multiple vulnerabilities. Uganda urged development partners to ensure 
that at least one third of total Aid for Trade wa s disbursed to LDCs and underlined the need for 
additionality, predictability, sustainability and effectiveness of AfT resources. 
 
                                               
28 https://www.wto.org/engl ish/thewto_e/min ist_e/min01_e/mindecl_e.htm   
29 https://www.wto.org/englis h/thewto_e/minist_e/mi n05_e/final_text_e.htm   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Nigeria  associated his remarks with those made by Benin (on behalf of the African Group), 
Bangladesh (on behalf of the LDC Group), Paraguay  (on behalf of LLDCs), Guatemala (on behalf of 
the SVEs), and Barbados (on behalf of the ACP Group). He noted that the joint OECD-WTO publication "Aid for Trade at a Glance 2015: Re ducing Trade Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable 
Growth" had provided a good basis for the 5GR discussions which had shown that, since its 
inception, the Aid-for-Trade Initiative had sustained the momentum needed to achieve its objectives. It had also demonstrated that both partner countries and donors were taking the issue 
of trade costs seriously and that action in this area remained the focus of engagement.  
 He said that focusing the 5GR in the context of  the Trade Facilitation Agreement was pertinent 
given that many developing countries were being priced out of the global market due to the high 
trade costs arising from, for example, bottlenecks  and inefficiencies at the borders or from 
difficulties related to the business environment. High trade costs were of particular concern to, and a major obstacle for, African trade performance an d were largely responsible for its weak global 
competitiveness. International trade was essential for poverty alleviation and Nigeria, like others, 
recognized that trade was key to helping countries develop, create jobs and ensure sustainable economic development and growth. The increase in NTMs, however, posed new challenges for 
international development efforts and Nigeria believed that if issues such as non-tariff barriers, 
tariffs and transport costs were not adequately addressed developing country exports would not only be priced out of global markets but, more importantly, the overall objectives the Post-2015 
Development Agenda would be seriously undermined. For many developing countries, and 
especially for SMEs, compliance with private standards requirements often proved to be 
challenging and created more obstacles and higher trade costs, instead of lowering barriers and reducing trade costs. Nigeria agreed with the responses to the OECD-WTO monitoring survey 
which identified three main priorities where Aid for Trade could help reduce trade costs as being in 
the area of: infrastructure; border procedures (trade facilitation); and non-tariff measures (such as product standards). 
 
Against this background, Nigeria highlighted the following key messages: (i) some of the reductions in trade costs could be more effectiv ely and economically achieved at the regional 
rather than international level; (ii) evidence show ed that trade could be expanded within existing 
regional integration schemes through less costly and straightforward reforms; (iii) particularly in 
LDCs, trade is increasingly perceived as a key instrument for achieving development objectives, including inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction, as illustrated in some of the case 
stories submitted in connection with the monitoring exercise; (iv) the significance of private sector 
involvement, improving the business climate, and linking trade policy to Aid for Trade; (v) the need to link multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade opening initiatives with comprehensive 
national trade capacity building strategies, using Aid for Trade as a catalyst; (vi) particularly 
critical was the availability of efficient and competitive private-service suppliers in areas ranging from trade finance and risk insurance, to trucking, airfreight, and warehousing; and (vii) many partner countries considered customs reforms, tariff reforms and infrastructure upgrading to have 
the most positive results in terms of reducing trade costs for goods and services. 
 While more could still be done, he said that Aid for Trade was making a modest impact as 
evidenced by the joint publication and the case stories submitted by beneficiaries which showed 
that some of the AfT interventions had improv ed trade performance and had attracted further 
domestic and foreign investment. Aid for Trade therefore had a vital and growing importance for 
the African continent. It was hoped that AfT resources would be additional, predictable and 
sustainable with respect to regional distribution particularly since, in 2013, most of the AfT commitments went to Asia (which recorded a total of US$22.6 billion in commitments, representing an increase of US$5.6 billion compared to 2012) whilst commitments to Africa 
amounted to US$19.3 billion (a fall of US$2.6 billion compared to 2012). He noted that the 
objective of evaluation was to measure overall pe rformance and said that improvements were still 
needed in respect to impact of Aid for Trade, including with regard to the effective and timely 
involvement of stakeholders. Nigeria shared the view  that evaluation should be the basis, and an 
important tool, for managing implementation. He expressed appreciation for donors continued commitment to the Aid-for-Trade Initiative especi ally in support of trade capacity building, 
including in relation to bridging the gaps in infrastructure development.  
 In concluding his remarks, he noted that, in the context of the upcoming Third International Conference on Financing for Development, it was important to ensure synergies between financing WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  objectives across the three dimensions of sustainable development, including in the context of the 
ongoing multilateral efforts to promote international development cooperation.  India said that the 5GR discussions had highlighted some important elements in the AfT debate 
including, for example, that Aid for Trade could pl ay a vital role in assisting developing countries, 
and LDCs in particular, build their infrastructure and productive capacity, which was essential for promoting trade and investment. The focus and disco urse on reducing trade costs for inclusive, 
sustainable growth had emphasized the advantages of trade facilitation in reducing trade costs 
relating to border procedures. Other important types of trade costs for goods had also been 
identified such as trade-related infrastructure (rail or road corridors, ports, and ICT), quality logistic services, non-tariff measures, access to trade finance, network infrastructure, etc.  
 
He noted that a number of studies had highlighted the fact that developing countries integrated at the lower end of GVCs and that economic gains from GVC integration were very limited. While lead 
firms in advanced countries controlled higher value-added creation activities (such as research and 
development, marketing and distribution etc.), developing country supplier firms were involved in lower valued-added activities (such as manufacturing or assembly). Moving up the value chains 
was severely limited for developing countries due to their low technological base, lack of 
infrastructure, lack of skilled man-power, etc. He  quoted one of the findings of the WTO's World 
Trade Report 2014 which said that "often lead firms possess rare capabilities while suppliers further down the chain stand in increasingly fierce competition with each other to supply these 
firms. This leads to a large gain capture for the lead firms".  
 India was encouraged by the growth of South-South Cooperation (SCC), which was also reflected 
in the OECD estimates for nine bilateral providers of development cooperation in the recent joint 
OECD-WTO "Aid for Trade at a Glance" publicatio n. India provided development assistance to 
partner countries by way of Lines of Credit, Grant Assistance Projects and Capacity Building 
programmes. During the last decade, for example,  214 Lines of Credits aggregating approximately 
US$13.3 billion had been allocated, of which more  than US$7.5 billion had been allocated to 
African countries and about US$5.7 billion approved for non-African countries. A number of development projects in relation to India's gr ant assistance were being implemented in many 
partner countries, especially in neighbouring countries and Africa, in the areas of infrastructure 
development, hydroelectricity, power transmission , etc. Under the Indian Technical and Economic 
Cooperation (ITEC) and other schemes, over 8,000 tr aining slots in 280 courses had been provided 
each year in 47 institutions. India's Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme for LDCs provided 
Duty Free Quota Free (DFQF) market access on about 96% of India's tariff lines (at 6-digit HS code level) and additional 2.2% of the lines were enjoying preferential duties. He emphasized 
that India's SSC was voluntary and continued in spite of its domestic challenges faced by the 
providers of South-South cooperation themselves. SCC could neither replace nor substitute North-South Assistance and Cooperation which was the primary source of Aid for Trade.   
The representative noted with concern that, a ccording to the OECD Development Assistance 
Committee (DAC), in 2014 bilateral aid to LDCs fell by 16% in real terms to US$25 billion and that in in the same year net ODA as a share of gross national income (GNI) was 0.29% with only five 
of the DAC's 28 member countries exceeding the United Nations target of maintaining ODA at 
0.7% of GNI.   
India believed that Aid for Trade was one of the key contributions that the WTO could make to the 
UN's Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustaina ble Development Goals which would provide the 
framework for international trade as a means of achieving inclusive and sustainable growth and hoped that donors could engage long term throug h additional and predictable AfT financing. India 
also expressed the hope that the 5GR would contri bute to the ongoing dialogue on the subject of 
providing additional, predictable, sustainable and effective aid to developing countries for meeting 
their development aspirations. 
 
The United States  remarked that notable progress had been made since the 4GR in 2013 and 
said that, given the impressive work to conclude and implement the TFA, the 5GR's focus on 
reducing trade costs was particularly appropriat e. The 5GR discussions had once again reinforced 
the importance of the TFA in advancing solid development outcomes in the trade sphere, as well as reminding of the extensive availability of relevant technical assistance from multiple sources. In this regard, the US urged WTO Members to take the domestic steps necessary to notify the WTO WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  of their ratification of the Agreement. Entry into  force of the TFA would be a notable achievement 
to celebrate at MC10.  A clear and consistent theme emanating from the opening remarks of the 5GR was that lower 
trade costs contributed significantly to sustaina ble, green, and inclusiv e economic growth and 
poverty reduction. This fact lay at the heart of the proposed SDGs. Citing the language from the 
joint OECD-WTO publication, he said that "high trade costs act as a brake on the trade integration 
of many developing countries, and in particular least-developed countries. To release the brake, 
concerted action is needed" and noted that this shou ld be kept in mind over the coming months in 
the lead up to MC10.  
He referred to the US side event entitled "21st Ce ntury Public Private Partnerships: The win-win of 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement" where the privat e sector had highlighted that trade facilitation 
played a role in their investment decisions and could critically affect their bottom line. The US, 
Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom had also indicated their intention to partner with the 
International Chamber of Commerce, World Economic Forum, and the Centre for Private Enterprise to form a new initiative that would capitalize on the insights of the private sector to deliver robust 
implementation of the TFA. The Global Alliance fo r Trade Facilitation – to be officially launched 
later in 2015 –would harness private sector lead ership and expertise to deliver commercially 
meaningful trade facilitation reforms driven by re al-world metrics. The Alliance would create a new 
framework for cooperation for Aid for Trade between the private sector, donors and recipient 
countries to help maximize the vast potential of the TFA to accelerate development and create 
broad-based opportunity. Together with other participants in the Alliance, the US looked forward to sharing more information about the Alliance at MC10 and to updating on the results of the Alliance 
in the years ahead.  
 Japan  said that the 5GR discussions had provided an opportunity to take stock of what had been 
done so far and to consider what to do to improve Aid for Trade. A lot of new initiatives and 
experiences had been highlighted showing that the expansion of trade was indispensable for 
growth and for tackling poverty and that this was becoming more and more relevant in relating to access to GVCs. Referring to Japan's own experience in this regard, he said that it was the 
expansion of trade that had resulted in the po st-war development and economic prosperity of 
Japan. Robust development of regional and inter-re gional value chains in Asia and the Pacific had 
also been seen. Based on this first-hand experien ce, and even before the notion of Aid for Trade, 
Japan had been actively engaging in assistance  which aimed to support each stage of trade, 
namely, production, transportation, customs clearance, distribution and sales. As the largest AfT donor, Japan had provided approximately US$26.9 bi llion over the three-year period 2011-2013.  
 
In its new "Development Cooperation Charter", pub lished in February, Japan had indicated its firm 
commitment to poverty reduction through helping to achieve "Quality Growth" and was particularly encouraged since some of the target areas of its assistance policy – such as infrastructure, SMEs 
and the empowerment of women – were precisely the key elements that had repeatedly been 
emphasized during the 5GR discourse. He said that Japan was ready to work towards "Quality Growth" in developing countries, in close partnership with other donors including the World Bank 
Group and regional development banks such as th e AsDB, and with the private sector, and cited 
some concrete initiatives in the area. The firs t was the recent announcement by Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe to extend US$110 billion over the next five years to the Partnership for Quality 
Infrastructure initiative in Asia. Another was the 2016 TICAD
30 Summit which Japan was hoping to 
hold, for the first time, in Africa. Japan was committed to support Africa's quality growth through assistance for capacity building, building infr astructure and promoting trade and investment.  
 
Referring to the focus of the 5GR, he said that an early entry into force of the TFA was particularly 
important and announced that Japan had accepted, on 1 June, the TFA Protocol and that it was encouraged by the fact that many developing Me mbers had already notified Category A provisions. 
Japan looked forward to working with other Members – and in close coordination with the WTO and 
other donors, especially the World Customs Organization – towards an early entry into force and implementation of the Agreement.  
 
Barbados, on behalf of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) Group , associated 
her remarks with those made by Benin (on behalf of the African Group), Bangladesh (on behalf of 
                                               
30 Tokyo International Conferen ce for African Development. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  the LDC Group), and Guatemala (on behalf of the SVEs). She noted that the ACP countries had 
been significant beneficiaries of Aid for Trade since its inception in 2005. Aid for Trade played an important role in addressing developing countries' supply side constraints which was a major challenge for the ACP countries. The ACP Group urged continued attention to building 
transport-related infrastructure development in ACP countries so that these countries could better 
benefit from increased trade and foreign exchange earnings. The Group commended the work being done by the EIF which was an important vehicle for boosting LDCs' productive capacity and 
welcomed the launch of EIF Phase 2.  
 ACP countries said that new AfT projects should take account of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and of sector specific issues and, in ligh t of the fact that trade-related costs continued to 
hamper intra-ACP trade, also urged that Aid for Trade be targeted at dealing with trade-related 
bottlenecks and be extended to include a wide range of areas in need of support, including facilitating sustainable adjustments in the context of climate change. Aid for Trade funding should 
also be additional, predictable and accessible and should not be a substitute for ODA. ACP 
countries also urged developed countries to cont ribute to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Facility.  
 
The 5GR discussions had provided an opportunity for knowledge-sharing and guidance, from which 
all could benefit, on the options available to help overcome the challenges associated with capacity building and increasing trade.  
 
Papua New Guinea associated his remarks with those made by Barbados (on behalf of the 
ACP Group) and Guatemala (on behalf of the SVEs). He said that the 5GR had  highlighted the 
specific challenges faced by Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island Countries (PICs) due to 
their unique situation and one of the few regions with the highest trade costs. The focus on TFA 
was particularly timely and he noted that Papua New Guinea and the Pacific WTO Members were 
advancing preparations for notification and ratification of the Agreement. He nevertheless 
reminded development partners of the significant challenges that remained for Pacific trade as had been highlighted by the Asian Development Bank Report
31. He underlined the important role of Aid 
for Trade and the EIF in addressing the challenges  faced by small producers in the area of trade 
infrastructure, export capacity, standard conforma nce, and ICT connectivity, and in adjusting to 
sustainable production to mitigate the impact of the climate change. Papua New Guinea and the 
PICs wished to ensure that a new Work Programme on Aid for Trade as well as the new EIF facility 
should be tailored to the trade needs of small economies.  
 The Solomon Islands  said that the theme of the 5GR was timely especially since trade and 
growth linkages had been empirically proved an d tested. However, she noted that growth might 
not be inclusive and pro-poor if the proper polic y measures were not undertaken. High trade costs 
were a matter of concern, particularly for developi ng countries and LDCs and this issue need to be 
approached holistically. First and foremost was th e importance of the development of products and 
productive capacities to participate in international trade and she said that future AfT resources 
should prioritize and target productive capacity building. Second, trade-related infrastructure such as transportation, energy, communication, etc., were vital to connect products to world markets. 
Proper attention and more AfT resources should therefore be targeted to the development of 
trade-related infrastructures. The private sector, and particularly small businesses, formed the majority of business in poor countries, but they lacked capital, access to finance, adequate 
know-how about the global market and trade rules, etc. AfT activities should therefore adequately 
include private sector capacity building proj ects and programmes to enable them to enter 
international markets. Assistance for human resource development, both in the public and private sector and particularly in the provision of training and skills development for farmers and workers 
in value chain processing, as well as development in technical expertise, should also be 
encouraged.   
Effective coordination in the programming of AfT resources, not only among donors but also 
between donors and recipient countries, needed to be strengthened. In this regard, she noted the instrumental role played by the EIF in relation to trade capacity building in LDCs and said that this 
was still very relevant for the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands therefore requested that 
partner agencies and donors continued their support to the EIF which was significantly helping LDCs in their trade and development.  
                                               
31 "Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Thinking  Forward about Trade Costs and the Digital Economy". WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Chile  welcomed the  5GR discussions and exchange of view s on the theme of "Reducing Trade 
Costs for Inclusive, Sustainable Growth" particularly since trade cooperation had been defined as one of the seven focus areas of Chile's cooperation policy. Integration into the international economy, largely through the signing of 24 tr ade agreements with 63 economies, had had a 
decisive impact on Chile's economic growth. This, in turn, had enabled Chile to transition from a 
net recipient country to a middle-income country and to establish itself as a provider of SSC and triangular cooperation with the aim of promoting trade development and integration in the Latin 
America and Caribbean region and elsewhere. Examples  of this cooperation included in the area of 
training (i.e. courses, workshops, seminars and conferences) as well as technical assistance provided for specific areas of interest and trade promotion. He underlined that Chile's SSC support focused on "trade cooperation" and said that Chil e was determined to see all developing countries, 
and especially LDCs, able to increase their trade competitiveness. 
 Brazil  said that the subject of trade costs was growin g in importance and that Members needed to 
find concrete and effective ways of contributing  towards the further integration of developing 
countries and LDCs into the global and regional value chains that increasingly underpinned and shaped global trade flows. The TFA was a major step in that direction, and Brazil, which had 
notified its Category A commitments in 2014, was taking the appropriate internal measures for 
TFA ratification and implementation. The TFA was consistent with Brazil's current initiatives being adopted to modernize customs administration, such as the Single Window system scheduled to be fully operational in 2017, and the simplified customs regime for authorized economic operators. He 
indicated that, at the most recent meeting of the Preparatory Meeting of the TFA Committee, Brazil 
had shown interest in experience-sharing with Members in relation to implementation of TFA commitments. Within its current budget and human resources constraints, Brazil still stood ready 
to contribute in capacity building towards the su ccessful implementation of the TFA disciplines, 
particularly in systems modernization, process re-engineering, single window and post arrival inspection.  
 
He noted that the 5GR was taking place in a milestone year for development across all of its dimensions with upcoming events including MC10, the Third International Conference on Financing 
for Development, and the UN Summit for the adop tion of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. He 
briefed Members on Brazil's major SSC initiatives noting, in particular, that while Brazilian 
cooperation was founded on the principles of respect of sovereignty and non-intervention in internal affairs, it was also devoid of economic and trade concerns and free from political 
conditionalities. Africa remained Brazil's top priority with 33 African nations, including the 
Lusophone countries, benefitting from technical cooperation through 146 projects that mainly 
focused on education, professional training, agriculture, and health care, notably to fight diseases 
such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. Agriculture stood out by far as the area with the highest 
demand for bilateral and trilateral cooperation, not only in regard to agribusiness but also to small-scale production, which helped strengthen family farming, food security and social inclusion. Cooperation in cotton, as illustrated by the C-4 Project with Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, 
could be considered a success in this regard. Since 2010, a substantial amount of the 
compensation received by Brazil within the framework of the Cotton Dispute with the US had been channelled into cooperation programmes with other developing countries, especially in 
Sub-Saharan Africa, MERCOSUR member countries and associates, and Haiti. The Second Phase of 
the C-4 Project, launched in 2014, had been expanded to include Togo, and similar projects were being formulated in other regions of Africa and in Latin America.  
 
The International Trade Centre (ITC) said that the 5GR had provided insights to a number of 
important issues ranging from standards and services to gender and regional integration all of which had a bearing on trade costs and the oppo rtunity to meet with AfT partners, develop 
cooperation and strengthen collaboration. He noted that the TFA was the centrepiece of the global 
focus on trade facilitation and said that ITC would continue to support members, especially LDCs, LLDCs and SVEs to categorize, notify and implement the Agreement. The 5GR discussions had 
confirmed that trade facilitation was a broad conc ept that included standards, especially private 
standards, competitiveness of SMEs, NTMs an d issues regarding economic empowerment, 
specifically for women. He informed that ITC woul d continue to provide assistance to developing 
countries in all of these areas and partner with other agencies to leverage respective expertise. 
Referring to the recently-held Joint Advisory Group meeting, he said that ITC was expanding the depth and breadth of its AfT interventions to fo cus on effectiveness, results and impact. ITC 
welcomed the opportunity given, for the first time, to other agencies to collaborate on the 
preparation of the Aid for Trade at a Glance publication where ITC's input focused on the impact of WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  trade costs on SMEs and that this trend would continue. He applauded the launch of Phase 2 of the 
EIF and said that ITC would continue to be a st aunch supporter of the programme. In conclusion, 
he said that ITC looked forward to a successful Ministerial Conference in Nairobi.  
The United Nations Industrial De velopment Organization (UNIDO) said that, as stated by 
Ambassador Amina Mohamed, the biennial reviews of  Aid for Trade should be continued. Noting 
the successful launch of Phase 2 of the EIF, he commended Norway's initial pledge of €20 million 
to the programme and expressed the hope that ot her donors would make similar contributions at 
the pledging conference to be held in the ma rgins of MC10. He said that UNIDO had been a 
committed and active development partner since the start of the Aid-for-Trade Initiative, working with donor and partner countries towards meeting the Initiative's objectives, and reassured 
partner countries of UNIDO's continued commitment. He noted that a key contribution of UNIDO to 
Aid for Trade was the Trade Capacity Building Resource Guide and recalled that the 2015 edition of the Guide – with a special focus on South-South trade – had been launched during the 5GR 
session on "Reducing Trade Costs in South–South Trade. South-South trade was a key area to be 
strengthened by development partners and UNIDO was pleased to be able to contribute to this. In light of the importance of compliance with standa rds, an issue that had been evoked on several 
occasions during the 5GR discussions, UNIDO inte nded to continue its research into border 
rejections for agro-based exports of developi ng countries. A new edition of UNIDO's Trade 
Standards Compliance Report was available which shed further light on the root causes of non-compliance and identified how technical assistance could best address them.  
 
In the context of the debate on future AfT prio rities and programmes, he raised the issue of 
industrialization which had been fundamental to ec onomic development and noted that it was only 
in circumstances such as extraordinary abundan ce of land or resources that countries had 
succeeded in developing without industrializing. This fact was again being recognized in development thinking and practice, with renewed interest in structural transformation, and a 
comparative analysis of the economic performances of countries had demonstrated that it was 
those countries with steady economic growth, driven by industrialization, international trade and related services that had managed to reduce poverty most effectively. The role of industrial development in structural economic change and in  job creation, and the way trade could contribute 
to this had been duly acknowledged and discussed in the 2015 Aid for Trade at a Glance report.  
While industrial development had tremendous transf ormative potential, the pattern of industrial 
development across the globe had been highly un even. It was for this reason that the Open 
Working Group, established to develop a set of SD Gs in the context of the Post-2015 Development 
Agenda, had proposed the inclusion of a specific goal on inclusive and sustainable industrialization (i.e. the proposed SDG 9 "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable 
industrialization and foster innovation"). In this  light, and considering the comparatively modest 
share that was allocated to industry under Aid for Trade – a share that had dropped even further over the last years – UNIDO, as the UN agency wi th a designated role of central coordinator and 
promotor of international cooperation towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development in 
the UN system, expressed concern over the limited sector-specific allocations to industry, 
especially for Africa. UNIDO therefore called upon  the donor community to reverse this trend and 
significantly increase future commitments to manufacturing industry, in recognition of the priority 
accorded by developing countries to the goal of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, 
especially in Africa.   
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)  drew attention to, and invited 
Members to participate in, the work UNECE was conducting in the area of trade facilitation. She noted, in this regard, that UNECE hosted the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)
 32, and invited Members to contribute to the work that was being 
conducted by the Centre. In connection with the implementation of standards, recommendations 
and best practices, UNECE relied on partnerships, examples of which included the United Nations Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide (a knowledge management tool developed with input from 
more than ten international organizations), and the recently-signed Memorandum of 
Understanding with ITC and UNCTAD to support implementation of the TFA.  
The International Labour Organization (ILO) , speaking on behalf of the organizers of the  Joint 
CSEND-ILO-ICA side event on "Promoting Cooperative to Cooperative Trade for Sustainable Development", said that cooperative enterprise s were major players in the global economy. 
                                               
32 http://www.unece.org/cefact   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  According to the most recent figures of the In ternational Co-operative Alliance (ICA), the 
300 largest cooperatives in the world had a comb ined turnover of US$2.2 trillion in 2014 and some 
250 million people were employed or earned their living through cooperative enterprises. Cooperatives were economically viable businesse s and, as "member driven" and "people centred" 
organizations, they provided opportunities for incl usive growth for sectors of society often in need 
of support, for example, unemployed youth, indige nous communities and people with disabilities. 
Besides their inclusiveness, cooperatives also offered more equitable opportunities to small 
farmers, craftsmen and women, and traders to achieve economies of scale accessing inputs, 
credit, technology and markets. Cooperatives gave individual producers collective voice and negotiation power with key players across the chain for fairer returns to their members.   
Noting that, by September 2015, the MDGs would be replaced by SDGs with a far-reaching scope 
consisting of sustainable economic, social and envi ronmental development, he said that recent ILO 
and ICA research had shown that cooperatives had a proven track record for being an effective 
means to implement and deliver on all three real ms of the SDGs. Cooperatives offered a solid 
economic foundation complemented with proven inclusiveness, participatory management and transparent social citizenship. Despite the small share of cooperative to cooperative trade – from 
the producer and consumer side – what existed showed the untapped potential to making global 
supply chains fairer and more efficient. What was unfortunately missing, however, was the data tracking of the contribution of cooperatives to international trade. Cooperative enterprises 
therefore needed to be included in the mainstre am of trade statistics at the WTO to allow for a 
better understanding and documentation of the diff erence they made. A precedent already existed 
in this regard, namely the "State Trading Enterp rises", governed by GATT Article XVII:1(a) and by 
the Working Party on State Trading Enterprises.  
 
The international trading community urgently needed  to establish an article specifically covering 
"Cooperative Trading Enterprises" and related statistical categories and data collection with 
dissemination power at the level of the WTO Secretariat. Sustained development of cooperatives in 
LDCs, LLDCs, and low-income developing countries, required substantial capacity building. ILO urged development partners to contribute the fina ncial and technical resources needed to ensure 
sustained growth of cooperatives which in turn would have positive impacts in terms of economic 
growth, employment, and implementation of the SDGs. 
 The West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
33 associated his remarks with 
those made by Benin (on behalf of the African Group), Bangladesh (on behalf of the LDC Group), 
and Paraguay (on behalf of LLDCs). WAEMU welc omed the 5GR's construc tive and comprehensive 
discussions on reducing trade costs for sustainabl e and inclusive growth and the growing interest 
of the multilateral trading system and the international community in trade facilitation. In relation 
to the TFA, he noted that, with financial assi stance from the World Bank Group, WAEMU had 
developed, and was implementing, a Regional Trade Facilitation Programme (RTFP) and said that additional financial assistance from other partners would also be welcome in the realization of the 
programme. As a complement to the RTFP, WAEMU was also putting significant resources into 
creating and operationalizing control posts at its member states' borders and was striving to reduce irregular practices throughout the Union's corridors. Recognizing what needed to be 
changed so that its member states could participate in international trade, WAEMU had initiated a 
successful partnership with ITC by way of a Joint WAEMU/ITC Project in Support of Competitiveness and Regional Integration which took into account the conditions needed for 
economic growth including, for example, the quan titative and qualitative effects of diversified 
exports, the promotion of trade and investme nt (OPCI) and integration into GVCs. WAEMU 
welcomed the launch of Phase 2 of the EIF as well as Norway's contribution of NOK 150 million to 
the programme, and said that EIF support to regional initiatives should be continued and 
strengthened. Also recognized was the extension for a further ten years of the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act
34 which would benefit trade between the United States and the recipient African 
countries. 
 
                                               
33 Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea -Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. 
34 http://trade.gov/agoa/   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  The World Customs Organization (WCO)  noted its cooperation with the WTO, particularly in 
respect of the technical committees of the WTO Agreements dealing with customs valuation and 
rules of origin. With regard to trade facilitation, the WCO was among the "Annex D" organizations having, from the outset, actively supported the conclusion of the TFA. Various trade facilitation 
measures had been negotiated at the WTO and the WCO offered support in implementing these 
measures. WCO's instruments, tools and network of national customs experts and private sector partners were indispensable and available for implementing TF measures. Concerning 
implementation of the TFA, and in response to the 2013 Bali Ministerial Declaration
35, the WCO 
had launched a strategic initiative – the WCO Mercator Programme – to support trade facilitation. The Programme aimed at assisting governments worldwide to implement trade facilitation measures expeditiously and in a harmonized manner by using core WCO instruments and tools, 
such as the Revised Kyoto Convention, at the national, regional and global level, thereby also 
supporting regional integration efforts. The Programme also ensured connectivity at borders and along GVCs in order to provide a consolidated platform for advancing the smooth flow of goods 
traded around the world. The WCO remained an essential partner and was ready to support TFA 
implementation by way of the expertise, tools and network of the Customs community around the 
world.
36 
 
Closing Statement by WTO Director-General  
I want to thank all those who have intervened this afternoon.  
I have been kept well-briefed on your contributions throughout the Global Review, and I want to 
thank you for participating.  
There has been a great sense of energy this week, which is reflected in the numbers for this event. 
We have had over a thousand attendees over the last three days, 46 sessions and several 
thousand pages of analysis. And it has also been reflected in the lively exchanges and debates that 
we have been having.  
I want simply to highlight some of the key messages which have come out of the Global 
Review-and then to pose some questions that might guide our future work. And of course it is you, the members, who will then discuss, shape and define that work.  
I think the clearest message is that trade costs matter. And that we cannot afford to neglect the 
impact that these costs have on connectivity.  
Trade will be a key element in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. If trade costs remain 
prohibitively high, particularly for the poorest, then we know that we will fall short.  
But we also know that trade costs are not set in stone. We can take action to reduce them — and 
indeed a lot of good work is already under way.  
The Global Review profiled a tremendous range of initiatives across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the 
Caribbean and the Pacific.  
Indeed, the Pacific is a case in point.  
By the simple fact of its geography, that regi on faces some of the biggest natural hurdles to 
connecting to the global trading system. And so I have been pleased to note the success of various 
projects which are working to support the Pacific Islands.  
We also developed our understanding of the disproportionately heavy trade costs which are borne 
by SMEs. And we heard about different approaches which could help them to shed this burden.  
                                               
35 https://www.wto.org/engl ish/thewto_e/min ist_e/mc9_e/balipackage_e.htm   
36 Statement not delivered. The information has be en included in the 5GR Summary Report at the 
request of the WCO. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Another theme that emerged strongly was gender. Women face a range of constraints that limit 
their ability to participate in trade. And I think that  this is an area that needs further research and 
action.  
Many of the sessions and speakers focused on tr ade facilitation. Slow and inefficient border 
procedures remain a key reason why trade costs are stubbornly high.  
Implementation of the WTO's Trade Facilitation Ag reement is something we can do collectively and 
individually to address this. The first step is ratification. Two-thirds of WTO members must ratify the agreement for it to enter into force. So this must be a priority.  
We heard yesterday from Minister Amina Mohamed of Kenya, who will chair our 10th Ministerial 
Conference, about how important the timely entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement will be.  
This is not least because of the Agreement's uni que architecture which recognises the need for 
technical assistance to help WTO developing country members to meet their commitments. 
Indeed, the WTO's own Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility was established last year with this 
important need very much in mind. 
We also heard about trade facilitation efforts which are being pursued at regional level — like 
those which have cut transit times and costs so significantly in East Africa.  
These efforts are very positive. They show the huge value that there is in this work — and I think 
they can help accelerate TFA implementation.  
We also heard about the importance of allying investment in hard infrastructure — like ports, 
airports and roads — with investment in soft infrastructure. Getting the regulatory processes right and creating a stable, transparent and predictable business environment is an absolutely vital element. 
And we heard about some surprising benefits that  trade facilitation may also bring. Overcoming 
the problems and delays faced by humanitarian relief and reconstruction agencies in dealing with 
crises or natural disasters is one powerful example.  
As you all know, this is a year of milestones.  
W h e n  w e  w e r e  a p p r o a c h i n g  t h i s  1 0 t h  a n n i v e r s a r y  o f  A i d  f o r  T r a d e ,  s o m e  a s k e d  w h e t h e r  t h e  
initiative was still delivering. 
So what conclusions can we draw after this Global Review? 
I think we can say with certainty that Aid for Trade is a topic on which members remain actively 
engaged and committed.  
Aid for Trade is delivering, but as with any such initiative, we need to remain flexible and 
open-minded about how it can do more, and what the future priorities should be.  
I think that we need to consider the various suggestions which have been made this week for how 
we might take the initiative forward.  
For example, some suggested a more systematic approach to the monitoring of trade costs. I think 
this is an interesting idea where more work could be done in a number of ways. But of course 
members will need to consider this and discuss what approach they may want to take.  
There were three other elements which stood out to me as issues to be considered by members 
when discussing the future of Aid for Trade.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  First is the need to adapt this work to complement the new Financing for Development framework 
that will be agreed in Addis Ababa in just two weeks' time. 
Second, members will need to have a similar discussion about how the initiative should evolve to 
reflect the Post-2015 Development Agenda and th e Sustainable Development Goals when they are 
agreed in New York in September.  
Third, I have heard many delegations emphasising the need to deliver for small, weak and 
marginalised countries. I think this is an extremel y important point which needs to be considered.  
It has been highlighted, for example, that the LDCs  are not currently the main recipients of Aid for 
Trade funding. In this context I was happy to note  that the LDCs and their concerns were the focus 
of many of the sessions and that Members continue to give them priority.  
In addition, yesterday we launched the new phase of the EIF. I was delighted that Norway 
announced a very significant donation to the new phase at that event. We will need to secure 
further pledges for the EIF over the coming months so that it can continue and enhance its work in 
supporting LDCs. 
So I think we have a lot of food for thought. And in concluding my statemen t I would like to offer a 
few suggestions on the route ahead.  
Clearly, to travel along the path of inclusive, su stainable growth, we must do more to bring down 
high and excessive trade costs. 
For us in the trade community, there are some clear and immediate actions which are within our 
reach and which can contribute to this agenda in a concrete manner.  
First, we must implement the Bali Package — including the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the 
LDC decisions.  
And second, we must deliver outcomes at the 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi which support 
growth and development.  
As the Global Review comes to a close, there are many elements which have emerged from the 
discussions that are worthy of further attention, a few of which I underlined this afternoon. 
So I invite members to reflect further. I will report  more formally to the General Council on all of 
this at the end of this month.  
I am very proud to have hosted this Global Review, and to have seen such a wealth of knowledge, 
passion and commitment on display.  
It has reinforced my belief in what we can achieve when we are creative and open-minded.  
So let's keep this discussion going.  
And finally, before I close, I wa nt to thank everybody at the WTO who has worked so hard to make 
this Aid-for-Trade Global Review a success. And it really has been a success! 
Congratulations to you all. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  SIDE EVENTS  
Side event 1: Lessons from Natural Disaster s and Other Humanitarian Emergencies on 
the Role of Trade in Relief and Reconstruction 
Organized by: 
 
International Federation of the Red Cross and 
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) 
 
World Bank Group (WBG) 
  
World Trade Organization (WTO)  
 
Moderator:  Michael Roberts, Aid-for-Trade 
Coordinator, Development Division, WTO 
 
Panel: 
 Selina Jackson, Special Representative to 
the United Nations and the World Trade 
Organization, WBG, Geneva 
 Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, Permanent 
Secretary at the Department of Commerce 
and Supply Management, Nepal 
 Esteban Conejos, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Philippines  
 Axel Marcel Addy, Minister of Commerce 
and Industry, Ministy of Commerce and 
Industry, Liberia 
 Elise Baudot, Head of Policy, Strategy, and 
Knowledge, IFRC 
 Frank Clary, Director of Corporate Social 
Responsibility, Agility  Recent natural disasters have highlighted the 
role that trade can play in both relief and 
reconstruction – and how the same weak 
capacity, trade-related infrastructure and 
supply-side constraints that hamper developing 
country participation in commercial trade can 
also hinder relief and reconstruction. For 
example, the World Bank Group has estimated 
that Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone lost at 
least US$1.6 billion in forgone economic growth 
in 2015 as a result of the Ebola outbreak .  
Research  by the Commonwealth Secretariat has 
highlighted how the trade effects of this crisis 
have spread well beyond the three 
Ebola-affected countries due to land border 
closures and cargo controls.  
 
The session featured a discussion on the nexus 
between trade and humanitarian issues with 
Ministerial representatives of recently 
disaster-affected governments and their 
international partners. The side event began 
with a presentation by the World Bank Group of 
preliminary findings of research work conducted 
in collaboration with the International 
Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent 
Societies that outlines the interface between 
trade and humanitarian emergencies.  
 
Introducing the session, Michael Roberts, Aid-for-Trade Co ordinator, Development Division , 
WTO ,  highlighted that over 100 million people had been affected by disasters caused by natural 
hazards in 2014 – and a further 58 million forced to move by conflict.37 The global community had 
spent approximately US$24.5 billion responding to humanitarian crises in 2014, a figure 
comparable with the gross domestic product (GDP) of El Salvador or Uganda. He suggested that this amounted to a significant amount of goods and services – some that would be acquired 
locally, and much that would be purchased internationally. Although not trade in a traditional 
sense, much humanitarian assistance passed through commercial channels. On any given day, the World Food Programme had chartered some 30 ships carrying humanitarian assistance. In various recent crises, major logistics companies had provided support to humanitarian operations, 
including through the Logistics Emergency Teams and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda 
Council on Humanitarian Response.  Humanitarian agencies had begun working closely with network service providers, in particular mobile telecoms provider, to provide information and relief 
through mobile money payment systems. Mr Roberts concluded his introductory remarks by noting 
that while trade connectivity could help crisis response, trade could also impact connectivity in crises.  Consignments could be held up by import rules; services by domestic regulations. Given 
that humanitarian goods and services typically had to reach their intended recipient rapidly, any 
delays arising from trade policy decisions would be regrettable.  Selina Jackson, Special Representative to th e United Nations and the WTO, World Bank 
Group, Geneva , explained the nexus between trade and natural disasters in her remarks that 
outlined the emerging results from a joint survey , conducted with the International Federation of 
the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and in collaboration with WTO, on trade policy 
issues affecting humanitarian response, recovery and reconstruction. Although IFRC had in the 
past conducted research on regulatory barriers, they had not researched humanitarian issues from 
                                               
37 Source: Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2015, Development Initiatives: 
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/report/gha-report-2015   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  a trade policy perspective. The aim of the joint work was to bridge this gap and to inform 
policymakers with a view to helping disaster preparedness. Her presentation focused on five areas: border management, agriculture, access to medicine, goods and services.   
Border management issues were the regulatory concern cited most frequently by the humanitarian 
community. The day-to-day concerns of traders with regard to customs clearance tended to be magnified during humanitarian crises due to a surge in imports that could overwhelm even the 
best organized systems. Customs staff responsible for clearance often had to attend to their own 
family crises giving rise to staffing shortages. Customs infrastructure might also have been damaged by the disaster. Listing issues cited by the humanitarian community in relation to border 
management, Ms Jackson highlighted bureaucratic administrative requirements, burdensome 
documentation requirements, inflexible working hours, lack of coordination between different 
government agencies and poor institutional capacity. She noted that these mapped well on the issues that were being dealt with in the cont ext of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.   
 
Ms Jackson gave examples from recent crises, notably in Nepal, where aid had become back-logged while the authorities continued to apply regular border procedures, suffered staffing 
shortages and became submerged under the sheer volume of assistance received. During the 
Ebola crisis, medical supplies had been held up for months at customs awaiting import clearance. Food aid had also been delayed in the Horn of Africa due to border bottlenecks and clearance 
delays. Border delays in Sri Lanka and Indonesia had also affected the timely delivery of aid items 
in response to the 2004 Tsunami. 
 Ms Jackson outlined a series of non-binding instruments that the international humanitarian 
community had agreed to address border clearance issues, namely: 
 
 World Customs Organization (WCO) - Recommendations to Expedite the Forwarding of Relief 
Consignments in the Event of Disasters, 1970  
 WCO: Convention on Temporary Admission, 1990  
 WCO: Annex B.3 of International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of 
Customs Procedures, 1999  
 WCO/United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Model Agreement 
between the United Nations and a State  
 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Guidelines for the 
domestic facilitation and regulation of international disaster relief and initial recovery 
assistance, 2007  
 Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial 
Recovery Assistance, 2013 by IFRC, OCHA, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). 
 She noted that while trade negotiators had not had disaster relief in mind when they had agreed the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), a number of features of the TFA addressed 
concerns raised by the humanitarian community, among them: publication of procedures, 
coordination in border management, applying risk based approaches, pre-arrival processing, and priority treatment of perishable goods. One feature that also made the TFA stand out was that it 
would eventually offer a binding legal framework within which international relief organizations 
could operate with greater confidence. In addition, there were significant technical assistance provisions in the TFA that would help promote best practices.   
 
Food shortages were a familiar characteristic of nearly all humanitarian crises. In 2013, the World 
Food Programme purchased 2.1 million metric tonnes of food valued at US$1.6 billion from 
91 different countries. Trade policies driving up the cost of food had negative effects for 
humanitarian actors. World Bank research also highlighted that trade in agricultural products had 
higher costs that trade in other commodities. To lower costs, she suggested that full implementation of the TFA, in particular the provisions on perishable products, held considerable 
promise. Striking an appropriate balance on stan dards between legitimate objectives (food safety 
and quality) and the pressing needs of disaster-a ffected populations was important too. And here 
Ms Jackson noted that genetically modified food had caused issues among the regulatory agencies 
of some recipient countries. Restrictions related to BSE had stopped ready-to-eat meals supplied 
by the UK in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina from being distributed. She further highlighted export restrictions and high tariffs as creating difficulties. During the 2007 food crisis, some 26 net food exporting countries had introduced export restrictions. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Turning to access to medicine, Ms Jackson noted that many of the same issues arose with respect 
to tariffs and non-tariff measures. She highlighted cases where more than 6 months had been necessary to secure tariff exemptions on medical goods during emergencies. She also noted that the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Proper ty Agreement afforded Members some flexibility, 
notably through the Decision on TRIPs and Public Health. 
 Looking at the area of services, Ms Jackson recalled that this was an essential area as countries 
needed strong transport, logistics, ICT and telecoms services. Innovations, such as cash assistance 
using mobile money, depended on strong ICT infrastructure. While services trade liberalization was not a realistic short term option to pursue in the immediate aftermath of an emergency, it was an important objective to consider in the context of a country's disaster preparedness and risk 
management planning. 
 Concluding her introductory remarks, Ms Jackson recalled that trade had been severely impacted 
in a number of recent emergencies. Highlighting the example of Ebola, she quoted World Bank 
estimates that some US$1.6 billion had been lost in  economic growth in Sierra Leone, Liberia and 
Guinea in 2014 alone. Third countries could cushion some of the effect e.g.by taking positive 
measures to stimulate recovery through the offer of temporary trade preferences. She noted 
however that it was also the case that some countries had taken trade restrictive measures in response to crises. She concluded that trade policy was intertwined with the issue of humanitarian response and recovery and was deserv ing of further in-depth study.   
 
Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, Permanent Secret ary, Department of Commerce and Supply 
Management, Nepal , outlined the human cost (some 9,000 dead and many tens of thousands 
made homeless) and economic damage (to infras tructure, public buildings and private housing 
stock) of the earthquakes that had struck Nepal on 25 April and 12 May 2015. The earthquake had been a major set-back for Nepal's economic development and its prospects for graduation from 
Least-Developed Country classification and achiev ement of Millennium Development Goals targets. 
These points were further underlined in a short video clip of the earthquake and its destruction.  Picking up on the issues raised in Ms Jackson's presentation, Permanent Secretary Upadhaya noted 
that difficulties had been experienced in the init ial days after the earthquake with the airport in 
Kathmandu struggling to cope with the volume of assistance arriving, and the need to balance commercial and humanitarian traffic. In response , the government had brought representatives 
together of agencies responsible for clearance to st reamline processes. Initial difficulties in clearing 
humanitarian aid (notably in making use of the single window system) had been resolved and clearance was taking place in 15 to 20 minutes. The Nepalese customs service had applied 
provisions of the Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and 
Initial Recovery Assistance. This included simplification of immigration processes for aid workers, including those arriving without visas. Coordination between donors, humanitarian agencies and the government was working much better. Obstacles were also encountered in distribution of relief 
items due to disruption of the transport system and bad weather.  
 Esteban Conejos, Ambassador, Perm anent Representative to the WTO , Philippines , 
provided an overview of the destruction wrought by Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda as it was known 
in the Philippines) that struck on 6 November  2013. One of the strongest tropical typhoons 
ever-recorded, the 300km/hour winds had created a 5-metre high storm surge that killed some 
6,300 people and affected some 16 million people across the country, displacing some 4.1 million 
persons. Government priorities in the immediate aftermath of the disaster had been: (i) search 
and rescue operations; and (ii) providing food, cloth and aid to those affected. Contingency planning placed responsibility on local governments to provide these services, however, all airports 
and seaports in the affected areas had been over-whelmed by the disaster itself. 
 Discussing the role of border management in the crisis, Ambassador Conejos highlighted that 
Philippines law made specific provision for humanitarian assistance as part of the country's 
disaster contingency planning. These procedures permitted simplified customs clearance procedures and duty-free/tax-free entry for relief items. Soon after the Typhoon struck, one-stop 
shops had been established in affected areas for the entry of goods. He noted that the Philippines' 
services commitments restricted access of foreign ships from domestic shipping services. This prohibition had been suspended to allow the entry of foreign ships to Filipino waters to provide foods and supplies to the affected areas. Philippi ne diplomatic missions had standing instructions 
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  in a single day. Key to these efforts was the investment of the government in disaster 
preparedness. In any one year, some 9-10 typhoons made land-fall in the Philippines, with a further 9-10 passing through Filipino coastal waters. As such, the Philippines had a lot of experience to draw on. Ambassador Conejos argued that preparedness was critical for disaster 
response. 
 Axel Marcel Addy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry, Liberia , highlighted that when the Ebola crisis had hit, economic performance had 
already been negatively impacted by a sustained decline in Liberia's prices of key export commodities: iron ore and rubber. In Februa ry 2014, the Liberian Government had been 
examining ways to scale-up operations through actions to stimulate further investments in mining 
capacity. Unfortunately, these plans were never realised as when the Ebola crisis hit in March, an 
exodus of expatriate staff ensued, including staff from mining operations. This had had a domino effect on the economy as local businesses in Liberia serving the expatriate community closed and 
shed workers, resulting in a growing number of unemployed. What had started as a health crisis 
had quickly become an economic crisis, at the heart of which there lay a problem of perception of risk.   
 
Minister Addy explained that Liberia also had to contend with what he described as "an informal 
blockade". One early task was to secure import arrangements with key suppliers, notably of petroleum and rice. This had involved reassuring shipping lines and airlines that medical protocols 
were in place at points of entry in Monrovia. Stockpiles of rice helped considerably in alleviating 
supply-side constraints. A particularly difficult period had been faced in August 2014 with regard to rice supplies. Any ship with multiple destinations headed to Liberia had to wait in international 
w a t e r s  f o r  2 1  d a y s  s o  t h a t  i t  c o u l d  t r a v e l  t o  i t s  n e x t  d e s t i n a t i o n .  A s  a  s o l u t i o n ,  L i b e r i a  h a d  
negotiated for a direct delivery of rice Liberia so as to facilitate delivery of food items. He noted 
that NGOs had faced a range of issues securing staff and resources to respond to the emergency. 
The leadership shown by President Obama, first writing to the international community about the 
global nature of the Ebola crisis and then deployin g the logistical capacity of the US military, had 
made a decisive difference. The military response had cut through red tape, as had weekly meetings by President Johnson Sirleaf with key stakeholders.   
 
Economically, Ebola had had a devastating impact on  the Liberian economy. Shortly after the virus 
was discovered, immediate revenue losses of over  US$100 million had put pressure on all areas of 
government and procurement of essential services. The Government was still working with mining 
investors, but also trying to solve the problem with high unemployment that also impacted on agricultural production. Minister Addy identified "stigma" as a big barrier to recovery. Media 
attention had proven useful in rallying international attention, but had also been negative in 
perpetuating a negative image of Liberia. As su ch, one of the key challenges for his country was 
how to rebrand his country and rid itself of the "Ebola stigma".   
Elise Baudot, Head of Policy, Strategy, Know ledge, International Federation of the Red 
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC),  complimented the World Bank on its summary of 
the technical problems faced by humanitarian agencies. Introducing the work of the IFRC, she 
noted that its global operations spanned responses to high profile humanitarian emergencies such 
as those in Nepal, and much smaller events that did not make headlines. The problems that Ms Jackson had elaborated were faced across all their operations. Ms Baudot highlighted that the 
"humanitarian sector" was changing, with more and diverse actors becoming involved - private 
sector, not-for-profit organizations, humanitarian agencies, UN agencies and other international development agencies.  She quoted the example of  the earthquake in Haiti where many thousands 
of NGOs had become involved in disaster response . One question this raised was whether or not all 
actors should be treated equally for customs purposes.   
 Disasters struck all countries, developed and deve loping alike, and trade barriers were not the 
single preserve of developing countries. She high lighted difficulties experienced in Japan and the 
US to underline her argument. Projections suggested many large scale disasters occurring in future, notably linked to climate change. In addition to physical limitations on the ability of 
countries to clear humanitarian goods, issues also arose with the wrong type of goods being 
provided by humanitarian agencies. The provision of  unsuitable goods often led to blockages, with 
other appropriate relief items held up as a result due to increased inspection of import consignments.   
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Law and policy were key determinants in Ms Baudot's view, from the perspective of inappropriate 
or burdensome requirements or changing le gal frameworks. One common experience was an 
open-door policy at the start of a crisis and then  barriers progressively being erected two or three 
months thereafter. Keeping track of a changing policy environment was time-consuming. Rules 
often depended on the nature of the humanitarian organization. International organizations 
enjoyed privileges and immunities that were no t available to other members of the humanitarian 
community. Rules differed by country, by actor and were subject to continual change. Against this 
background, she praised the Philippines for the "One-Stop Shop" approach to guide humanitarian 
actors.   
 Frank Clary, Director of Corpor ate Social Responsibility, Agility , outlined his company's 
operations with over 400 offices in 100 countries, most of which were in emerging markets – 
where Agility also had its roots. Agility became involved in humanitarian operations through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme through donations and as a commercial logistics 
provider. Through its CSR programme, Agility had a bilateral relationship with International 
Medical Corps and multilateral relationship with UPS, Maersk, the World Food Programme and the UN Global Logistics Cluster. Through these rela tionships, Agility was able to send logistics 
specialists, donate trucks, warehouses and other services alongside commercial partners at UPS 
and Maersk. In the past seven years, Agility had responded to some 25 disasters.   Moving to operational lessons learnt, he highlighted that trade relationships were vital for disaster 
response and reconstruction. In all of the disasters in which Agility had been involved, the customs 
authorities had been overstretched, under-res ourced and were "managing by exemption". 
Exemptions were necessary to permit the entry of goods, people and services. Mr Clary indicated 
that this had an important opportunity cost as staff had to be tasked to authorise and manage the 
customs exemptions, instead of providing support for the crisis itself. It also raised costs for humanitarian agencies as they had to send more people to deal with logistics issues. 
Consignments were held up in transit and humanitarian agencies, forcing agencies to carry higher 
inventory with negative cost and delivery consequences. Reducing trade complexity would have an immediate impact on disaster response. It would also reduce opportunities for corruption in his view.  
 
Mr Clary noted that where free and open trade existe d, Agility had not been called upon to respond 
since local capacity tended to be in place. One po int that he highlighted was that in the immediate 
aftermath of a crisis, a lot of good will existed both within government and the business 
community. Six to 12 months later, customs regulati ons tended to be back in place and good will 
was in short supply – a dangerous precedent where disasters were still on-going. He suggested 
that there was merit in continuing with reduced cu stoms checks even after the end of disasters.   
 Comments from the floor focused on the need for coordination in disaster response. Citing the example of Nepal, it was noted that the government had been criticised for taking a holistic, rather 
than a piecemeal approach. The speaker suggested that if humanitarian actors were able to 
distribute what they wanted and where they wa nted, there would be important gaps in relief 
provision. Turning to the question of recovery he picked up on the point of perception, noting that 
the earthquake had not affected most of the country's tourist infrastructure, but that tourists were 
being put off making trips by the negative coverage of Nepal. A comment from the Netherlands Mission highlighted the importance of the side ev ent and linking humanitarian aid with trade. She 
made reference to the Revised Kyoto convention's provisions on relief consignments and regretted 
that this had not been picked up in the fina l text of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.   
 UNECE highlighted its work on trade facilitation and the environment, notably the cross-border 
management of industrial accidents, asking the panel how to integrate risk management 
approaches into disaster management. The Commonwealth Secretariat picked up on the point of the role of trade in reconstruction and developmen t in the post-crisis phase and asked the Panel to 
comment on the mechanisms available to help countries in the recovery phase. In this context, 
she made reference to the trade preferences that had been accorded to Pakistan in the wake of floods in 2010. 
 
In her closing remarks, Elise Baudot (IFRC) , noted that a balance had to be struck with the 
affected sovereign state. IFRC guidelines for the domestic facilitation and regulation of international disaster relief and initial recovery assistance, adopted in 2007, were useful in this 
regard and to date 19 governments had updated their laws to integrate its provisions into their WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  national legal systems. She also noted that there was a greater focus on cash as an alternative to 
the delivery of goods by humanitarian actors. Pickin g up a question on the innovative use of ICT 
and telecoms, she suggested that mobile phone texting, social media and new apps had the potential to make humanitarian agencies more accountable to the disaster-affected communities 
they were seeking to serve. Ms Baudot also highlighted the need for collaboration between 
agencies in their delivery systems.   
Ambassador Conejos (Philippines) , noted that the TFA had been negotiated over a period of 
nine years. He recalled that a proposal to integrate a provision on relief consignments was examined in late November 2013, just at the time that negotiations had reached a critical juncture and at which there were still some 200 square brackets under consideration. As such the proposal 
had been put to one side by negotiators as they focused on reaching agreement on existing textual 
proposals. Although he doubted it would be possible to introduce this provision once the TFA was in force, he underscored that the implementa tion of the TFA would provide an enabling 
environment to allow Members to respond more quickly to future crises.  
 Minister Addy (Liberia) , recommended much greater use of local vendors in providing 
humanitarian response, quoting the example of rice which was held in the country, but then which 
had to compete against rice supplied as food aid by donor governments. He suggested that there was resistance to the use of local service provider s often on the pretext that they were unable to 
meet the standards of the humanitarian agencies or  unable to deliver on time. Humanitarian goods 
were also being sold on by beneficiaries, in some cases undercutting local suppliers of the same or 
equivalent goods. He suggested that some of th e relief provided could have been better used, for 
example, to upgrade the hospit al facilities in Monrovia.   
 
Naindra Prasad Upadhaya (Nepal) , concluded that coordination between different agencies was 
essential to ensure that aid got to the right people. In this context, he also highlighted the 
importance of quality infrastructure and respecting the Kyoto convention provisions for prompt 
release of humanitarian items.    Frank Clary (Agility) , suggested that one key step that countries could take to stimulate 
recovery would be to remove trade barriers, no t just temporarily during an emergency relief 
situation but on a permanent basis. Where trade was freer, there was less need for international 
intervention and more effective responses. He suggested that trade barriers could themselves 
create disasters.  In this context, he pleaded for the timely and effective implementation of the 
WTO trade facilitation agreement.  
Selina Jackson (World Bank Group) , closed by thanking the IFRC and the World Trade 
Organization for their collaboration on the session. She recalled that a draft report was available for peer review and stated that a follow-up workshop would be organized in the Fall.   
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 2: Mombasa: One Port, 200 Million People  
Organized by: 
 
TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) 
 
Permanent Mission of Denmark to the WTO, 
Geneva 
 
Panel : 
 Amina Mohamed, Ambassador, Cabinet 
Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
International Trade, Kenya 
 Desmond Swayne, Minister of State at the 
Department for International Development, 
United Kingdom 
 Frank Matsaert, Chief Executive Officer, 
TMEA 
 Gilbert Langat, Chief Executive Officer, 
Shippers Council for East Africa 
 Gichiri Ndua, Managing Director, Kenya 
Ports Authority 
 David Kennedy, Director for Economic 
Development, Department for International 
Development 
 Steve Felder, Managing Director for East 
Africa, Maersk 
 
 The port of Mombasa is the busiest container 
terminal in East Africa serving as a gateway to 
East Africa, where the Northern Corridor links 
the 230 million people from Kenya, Tanzania, 
Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and 
the Democratic Republic of Congo to the world.  
 
Funded by Belgium, Ca nada, Denmark, Sweden, 
Finland, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and 
the United States, TradeMark East Africa has 
been an innovative Aid-for-Trade vehicle for 
delivering support to the East African 
Community (EAC) to achieve their long held 
goals of regional integration and translate the 
political will of the member states into concrete 
results for improving trade facilitation. 
 
Driven by the leadership of the EAC and 
member states, initiatives along the Northern 
Corridor and to upgrade the Port of Mombasa 
are helping reduce trade costs and delivery 
times, not just at the port, but for small- and 
medium-sized firms along the Corridor. This 
side event explored how innovative Aid for 
Trade was being used to support political drive 
from East African countries and leverage private 
investment for the benefit of the region as a 
whole. 
 
Presentation  
Amina Mohamed, Ambassador, Cabinet Secret ary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
International Trade, Kenya , thanked TradeMark East Africa and the Danish Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs for the opportunity to give the keynot e speech and join the panel for the event. The 
Government of Kenya was committed and closely involved in the development of the Northern 
Corridor, in terms of trade facilitation, infrastructure development and reforms taking place at Mombasa Port. As one of the busiest ports along th e African coastline, the Port of Mombasa serves 
as a gateway to East and Central Africa. The route is critical to growth of the economies and 
livelihoods in the region, and important for the global competitiveness of the entire East and Central Africa region. Until very recently the Port faced major challenges: the container terminal was heavily congested leading to slow processing time, there were numerous checkpoints at 
weigh-bridges, and general poor level of services. 
 Reforms were made with the overall objective of improving port operations: modernisation of port 
services, professional training for dock workers, upgrading capacity of the Port of Mombasa to 
allow larger vessels, development of public-private partnerships for the development of the Port's infrastructure, benchmarking against international services. There has been a high level of political 
involvement and commitment to the rehabilitation of the Port and investment along the Northern 
Corridor at the level of EAC Heads of State. The reforms had significantly increased efficiency and capacity at the port, which now operated 24/7.  One significant change had been improved 
coordination between Port agencies. As a result of these and other reforms along the Northern 
Corridor transit time from Mombasa to Malaba had been dramatically reduced – by 50% over the 
last 1½ years.   
Further reform was required. She noted that th e Kenyan government was developing another 
commercial port and opening up a new transit corridor to the inland. They are also creating a free trade zone at the coast, with facilities for ware housing, light industry and processing, able to 
contain 10,000 business units. Further infrastructural investment at the Port of Mombasa and 
along the corridor required massive capital inputs, and this is particularly where the assistance of development partners and the private sector wa s needed. The Port of Mombasa was only one WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  aspect of Northern Corridor development. EAC member states, supported by donors, were also 
investing in improved energy provision, an oil pipeline, facilitation of intra-regional travel and cross-border trade, adoption of an East African tourist visa, and a single area network for mobile phones. 
 
Cabinet Secretary Mohamed stressed that the positive changes could not have been achieved without the support of development partners, and pa rticularly TradeMark East Africa as one of its 
major partners. TMEA had convinced policymakers in the EAC that trade facilitation was vital to 
increasing the competitiveness of the region as a whole. The Kenyan Government looked forward 
to its continued partnership with TMEA.  
Desmond Swayne, Minister of State, Depa rtment for International Development, 
United Kingdom , stressed the importance of the Port of Mombasa for jobs, livelihoods and the 
development of skills for the people living there. 
 
Frank Matsaert, Chief Executive Officer, TradeMark East Africa , highlighted that the  port of 
Mombasa was the busiest container terminal in East Africa, processing nearly 25 million tonnes of 
cargo in 2014 – a figure which was expected to increase 400% by 2030. The cargo mostly 
travelled inland by road, putting roads under a lot of strain. TMEA supported a number of initiatives to achieve its strategic objectives of increased physical access to markets, enhanced trade environment and improved business competit iveness and the related outcomes of increased 
trade and ultimately, poverty eradication in the EAC region. In order to increase trade 
competiveness for the region, TMEA was working on corridors, ports, borders and railways.  
 
The Northern Corridor was a long corridor, servic ing South Sudan and the Democrataic Republic of 
Congo in addition to the EAC states. It served as a gateway to a consumer base of 200 million people. Mombasa Port handled 30% of transit cargo and had experienced an 11.5% growth in 
cargo handled between 2013 and 2014. A number of issues were crippling efficiency at the 
Port: general under performance at the ship-to-shor e interface; increased growth and increase in 
average ship size; capacity for container storage; port access challenges within Mombasa city complicated by poor urban planning within port environs; slow clearing and  forwarding 
arrangements.   
 A joint programme by TradeMark East Africa and the Kenya Ports Authority was designed to 
increase capacity (especially in container trade) and improve efficiency. The programme had 
received US$94 million funding from the United Kingdom. Activities implemented include repaving of yard 5 to increase container handling capacity; widening gates and access roads to the Port; 
Port Reitz road expansion – important for the new container terminal; review of the Kenya Port 
Authority Act & New Port Regulations; technical support for upgrading, strengthening, deepening 
and straightening berths 1-10, 11-14; benchmarking and raising productivity; developing a green port policy. These investments were supported by improvements in technology, including a new 
customs system and single window that would help reduce transaction costs and streamline 
processes.   
TMEA was also supporting improvements in logistics efficiency through its Logistics Innovation for 
Trade (LIFT) challenge fund. Increasing both capa city and efficiency was important – the more you 
are able to raise productivity, the less capacity  you need to increase. Hence with increased 
efficiency the amount of capital investment required was reduced. 
 The Mombasa Port Reform Charter brought togeth er all 25 public and private agencies and was 
underpinned by a political commitment right from the top to see Mombasa Port, and the wider 
region, prosper. The EAC Single Customs Territory and the Northern Corridor Initiative had further 
supported regional progress on reducing trade costs. So far the results had been encouraging: dwell and transit times had both come down. Transit time between Mombasa and 
Kampala had been reduced from 18 days to 4-6 days. These improvements would drive 
investment and jobs in East Africa.  
Gilbert Langat, Chief Executive Office r, Shippers Council for East Africa , noted that other 
issues, that had nothing to do with the port, affected prices and therefore consumers, namely the continued use of road infrastructure for cargo to travel from the port inland. Currently some 95-96% of road capacity was already used. Connecting the port to a rail network was vital to 
further improvements at the port and along the Northern Corridor, particularly in terms of the WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  ability to transport more cargo. With a growth rate of 11% for cargo being processed through the 
port thee was a need for further capacity in terms of ability to transport cargo inland.  He suggested that Mombasa port needed to be cons idered not just as a "stand alone" institution, 
but also as a community, including the corridor that served the port. The East African Shippers 
Council measured losses in waiting time for traffic, with the average waiting time currently around four hours. There was a need for the public and private sector to collaborate to increase port 
efficiency and utilize the services there. The Shi ppers Council conducted audits of service providers 
– freight forwarders, shippers – ensuring that  they understand how they could improve their 
services. On the basis of this, investing in service providers in terms of professionalization of their service was very important. The East African Shippers Council also carried out a logistics 
performance survey along the entire corridor:  identifying where issues were and what 
improvements were necessary, both in terms of policy and administration.  
David Kennedy, Director for Economic Development, Department for International 
Development (DFID), United Kingdom , opined that  economic growth for developing countries 
was about taking advantage of opportunities in supply chains, agriculture and manufacturing. 
These stories were all about regional and international trade. DFID was currently conducting an 
inclusive growth diagnostic process, which wo uld help understand what the opportunities for 
economic growth and the blockages preventing count ries from benefiting fr om them. The analysis 
would look at both barriers to growth as well as  what could be done to address them. Barriers to 
trade often existed particularly on a regional level rather than a national level. The analysis would 
help DFID understand how it can best utilise resources to address these binding constraints to growth. 
 
Gichiri Ndua, Managing Director, Kenya Ports Authority , suggested that  productivity at the 
Port depended on a number of components: labour  and congestion within and outside the port. 
However the main issue escalating the cost of trade in East Africa was over-reliance on road 
infrastructure and very low capacity utilization of truck movement. Further reforms at the Port should concentrate on connecting it to a railway network. It was also important to create a culture change among the dock workers by exposing them  to training and to better efficiency and 
practices, particularly on how the private sector can complement the efforts of the public sector. 
The single window had been particularly important for cutting down on physical interventions from 
workers and therefore reducing the opportunities for corruption. The Port Charter had improved 
accountability – it had brought out all the responsibili ties of each agency in clear sight for society; 
people were no longer just blaming the Port Auth ority. Signing of contracts by each agency had 
ensured that they were all held accountable 
 
Steve Felder, Managing Director for East Africa, Maersk , suggested that to understand the 
cost of trading, it was important to look not just at the Port but at the entire ecosystem around Mombasa Port and further along the Northern Corrido r. The cost of shipping was overshadowed by 
the cost of inland logistics – it cost only US$2, 500 to ship a 40-foot container from Hong Kong to 
Mombasa, yet it cost around US$7,000 to truck that same container from Mombasa to Juba. The 
fact that the region was heavily import-dominant, which meant that for every three containers 
imported full, only one was exported full, created a massive cost burden for shipping lines and 
transporters, as they had to recover the full cost of the round trip in just the one direction. These costs were ultimately passed downstream to the consumer.   
 
Mombasa port enjoyed the lion's share of containerized business in the region, around 60%. Of the containerized cargo moving through Mombasa port, around 40% originated in or was destined for 
hinterland countries along the northern corridor, and another 40% of the imports ended up in the 
greater Nairobi area. As the largest use of the port and the corridor, Maersk had observed 
significant improvements in terms of cargo dwell times since the Mombasa Port Charter came into place. Cargo dwell time in the port had halved to  an average of three days, customs velocity was 
stable at two hours, and 95% of trucks were complying with weighbridge regulations. There were 
still significant improvements to be made, as wait ing time at the Port was still high and there was 
a need to streamline processes. Bottlenecks were also now shifting outside the terminal where the 
flow of empty containers was hampered by road congestion, and the inefficiency of empty depots. 
While the work done by TradeMark East Africa and the Kenya Ports Authority had been a good 
start, he suggested that there was also a need  to be ambitious. The most important game 
changers were the transformation of the existing port into a "landlord port", which has also been WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  committed to in the Charter; and the launch of the second container terminal. These commitments 
had to be followed through.  Questions and comments by the audience  
 
A participant asked David Kennedy about DFID's Africa Free Trade Initiative that was launched in 2011. Having achieved many of its original objectives, there was potential to relaunch it with a 
new set of ambitious objectives, possibly by MC 10. Mr Kennedy answered that DFID's current 
inclusive growth diagnostic process would define it s future strategies for working on trade, though 
this might not be complete in time for a launch in December.  
Participants also asked about the lessons learned from the Mombasa Port initiative for other 
Aid-for-Trade programmes. Panellists offered a number of responses: Looking at the barriers to trade along the entirety of the Northern Corridor ha d been critical to the success of rehabilitation 
of Mombasa Port; working on both hard and soft infrastructure; the importance of an instrument 
such as TradeMark East Africa which worked closely with all partners on the reform process; high-level political buy-in and local ownership by  institutions at the port and in the capitals; 
creating mechanisms such as the Charter, which monitored commitments and created 
accountability; and creating robust public-pri vate partnership frameworks in terms of the 
regulatory basis for the private sector investment.  
Conclusion 
 Reforms at Mombasa Port are vital for the development of the EAC region as a whole, and 
improvements in livelihoods for all East Africa. Critical to the success of the reforms at Mombasa 
Port has been both the political will and commitment from Heads of State together with TradeMark East Africa's unique partnership model and the investments it has made at the Port in terms of 
both capacity and efficiency, and hard and soft infrastructure, but also further along the Northern 
Corridor. The close linkage between the govern ments' willingness to undertake reforms and 
TMEA's approach as a partner, supporting the refo rm process, rather than simply a mechanism for 
disbursing funds, have been important factors that contributed to the impressive results achieved. 
The rehabilitation of the Port of Mombasa along with other investments on the Northern Corridor 
are an excellent model that has important lessons for other African ports. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 3: Joining Forces to Reduce Tr ade Costs for Inclusive Sustainable Growth  
Organized by:  
 
International Trade Centre (ITC) 
 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development (OECD) 
 
World Economic Forum (WEF) 
 
Moderator : Shishir Priyadarshi, Director, 
Development Division, WTO 
 
Panel : 
 Pedro Cruz, Managing Director, SabMiller, 
Mozambique 
 Margareta Drzeniek-Hanouz, Director and 
Lead Economist in Global Competitiveness 
and Benchmarking Network, WEF 
 Marion Jansen, Chief Economist, ITC 
 Brenda Killen, Deputy-Director, 
Development Co-operation Directorate, 
OECD  
 The event focused on how the public and 
private sector could join forces to deliver 
inclusive, sustainable economic growth. 
Conclusions arising from the discussion included 
that: (i) strategic public private partnerships 
lead to beneficial outcomes for both, business 
and society; (ii) overall, Aid for Trade is going 
where it is needed the most; (iii) trade 
facilitation should focus on small- and 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which are 
essential for economic development (e.g. 
greater employers in national settings); (iv) in 
order to boost SMEs' productivity, information 
on export opportunities had to be effectively 
shared, access to financing ensured, and 
information on export/import processes and 
regulations provided by governments and other 
organizations and institutions (such as 
Chambers of Commerce); and (v) funding for 
development can be enhanced and increased if 
an effective dialogue based on mutual interests 
between governments, the private sector, and 
the development community is stimulated. 
 
 
Presentation  
Pedro Cruz, Managing Dire ctor, SABMiller, Mozambique , explained how public-private 
partnerships lead to win-win situations in which the private sector plays a role as a catalyser of inclusive economic growth. Mozambique had ac hieved a GDP growth of 7.5% in 2015 with a 
further increase in 2016. Nonetheless private consumption lags behind. This is the outcome when 
foreign direct investment increased, but it was not inclusive. Mr Cruz manages Cervejas de 
Moçambique (CDM) that produces beer from cassava roots. Cassava roots previously did not have any commercial value – they were not traded but only used to feed families. By producing a beer 
from cassava roots, CDM had created a new market, that benefitted some 7,500 farmers and that 
by the year 2018 was projected to link to the value chain some 100,000 farmers.  
Explaining how CDM had achieved such an inclusive effect, he suggested that it was first pivotal to 
set up strong commercial relationships with local producers. CDM created partnerships with local farmers, "taking the market to the fields". Second, there had to be a sound regulatory environment. Thanks to this, in fact, the consumption of illicit alcoholic beverages in the country 
had diminished, with overall health gains and – in this case – allowing CDM to increase its share in 
the market.   
Margareta Drzeniek-Hanouz, Director and Lead  Economist in Global Competitiveness and 
Benchmarking Network, World Economic Forum , looked at the Aid for Trade (AfT) Initiative 
through the WEF Trade Enabling Index (embracing 75 Aid-for-Trade beneficiary countries, four sub 
index and seven pillars). From the analysis, the countries that scored the lowest in the WEF TEI, 
received higher AfT flows. In other words, over all, Aid for Trade went towards countries that 
needed it the most – including least developed countries where AfT flows amounted to approximately 2-3% of their GDP). 
 
Ms Drzeniek-Hanouz added a couple of remarks. In her view, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, and Zimbabwe 
did not receive enough Aid for Trade. At an aggregate level, AfT flows were not correlated with 
border administration and ICT variables, but they were with regards to infrastructures. These 
differences did not allow an holistic approach – infrastructure plus border administration – that would create a virtuous cycle, reinforcing the beneficial effect  of Aid for Trade. 
 
She concluded by highlighting five elements that contributed to effective public-private partnerships: (i) high level support; (ii) a designated body tasked to institutionalize the WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  partnerships; (iii) collective vision and shared understanding; (iv) alignment for a final shared 
objective; and (v) continuous involvement in the prioritization and implementation of reforms, including management mechanisms.  
Marion Jansen, Chief Economist, International Trade Centre (ITC) , noted that SMEs faced 
more challenges in terms of levels of producti vity and capacity building, especially in the 
developing world. According to ITC research, the most important challenges for SMEs were: access 
to information about export opportunities, credit availability, and access to information about 
standards and regulations. In order to assist SMEs, ITC had developed information platforms and e-learning tools about non-tariff measures (NTM) and voluntary standards. She highlighted the need to reduce NZMs through information provided by trade institutions, for example, National 
Trade Promotion Organizations or Chambers of Commerce. 
 Brenda Killen Deputy-Director,  Development Co-operation Directorate, Organisation for 
Economic Co-operation and Development , said that development funding would be enhanced 
through effective and mutual interest-oriented dialogue. She gave a road map of how to incentivise the private sector in successful Public Private Partnerships: (1) Support governments to 
improve the enabling environment. She argued that  following the Aid-for-Trade Initiative there 
could be an Aid for Investment Initiative; (2) Increase Public/Private sector dialogue; and (3) Understand the most suitable financial instruments to mitigate investment risk for the private sector. 
 
Questions and comments by the audience  
 
The Head of the Economic Division of the German Cooperation Ministry noted that Germany was 
the second largest AfT donor, with commitments totalling approximately US$3.4 billion since 2008, and said that trade facilitation was critical in achieving better results and sustainable objectives.  
 
Various participants argued for a need to go beyond official development assistance and explore new forms of cooperation. These new forms should be characterised by a higher degree of flexibility and should involve a multi-stakeholder approach.  
 
In regard to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), Marion Jansen noted that SMEs were less productive (in Germany 70% less than larger firms and in Brazil 30% less), 
and she said that these productivity differences were represented in wages and thus in living 
standards: the lower the productivity, the lower the salary. She noted that trade facilitation focused on SMEs could contribute to the mitigation  of these issues and suggested that "trade is 
going to deliver the SDGs".  
 The issue of security was raised by a participant from the Gulf Cooperation Council as a source of 
concern for the private sector wishing to engage in delivering the SDGs. 
 
Conclusion  
The side event highlighted that Aid for Trade was wo rking, and that it reac hes the right recipients. 
Secondly, the panellists went further, paving the way for a successful private sector engagement, suggesting how to make it inclusive, what are the challenges faced my SMEs and how to 
incentivise private sector engagement. If enacted, it was suggested these policies would reinforce 
the Aid-for-Trade Initiative, enhanc ing inclusive and resilient growth. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 4: Reducing Cargo Costs in Air Tr ansport – Giving the Bali TFA Deal Wings  
Organized by:  
 
International Air Transport Association (IATA)  
 
Global Express Association (GEA) 
 
Panel : 
 George Anjaparidze,  Senior Economist, 
IATA 
 Carlos Grau Tanner, Director General, GEA 
 Tom Butterly, Chief, Global Trade Solutions 
Section, United Nations Economic 
Commission for Europe  
 Gerard McLinden, Lead Trade Facilitation 
Specialist, World Bank Group  
 
 This side event opened a discussion on how air 
cargo can reduce cost of logistics and the speed 
of expediting goods across boarders in the 
context of the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
(TFA). Panellists argued that air cargo carried 
higher quality, rather than quantity, trade and 
added value to traded goods and made trade 
more efficient and predictable. The Global 
Express Association (GEA) presented its TFA 
Gap Analysis, revealing incompatibility of 
custom procedures to support faster air freight 
services and, therefore, implement provisions of 
the TFA. The International Air Transport 
Association (IATA) has shed light on how to 
improve the quality of service and management 
capacity of air cargo companies through 
optimization of expenditures and border 
controls in compliance with the TFA Agreement. 
Panellists also discussed the potential of 
attracting more technical support and 
investments from donor organisations to the air 
cargo industry. Strategic, technical and 
operational tools to increase the positive 
impacts of the TFA by strengthening air freight 
were presented and discussed from the 
perspectives of private, international and 
multilateral organizations.  
 
Presentation  
 
George Anjaparidze,  Senior Economist, International Air Transport Association (IATA) , 
introduced the session with statistics on the air transport industry and its place in trade and 
development. He pointed out that, annually, US$3 .3 billion of goods are transferred through the 
air freight, contributing 3.4% to GDP in economic activities. Mr Anjaparidze stressed that 
broadening the air cargo market would source valuable goods and materials as well as promote investment.  
 
While currently air cargo accounted for only 0.5% of global trade, the value of transported goods 
was much higher, at US$6.5 trillion per year. The moderator, thus, emphasized the role of borders 
in facilitating air logistics. He presented an ex ample of the Dell production network global which 
showed that each technical element (CD-ROM, battery, sound chips etc.) was delivered from a 
different location around the globe, creating ad ditional links between markets. Air cargo had the 
potential to strengthen this connection and add value to trade through higher speed freight 
services, higher reliability and predictability. However, IATA constantly experienced significant 
fragmentation and complexity in custom processes which slowed trade facilitation and undermined the benefits of air cargo services. Mr Anjaparidze pointed to the relevance of the Bali TFA and the 
benefits for air cargo from greater automation of transaction services, secure supply and 
transparency at borders.   Carlos Grau Tanner, Director General,  Global Express Association (GEA) , argued that 
integrated logistic chains contribute to keeping goods under safety and control. Being motivated to 
accelerate the TF Agreement, the GEA in collabor ation with the Frontier Economics organization 
had carried out research, called the TFA Gap Analysis, to collect information of custom 
compatibility, institutional arrangement and border agency cooperation in countries and regions 
around the world. The data shows that predictabi lity of custom procedures was very low and it 
undermined the premise of sophisticated logist ics system. The research had identified key 
performance indicators, such as the use of electronic certificates and declaration and automated 
risk-assessment software, in order to assess how articles of the TFA would be implemented and monitored in 140 countries around the world. Mr Tanner emphasized that the benefits of air cargo will not be derived fully until inefficiency gaps in border controls were resolved through WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. The TFA had potential to improve the 
situation at borders, as research proved that trade flows were strongly correlated with a country's border controls.  
Tom Butterly, Chief, Global Trade Soluti ons Section, United Nations Economic 
Commission for Europe , chalked out the relevance of the Trade Facilitation for the air cargo 
industry. Mr Butterly identified three categories of tools to interconnect the goals of the air cargo 
and provisions of the TFA. Those were strategic, technical and implementation tools that aimed to 
increase the flow of trade through air freight services. He also mentioned the importance of political will in ratification of the Agreement, saying that strategic road maps were to be 
developed. He further suggested that business process analysis could be used as a guide to see 
how air cargo connected with national regulatory aspects of the global value chains and specifically 
integrated logistics systems. He argues that Single Window systems were a strong tool to integrate the flow of information within the trade system. E-trade and e-customs platforms could 
help the air freight take an equal place in the total transport delivery mechanisms.  
 Gerard McLinden, Lead Trade Facilitatio n Specialist, World Bank Group (WBG) , reflected 
on the lack of information about transportation th rough the air cargo. He said that the WBG, as a 
demand-driven donor, needed to have deeper an alysis of how air freight was complementary to 
the TFA. Air cargo had a potential to speed up the trade system and offer more sourcing and investment opportunities. Donors had long neglected necessary reforms in the air cargo industry, 
and it was time to empower the industry with a higher share of development financing. 
Mr McLinden pointed to the importance of techni cal assistance, project financing, advocacy and 
border management courses to the air cargo industry. The WBG provided consultations on 
public-private partnership frameworks and he suggested it as a model to improve logistics 
performance indicators as well as border management. Also, the right sequence of services at customs as well as transportation companies would ensure the balance of time and quality of trade 
procedures. Mr McLinden mentioned Cambodia as an example of how trade facilitation had reduced 
extreme poverty by 30%. If air cargo reached ou t to developing countries and more goods were 
expedited in shorter periods of time, achievements in inclusive economic growth would multiply.   
Questions and comments by the audience  
 The panel discussion discussed in more detail how the air cargo transport would be enhanced by 
the TFA. Mr Butterly suggested that information on air cargo services should be available for 
least-developed countries as air transportation could boost their exports. There was no doubt that acceleration of expediting clearance procedures, risk-assessment measures, automation of 
services could contribute to GDP growth through mo re affordable costs of trade and higher quality 
of logistics services. Other panellists contributed to the discussion by saying that border management should not disrupt global value chains. As the TFA brought benefits across transport modes, air cargo should be included in the st rategy of implementation of the Agreement. A 
question from the audience about options of fina ncial support was answered by Mr McLinden who 
argues that there was no shortage of finance, but there should be more information on how international air lanes could benefit integration into global value chains and outreach to developing 
regions.  
 Conclusion 
 
Air cargo delivered goods at the right time, in the right place and in excellent condition. While air freight accelerated the flow of trade, it was unabl e to move goods any faster than the regulatory 
services that had control over it. All panellists agreed that exchange of information between 
agencies was extremely important. New information technologies were a driving force for border 
modernisation, which was a vital component of the TFA and the new opportunities it opened for air cargo. All panellists supported the idea of prompt ratification of the TFA and agreed upon the need 
for more predictability and reliability of trade regulations on air freight. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 5: Aid for Trade and Intra- and Inter-Regional Trade Cooperation in 
French-speaking Countries: Experiences and Perspectives Africa-Asia-West Africa  
Organized by:  
 
International Organisation of La Francophonie 
(OIF)  
 
Economic Community of Central African States 
(ECCAS) 
 
Economic Community of West African States 
(ECOWAS) 
 
West African Economic and Monetary Union 
(WAEMU) 
 
International Trade Centre (ITC)  
 
Panel:  
 Etienne Alingué, Director of Economics, 
(OIF) 
 Aïcha Pouye, Director of Support to 
Business and Institutions, ITC   
 Imamo Ben Mohammed Imamo, Senior 
Principal Administrator, ITC  
 Aziz Mahamat Saleh, Minister of Economy, 
Trade and Tourism Development of Chad 
 Alioune Sarr, Minister of Trade, Informal 
Sector, Consumer Affairs, Promotion of 
Local Products and SMEs, Senegal  
 Eloi Laourou, Ambassador, Deputy 
Permanent Representative to the United 
Nations Office in Geneva, Benin 
 
Beneficiaries:  
 Alphonsine Ngoua-Mba (Gabon) 
 Razack Ishola Kinninon (Benin) 
 Sisanouk Sisombat (Lao PDR) 
 Jaime De Melo (FERDI) 
 Hoang Duc Nhuan (Viet Nam) 
 Nguyen Thi-Chi (Forum Viet Nam-Africa) 
 Alain Basile Batongue (Groupement Inter 
Patronal of Cameroon) 
 Amadou Dieng (WAEMU) Since 2003, the International Organisation of La 
Francophine and the International Trade Centre 
have developed a project of promotion of 
intra- and inter-regional trade within the 
French-speaking world focusing on Central 
African and West African countries and 
French-speaking countries shoring the Mekong 
river.  This workshop shared experiences in 
promoting intra and interregional trade; 
assessed the results obtained by the project 
from the point of view of its beneficiaries; 
considered the prospects for OIF-ITC-WTO 
partnerships to promote interregional trade 
between Africa, Asia and Europe; and examined 
extension of the programme to other regional 
and/or interregional development partners.  
 
Etienne Alingué, Director of Economics, OIF , opened the side event setting out the 
importance what was at stake in the workshop, including the promotion of South-South and 
Tripartite cooperation as a lever for the development of economic and commercial exchanges 
among Francophone regions, towards the implementation of an economic strategy for French-speaking countries. 
 
Aïcha Pouye, Director, Support Services Division for Enterprise and Institutions, ITC , 
added that the joint program perfectly addressed two priorities common to the two organizations, 
namely the integration of women and of the integration of the young in economic cycles.  
 Imamo Ben Mohammed Imamo, Administ rator, Trade Support Strengthening 
Programme, ITC , recalled the functioning of the programme (identification of sectors with strong 
commercial potential, sectoral studies, identification of beneficiaries, buyers/sellers meetings) and consequent growth in trade due to the project. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Aziz Mahamat Saleh, Minister of Econom y, Trade and Tourism Development, Chad , and 
Alioune Sarr, Minister of Trade, Informal Se ctor, Consumer Affairs, Promotion of Local 
Products and SMEs, Senegal , welcomed the joint initiative of OIF and ITC which aimed to make 
the francophone economic area a dynamic one, thanks to a match making exercise between 
buyers and sellers from geographical areas little accustomed to trading between one another.  
 Eloi Laourou, Ambassador, Depu ty Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office 
in Geneva, Benin , and Co-Chair of the Trade and Develo pment Working Group of Francophone 
ambassadors in Geneva, said that the triangular initiative was of great importance because it helped promote the sharing of positive commercial experiences.   
Alphonsine Ngoua-Mba (Gabon)  and Razack Ishola Kinninon (Benin) , explained how they 
had met Vietnamese investors through this program which had allowed them to develop joint ventures in the fields of the wood and the cashew processing. Sisanouk Sisombat (Lao PDR) , 
and Jaime De Melo, Senior Fellow (Foundation for International Development Study and 
Research) , insisted on the fact that the French language worked as an engine for integration, 
both between francophone Africa  and between 3 French-speaking Asian countries in the Mekong 
area. 
 
Hoang Duc Nhuan (Viet Nam) , explained that trade between the economic zones targeted 
during this programme had increased significantly since the end of the 2000s, almost fivefold in 
the case of trade between Viet Nam and the ECCAS zone. He added that this program had 
overcome both geographical and psychological borders. Finally, Nguyen Thi-Chi (Forum 
Viet Nam-Africa) , Mr Alain Basile Batongue (Groupement Inter Patronal du Cameroun) 
and Mr Amadou Dieng (WAEMU) , highlighted promising trading opportunities, both for 
francophone Africa and for the Mekong region, in a phase of continuation of these exchanges. But 
they have also highlighted the challenges that remain, of which the question of infrastructure 
ranked as first. 
 
Conclusion  
Stakeholders called for further OIF–ITC partnership, putting more emphasis on country ownership 
from beneficiary countries, a commitment to joint investments and the enlargement to other 
technical and financial partners. The OIF and the ITC took note of these suggestions that would form part of ongoing actions aimed at strengthening their partnership.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 6: Getting Past Non-Tariff Measures: Reducing Costs for Business  
Organized by:  
 
International Trade Centre (ITC)  
 
Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom, 
Geneva 
 
Permanent Mission of Côte d'Ivoire, Geneva 
 
Panel : 
 Arancha González, Executive Director, ITC 
 Archana Bathnagar, Owner, Haylide 
Chemicals Green Cleaning Company, India 
 Chusak Chuenprayoth, President, 
Kamphaeng-saen Commercial & Director, 
Board of Trade of Thailand 
 Marcus Cornaro, Deputy Director-General. 
Directorate-General for International 
Cooperation and Development, EU 
Commission 
 Nazaire Gounongbe, Cabinet Director, 
M i n i s t r y  o f  T r a d e ,  R e p u b l i c  o f  t h e  
Côte d'Ivoire 
 Israhyananda Dhalladoo, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, 
Mauritius 
 Julian Braithwaite, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, United Kingdom 
 
 
 With tariff rates around the world lower than 
ever, businesses are focusing on non-tariff 
measures (NTMs) to successfully enter foreign 
markets. The rising number of NTMs largely 
reflects higher consumer expectations for 
product quality and safety. Complying with 
these measures entails business costs, which 
are especially onerous for SMEs from 
developing countries. Business experiences with 
NTMs in over 20 countries, documented in ITC 
surveys, show that there are common concerns, 
and that policy and regulatory changes can 
reduce trade costs.  Many of the problems faced 
by companies can be resolved within country 
borders by streamlining processes, enhancing 
transparency of regulations and related 
procedures and other trade facilitation 
measures. Surveys also highlight 
implementation gaps in regional agreements, as 
exporters face many regulatory and procedural 
problems in neighbouring and regional markets.  
 
Representatives from Côte d'Ivoire and 
Mauritius presented how their countries have 
used survey results to reduce the negative 
impact of NTMs on small- and medium-sized 
enterprises (SMEs). From the donor 
perspective, representatives from the European 
Commission and the United Kingdom 
highlighted the importance of reducing SME 
trade costs for job creation and poverty 
reduction.  The NTM surveys were identified as 
useful tools to link Aid for Trade for 
development assistance, for trade negotiations 
and trade policy reviews.  
 
As part of the event, ITC launched a new 
website on NTM survey results 
(www.ntmsurvey.org) and presented a new 
publication – "The Invisible Barriers to 
Trade" - that outlines the collective findings of 
the NTM business surveys.  
 
Presentation 
 
In her opening remarks, Arancha González , Executive Director, ITC , summarized the findings 
of ITC's surveys from more than 30 countries, which collected the voices of more than 
15,000 companies. More than 25% of burdensome non-tariff measures (NTMs) were applied by 
the home country of the exporter and over 70% of partner country NTMs were linked to procedural obstacles, of which the vast majority occurred at the domestic level. Furthermore, the disproportionate share of burdensome NTMs was usually applied by partner countries within 
regional trade agreements.  Small companies were also disproportionately affected by NTMs than 
larger companies  
Archana Bathnagar, Owner, Haylide Chem icals Green Cleaning Company, India,  gave 
first-hand insights into the effects of NTMs by outlining the implications of certification and labelling requirements on her business as well as import restrictions on raw materials and 
machinery. She pointed to what she described as ou tdated national standards with regard to green 
products in India. She suggested that SMEs had insufficient access to policymakers and pointed to 
the great importance of NTM surveys as a tool to make SMEs' voices heard. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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Chusak Chuenprayoth, President, Kamphaen g-saen Commercial & Director, Board of 
Trade of Thailand , emphasized the importance of NTMs applied by exporting countries, such as 
testing requirements, which were redundant if the certificates were not recognized in the importing 
partner country. He pointed to the cost of testing domestically and the lack of laboratory capacity 
to conduct testing required by partner countries . He also underlined the importance of close 
cooperation between the public and the private sectors.  
 
Marcus Cornaro, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Union (EU) , praised the work conducted by ITC and 
stressed the importance of private sector in achieving inclusive and sustainable growth in 
developing countries. Mr Cornaro stipulated that no matter the extent to which SMEs endeavour to 
increase their productivity and capabilities to trade, there are impediments which are beyond their control. Thus, countries have to address "behind"  and "at-the-border" issues, in other words NTMs, 
in order for the business operators to realize their full trade potential. He highlighted the need for 
trade transparency and for the private sector in least developed countries to acquire the capacity 
to deal with justified NTMs. The EU was addressing NTM issues in its trade agreements and with its 
development policy, and he underscored the importan ce of regional cooperation and integration in 
this regard. In addition, Mr Cornaro provided ex amples of ITC/EU work on NTMs data collection 
and business surveys.  
Nazaire Gounongbe, Cabinet Dire ctor, Ministry of Trade of the Republic, Côte d'Ivoire , 
recognized the benefits of the Aid-for-Trade (A fT) Initiative and shared the experience of 
Côte d'Ivoire in conducting the ITC survey and tackling NTMs. In particular, he explained that the 
government had set up a web-platform (trade obstacles alert mechanism), where the private 
sector could register their complaints and interact with the different institutions involved in the export process to signal problems and obtain responses.  He highlighted that a number of trade 
obstacles have already been removed thanks to this system, with many more being in the process 
of resolution.  Furthermore, a "single window" (system had been launched that allowed businesses to submit on-line forms and thus helped to reduce time required to obtain a relevant document or a licence.  
 
Israhyananda Dhalladoo, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO , Mauritius,  
presented the outcome and follow-up actions of th e ITC/NTMs survey. In particular, the results 
revealed that 31% of the companies faced NTM- related obstacles to trade. Subsequently, he 
highlighted that the Government of Mauritius had already eliminated 28 permits, and planned to abolish a further 70 permits, make automatic the annual renewal of some types of licences and 
p e r m i t s ,  a s  w e l l  a s  s e t t i n g  u p  a n  S M E s  O n e - Stop Shop and a national website for reporting 
burdensome NTMs (Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism). Ambassador Dhalladoo also mentioned that the ITC/UNCTAD collaboration had allowed Mauritius to establish the ideal platform to schedule the WTO TFA implementation factoring in business's needs. He argued that the majority of NTMs were 
applied by partner countries and called for ITC's and partner agencies' support for regional 
interventions on NTMs and related trade obstacles.  
Julian Braithwaite,  Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO , United 
Kingdom, agreed that tackling NTMs was central to fr eeing up global trade. ITC NTMs data and 
reports served as a resources to help the UK's AfT design work, and the country specific NTMs 
reports could be used to inform economic development programmes in-country or regionally. He 
concluded that the Doha Development Agenda would be an important step towards moving NTMs to a central position.   
Questions and Comments 
 In their interventions, USAID Senior Advisor and Representatives of Jamaica and the STDF, 
recognized the good work of ITC in providing support to tackle the NTMs, and mentioned the 
relevant experience of cooperation with ITC in th e respective area. Panellists also commented that 
it was important to incentive public services to work faster and to respond to the challenges 
accordingly, and stressed that while some NTMs could not be eliminated, they could be 
streamlined.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Conclusion 
 In her concluding remarks, Executive Director Go nzález highlighted the positive results of the 
NTMs surveys that had already been translated in to action on the ground and called for further 
work to tackle NTMs. In particular, she stressed that the analysis should be extended to cover 
trade in services and the data coverage should be further expanded. She also encouraged the synergies and the right incentives at home towards more coherent policies. Ms González launched 
the first version of the ITC/NTM survey website, www.ntmsurvey.org , together with a new paper 
on NTMs, entitled " The Invisible Barriers to Trade " (www.intracen.org/publications/ntm ). WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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Side event 7: Ceremony to Conf er Order of the Jaguar Award  
Organized by:   
 
Secretariat of Central American Economic 
Integration (SIECA) 
 
 The Secretary General of the Secretariat of 
Central American Economic Integration, Carmen 
Gisela Vergara, conferred the Order of the 
Jaguar on Roberto Azevêdo in his capacity as 
Director-General of the World Trade 
Organization. The Order of the Jaguar is 
awarded by SIECA to organizations, institutions 
and individuals in recognition of their role in 
supporting efforts by the Central American 
region to achieve economic integration. The 
award ceremony was followed by a cocktail 
reception.38 
 
                                               
38 For further information see: http://www.sieca.int/Portal/Pagina.aspx?PaginaId=3066&ver=1 . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 8: Brewing Development II  
Organized by:  
 
Worldwide Brewing Alliance  
 
 This high-level social event brought participants 
from the trade and development communities 
together for an information exchange with the 
Worldwide Brewing Alliance and the four major 
global brewers (SABMiller, Anheuser-Busch 
InBev, Carlsberg and Heineken) regarding 
brewers' efforts to reduce trade costs in 
developing countries through investments in 
value chains. Participants were able to sample 
beers from a range of markets, including from 
developing countries. Reports, brochures, and 
videos demonstrating brewers' investments in 
value chains, and in emerging economies in 
particular, were made available to showcase the 
positive contribution of the brewing industry to 
economic development. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 9: Business Unusual Post- 2015: Ne w Donor Directions in Combining Aid and 
Trade for Farmers  
Organized by:  
 
Global Donor Platform for Rural Development 
 
Panel: 
 Marcel Vernooij, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Netherlands 
 Gordana Delic-Radovic, Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, Canada 
 James Baxter, Minister Counsellor and 
Deputy Permanent Representative to the 
WTO, Australia 
 Tekreth Kamrang, Secretary of State, 
Ministry of Commerce, Republic of 
Cambodia 
 Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative of the Republic 
of Uganda to the United Nations Office and 
other International Organization in Geneva 
 Luisa Volpe, Policy Officer, World Farmers' 
Organization  
 
 
 Donors are increasingly integrating their trade 
and development agendas to achieve 
sustainable policies by placing trade as the core 
engine of economic growth in partner countries. 
The specific case of agricultural trade was 
important for the post 2015 process given the 
dominance of agriculture for trade, food 
security and poverty alleviation in many 
developing nations. The bridging of aid, trade 
and investments by donors is relatively new 
territory and this Global Platform event allowed 
partner countries and farmer organisations an 
opportunity to respond to this new trend by 
donors, based on their own development 
requirements in Asia, Africa as well as 
requirement specific to farmers. 
 
The question of how new donor policies will 
enhance farmers access to markets as well as 
reduce trade costs and boost agricultural 
productivity was central to the entire discussion 
for both donors and partners. Through the 
discussion, it became clear that for partner 
countries and farmers, having a strong focus on 
trade facilitation with high priority on 
infrastructure to connect farmers to markets 
and add value to products is of special 
relevance. Moreover removing trade barriers, 
both tariff and non-tariff, was essential to 
reducing the cost of trade and levelling the 
competition field. 
 
Presentation 
 
Marcel Vernooij, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands , opened the debate by explaining 
that the Netherlands had adopted a new policy in regard to Aid for Trade (AfT). This policy 
combined aid, trade and investment under the heading of inclusive economic development. In 
spite of its size, the Netherlands accounted for 3% of world trade and was the 2nd ranked 
agricultural exporter in the world; a critical player in trade and aid. Mr Vernooij explained that the Dutch focus on inclusive economic development was due to four reasons: it enhanced global value 
chains; it took account of an upcoming middle class with tremendous purchasing power in 
developing countries; it changed the conception of developing countries as aid recipients, "the poor"; it considered developing countries as economic partners of tremendous importance in which 
farmers were treated as business partners. Following this policy, the Netherlands had recently sent 
a Trade Mission to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone with the task of supporting these countries during through the Ebola crisis, and recovery su pport. Finally, Mr Vernooij commented on the 
creation of a Dutch Group of Experts in cooperation with the World Bank for agricultural logistics.  
 Gordana Delic-Radovic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canada , briefed the audience on how 
Canada was supporting developing countries. Since June 2013, the Department of Foreign Affairs 
had been restructured, with foreign affairs and international development now under the same 
Ministry. This strategy had been chosen for several reasons: greater policy coherence and coordination, more insightful exploration of the links between trade and de velopment and creation 
of broader policies (through e.g. cross training for staff, free trade and investment negotiations 
and implementation in order to become "better partners").  
James Baxter, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO, Australia, 
observed that Australia had also amalgamated Foreign Affairs and Development. As a highly WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  competitive agricultural producer, Australia was a key player in development and had provided 
technical assistance to developing and Least-Developed Countries focusing on increasing agricultural productivity to reduce poverty and enhance food security. Furthermore, Mr Baxter 
pointed out that agriculture inequalities were caused by trade distorting agricultural subsidies and 
called upon WTO Members to finalize the Doha Round, putting agriculture at the centre of 
discussions, with ambition. He concluded by stressing the need for policies that enable trade to bring global development.  
 
Tekreth Kamrang, Secretary of State, Mini stry of Commerce, Republic of Cambodia , 
briefed the audience on the "success story" of the Cambodian's rice sector. The Secretary of State started by stressing the importance of agricultur e for Cambodia, accounting for 71% of their GDP. 
Thanks to taking advantage of AfT projects, Cambodia's rice sector had grown tremendously, 
production facilities had been updated and management made more efficient. Nonetheless, he noted that the rice sector faced several challe nges: competition against neighbouring countries, 
improvement of export and storage capacity, and reduction of transportation costs.  
 Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Ambassador, Perm anent Representative of the Republic of 
Uganda to the United Nations Office and other International Organization in Geneva , 
stressed the role of development as a process lead ing to sustainable improvement in the quality of 
living of rural people, the poorest in Africa. The Ambassador explained that Uganda had used 
donor help to increase the quality of life of farmers. Such improvement had been possible through 
the implementation from 2007 to 2013 of a strate gic project in collaboration with the African 
Development Bank and the International Fund for Agriculture Development to increase farm productivity of Uganda, review gaps in infras tructure for agro-processing, access markets and 
manage natural resources, including strategies for value addition.  
 Luisa Volpe, Policy Officer, Worl d Farmers' Organization (WFO) , explained that the 
mandate of the WFO was to raise the voice of farmers in decision-making processes and called 
u p o n  g o v e r n m e n t s  t o  t a k e  a d v a n t a g e  o f  f a r m e r s '  k n o w - h o w  a n d  b e  i n c l u s i v e  w h e n  i t  c a m e  t o  policy planning and legislative acts.   
Conclusion 
 The dialogue concluded that in going forward with post-2015 objectives, donors' engagement with 
regard to trade promotion, value-chain development had to hinge on trade facilitation and socially 
responsible involvement of the private sector whic h emerged as the main requirements of partner 
countries and farmers. Small investments both direct ly to farmers, as in the case of Uganda, but 
also those that leveraged private sector involvement for private-public partnerships were both 
useful for farmer liquidity and for the success of small- and medium-sized enterprises.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 10: Public-Private Dialogue in Tr ade Facilitation: How to  Foster Debate in 
National Trade Facilitation Committees and Keep this Debate Alive and Kicking  
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of the Netherlands, Geneva 
 
Panel: 
 Frank Heijmann, Head of Trade Relations, 
Customs Administration,  Netherlands 
 Yao-Hua Tan, Professor, Delft University of 
Technology 
 Albert Veenstra, Professor, Eindhoven 
University of Technology and Scientific 
Director, Dutch Institute for Advanced 
Logistics 
 Dennis Heijnen, International Trade Policy 
Advisor, EVO (Netherlands Industry 
Organization for Advances Logistics) 
 Bram van Helvoirt, Programme Manager 
Market Intelligence, Centre for the 
Promotion of Imports for Developing 
Countries 
 
 
 
 The side event discussed the Netherlands 
approach to trade facilitation consultations, 
which centres on a simple ABC: Academia, 
Business and Customs. The close cooperation 
between these parties provides a mutually 
beneficial basis for trade facilitation reforms and 
has laid the groundwork for a successful trade 
facilitation approach that was translated into a 
top ranking in international logistic and trade 
facilitation rankings. The side event discussed 
three areas of collaboration in this ABC 
approach: 
 National Trade Facilitation Committees  
 Research and Innovation 
 Education and Training 
 
The side event showed that this trade 
facilitation community, by creating a common 
language, a common mind-set and a mutual 
understanding and partnership between 
different parties in the supply chain, delivered 
real benefits for all parties concerned by 
lowering trade costs and increasing compliance.  
In the Netherlands this has resulted in an 
international unique master program on 
Customs and Trade Facilitation in which all 
representatives of the Trade Facilitation ABC 
participate.  
 
Presentation 
 
Frank Heijmann, Head of Trade Relations,  Customs Administration, Netherlands , 
explained that mutual trust and understanding were essential for customs to optimize the point in 
the supply chain that minimized the level of interference in this chain. The optimal point of 
interference (in case of an inspection) depended  on the particularities of the supply chain and 
required information of that chain. 
 
Yao-Hua Tan, Professor, Delft University of Technology , recommended that customs re-use 
company internal control data for government inspection purposes. The party that packed the container had all the information that was required by Customs. Access to this information would 
prevent unnecessary and ill-timed interruptions in the supply chain. 
 Albert Veenstra, Professor, Eind hoven University of Technolo gy and Scientific Director, 
Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics , remarked that confidentiality of data often was only an 
issue in data-exchange between governments. Businesses had a big incentive to provide data in order to minimize any delay. Data was available and under the right circumstances could be 
shared.  
 Dennis Heijnen, International Trade Polic y Advisor, EVO (Netherlands Industry 
Organization for Advances Logistics) , explained why it was important for business, academia 
and customs to jointly develop training and education for customs professionals (whether 
employed in administration, business or academ ia). It provided a common basis and a shared 
mind-set that facilitated cooperation and trade facilitation. He also explained that it was necessary 
to create training and education at different levels so that there was a good mixture of customs 
knowledge throughout the customs profession.  
 
Bram van Helvoirt, Programme Manager Market  Intelligence,Centre for the Promotion of 
Imports for Developing Countries (CBI) , explained that CBI aimed to enhance the trade 
compliance of SME exporters in developing countries, so they could successfully integrate into WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  global value chains. This entailed building their capacity to be compliant with the broad set of 
requirements and procedures that went with international trade: quality control, testing and sampling, packaging and labelling, legal regulations such as SPS and product safety, traceability, etc. Compliance with a private standard often implied a strong emphasis on collecting and 
monitoring product(ion) information, which coul d help SMEs to become more trade-compliant. 
 Questions and comments 
 
The representative of the World Customs Organi zation (WCO) remarked that the approach to 
Academic Business and Customs partnership was what WCO called co-creation, which was a more advanced form of cooperation than consultation or communication between customs and business. 
She asked how long it took to establish such close cooperation. Frank Heijmann replied that the 
more advanced forms of cooperation had taken some 10-15 years to achieve. Regular consultation between customs and business started in the early 1990s. 
 
A representative of the Standards and Trade Deve lopment Facility highlighted the need for trade 
facilitation in the area of SPS and asked about the Netherlands experience with interagency 
cooperation between customs and the SPS-agency. A participant from Madagascar enquired about 
the entry requirements of the Executive Master for Customs and Supply Chain Compliance  
(developed in cooperation between Academia , Business and Customs) and asked about the 
accessibility of the programme for participants from LDCs. The reply given was that the Master 
was aimed at a specific group, with prior education or experience in the field. The programme was 
developed for online e-learning, so that the phys ical presence was minimized to only one week 
every 6-8 weeks. The Master was currently explor ing the availability of offering grants to 
participants from LDCs for the next cycle.   
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 11: WTO Chairs Programme   
Organized by:  World Trade Organization 
(WTO)  
 
Opening remarks:  
 Xiaozhun Yi, Deputy Director General, WTO 
 Bridget Chilala, Director of the Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation, WTO 
 
Session I 
 
Chair: Robert Koopman, Chief Economist and 
Director of the Economic Research and 
Statistics Division, WTO 
 
Discussants: 
 Carlos Primo Braga, Professor of 
International Political Economy (IMD) and 
Director of the Evian Group  
 Desiree Van Gorp, Professor for the 
International Business and Diplomacy, 
Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Netherlands  
 
Session II 
 
Chair:  Roderick Van Schreven, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations 
Office and other International Organizations in 
Geneva, Netherlands 
 
Discussants: 
 Nassim Oulmane, Senior Economist, United 
Nations Economic Commission for Africa, 
North Africa Office  
 Frederick Matwanga, Permanent Mission of 
Kenya, Geneva (on behalf of Ambassador 
Karau) 
 
Concluding remarks: 
 Yonov Frederick Agah, Deputy 
Director-General, WTO This side event, organized by the WTO Institute 
for Training and Technical Cooperation and the 
Economic Research and Statistics Division, 
featured findings from research conducted by 
WTO Chair holders. The participation of the 
WTO Chairs increased the familiarity of the WTO 
Chairs with the Aid-for-Trade process and 
facilitated interactions between policymakers 
and academics. Papers presented focused on 
questions related to trade facilitation, the UN's 
Post-2015 Development Agenda, reduction of 
trade cost as well as inclusive and sustainable 
development, challenges to move up the global 
and regional value chain, monitoring and 
evaluation of Aid-for-Trade packages, private 
sector development, infrastructure 
development, regional trade integration, and 
the role of the WTO and policymakers in 
facilitating this process.   
 
The main purpose of the event was to 
familiarize the WTO Chairs with Aid for Trade 
and trade facilitation process and at the same 
time facilitate interaction between the policy 
makers and the academics.   
 
The side event featured presentations of the 
selected research works by the WTO Chair 
holders. 
 
 
Presentation 
 The event began with welcome remarks from Xiaozhun Yi, Deputy Director-General, WTO,  
and Bridget Chilala, Director of the Institut e for Training and Technical Cooperation , 
WTO . Deputy Director-General Yi indicated that reducing trade costs was pro-development and 
why, in particular trade facilitation reform, it was a crucial ingredient in this effort. He recalled the 
importance of trade facilitation, and in particular  the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA),  
for developing countries. Finally, he expressed his desire that the contributions by the Chairs would be published as a book.  
Session I 
 WTO Chair for Brazil:  The research paper by Vera Thorstensen, Lucas Ferraz, Thiago Nogueira 
and Belisa Eleoterio on "the Trade Facilitation Agreement and its Impacts on the Brazilian 
Transformation Industry" covered the increasing rele vance of time, existing empirical literature on 
the benefits of trade facilitation and the "Single Po rtal of Foreign Trade (Programa Portal Unico de 
Comercio Exterior), an internet based system aimed to unify and simplify all systems of the 
governmental agencies involved in the processes of exportation and importation in the country. Lucas Ferraz stated that the aim of the Portal Un ico is to reduce average time of exports from WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  13 to 8 days and average time of imports from 17 to 10 days. Using empirical estimations, the 
estimated cost benefits for the Brazilian international traders from the reduction in customs delays are estimated to be US$22.8 billion for 2017 (in 2013 US dollars) and US$33.4 billion in 2030. It was believed that the Portal Unico programme is likely to unlock the potentials of Brazilian 
economy and contribute meaningfully to transfor mation of domestic industry, growth of trade 
flows and investments and increased GDP. Further, empirical analysis suggested that the reduction 
of transaction costs may have positive effects not only for Brazil but also for many other WTO 
members. 
 WTO Chair for Russia . The research paper by Sergei F. Suty rin, Olga Y. Trofimenko and Tatiana 
M. Isachenko of Saint Petersburg State University  was on "Possible Trade Facilitating and Regional 
Value Chains Promoting Effects of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)". The paper assessed 
recent developments in the newly founded EAEU which came into effect on 1 January 2015 joining Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Focu s of the paper was on harmonization of trade 
policy, trade and investment developments and how the TFA had potential to impact on trade in 
the region. The study identified key challenges th at increased trade costs in the EAEU namely: low 
level of logistics infrastructure, undiversified export structure, unfriendly business environment 
and presence of a wide range of non-tariff barriers, including technical barriers to trade and 
certification requirements. The estimated cost of barriers to trade in the region was found to be 
between 15-25% of export values. The paper high lighted the potential and interest of EAEU 
members to take advantage of the TFA to boos t regional and international trade including 
participation in regional and global value chains. It is expected that trade facilitation could help the 
countries improve their Logistics Performance Index scores and could also mitigate negative effects of external shocks and "Dutch disease" in the region by increasing competitiveness of 
goods, attracting investment and enhancing structural transformation.  
 WTO Chair for Tunisia . The research paper by Leila Baghdadi of Tunis Business School, 
University of Tunis and Inma Martínez-Zarzoso  and Hendrik W. Kruse of the University of 
Göttingen was on "Trade Policy Without Trade Facilitation: Lessons From Tariff Pass-Through in Tunisia". The paper examined the extent to which changes in tariffs, international prices and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) were transmitted into consumer prices in Tunisia over the period 2000 to 
2008. This was against the background of relatively  high tariffs and NTBs in Tunisia and higher 
levels of prices controls such that distributional effects of tariff adjustments or other trade policies had been rather difficult to measure. The study estimated a pass-through equation using sectoral 
data at retail price level controlling for unobserved sectoral heterogeneity. The findings were that 
tariff changes had average partial transmission or pass-through effect of 10% on retail prices which is significantly lower than found in other developing countries studies. The pass-through 
effect for agriculture was found to  be 8%, for manufacturing (7%) and negative effect on services. 
The results imply that retail prices were not expected to fall or adjust in tandem with tariff reduction, implying that consumers were not bene fitting from trade liberalization due to market 
distortions, price controls, subsidies, and barri ers to entry. The study suggested that trade 
facilitation measures including improving on the business environment could enhance the impact 
of pass-through effect on retail prices for the consumer  
Session II 
 WTO Chair for South Africa . Professor Wilma Viviers, North-West University in South Africa 
presented her paper on the rationalization of South Africa's exports development efforts in 
Sub-Saharan Africa by a model approach Decision Support Model (DSM). The model indicated the many difficulties facing South Africa's exports in  the regional market and the DSM provided a way 
to easily see market opportunities. The research in dicated that barriers to trade in both products 
and services have the power to erode competit iveness and retard growth and development. 
Reduced trade costs assist developing countries di versifying into more dynamic sectors. The chair 
has developed a theoretical concept which is the so called. This DSM concept permits the 
identification of "easier-to-access" markets which have fairly low barriers to entry and can be 
acted upon immediately.   
WTO Chair for Benin . Fulbert Gero Amoussouga, Professor, Abomey Calavi University, Benin 
presented the role of the grant from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), funded by the US Government in 2006 for reforms facilitation policies of commerce platform on the port of Benin and to analyze its effects on trade facilitation. The port had faced tough competition in recent years 
because of cumbersome administrative procedures, slowness four times longer than those WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  neighbouring countries. It was to address these constraints that the MCA had funded several 
"hard" and "soft" reforms. He indicated that the reforms conducted with regard to the operation of 
Cotonou's harbour had produced important positive effects in terms of trade facilitation and as a result have significantly increased the volume of trade. It has reduced the time and costs related 
to trade flows contributing to decrease the processing time for payment from five days to about 
seven minutes. He concluded by saying that the country will pursue trade facilitation reforms to ensure its competitiveness over time so that the autonomous port of Benin became a port for the 
entire region. 
 WTO Chair for Morocco . Azzedine Ghoufrane, Professor, Mohammed V University Souissi, 
Morocco presented research on Aid for trade faci litation, reduction of trade costs and improved 
trade performance of the country. Several reform s had already been undertaken even before the 
TFA, notably the implementation of a single window for harbour formalities. This had significantly facilitated the trade flows. This one-stop shop was se t up in order to help reducing the cost of port 
logistics through optimal programming stops before the arrival of ships and ensuring the transit 
and port transit through a better understanding of information goods passing through Moroccan ports.   
 
Conclusions  Yonov Frederick Agah, Depu ty Director-General, WTO , thanked the WTO Chairs for the 
excellent work that they are doing and expres sed his hope that they would continue their 
engagement and support the research and outreach  programme of the WTO. He indicated that all 
studies confirmed that the Trade Facilitation Agreem ent signed at the last Ministerial Conference of 
the WTO could generate significant gains for the world economy and especially in developing 
regions. He encouraged that the results and rese arch produced by the Chairs during this event 
should be published thus ensuring a large and wide dissemination. Finally, he also thanked the 
Kingdom of the Netherlands for supporting the WTO chairs programme. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 12: 21st Century Public Private Partnershi p – A New Model for Implementing 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of the United States, Geneva 
 
Panel: 
 Eric Postel, Associate Administrator, United 
States Agency for International 
Development  
 Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General, 
German Federal Ministry of Economic 
Cooperation and Development  
 John O'Neill, Minister and Deputy 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, 
CanadaAmgad Shehasta, Senior Vice 
President, United Parcel Service  
 Sang Woo Kim, President, Corporate Affairs 
Europe, Samsung Electronics 
 Justin Bayili, Executive Secretary, 
Borderless Alliance 
 Donia Hammami, Executive in charge of 
Taxation, Customs and Trade Facilitation, 
International Chamber of Commerce 
 Rakesh Shah, Trade Policy Advisor, 
Department for International Development, 
United Kingdom Companies large and small see tremendous 
trade potential in developing nations. But they 
also worry about serious pitfalls, such as red 
tape and corruption increasing the time and 
cost of moving goods across borders.   
 
The event served to informally announce a new 
initiative, founded by several countries and 
private sector associations, called the Global 
Alliance for Trade Facilitation ("Alliance").  The 
panellists encouraged other countries, 
organizations and private sector associations to 
join the Alliance.  The Global Alliance for Trade 
Facilitation should be formally launched at the 
Tenth Ministerial Conference at Nairobi in 
December 2015.   
 
 
Presentation  In his opening remarks, Eric Postel, Associate Administra tor, United States Agency for 
International Development , stated that the objective of the Alliance was to boost the 
implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). To achieving that goal, the 
Alliance aimed to collect financial and technical support from donors and the private sector. The US 
had allocated a donation of US$10 million per year for five years to support the initiative and other 
donors were invited to contribute in similar fash ion. The functions of the Alliance had not been 
finalized, but initial discussions suggested that the Alliance would have a flexible structure with a 
strong monitoring and evaluation system.  
 John O'Neill, Minister and Deputy Permanen t Representative to the WTO, , Canada, 
emphasized that the approval of the TFA was a historic deal with benefits to developing countries. 
Therefore, the creation of the Alliance in partnershi p with private sector would be a critical tool for 
implementation of the TFA.  
Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General,  German Federal Ministry of Economic 
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) , stated that the Initiative was one which would use 
private funds on trade facilitation. As landlocked and least-developed countries faced more 
challenges in trade, those countries would be hi gh on the agenda of the Alliance. An important 
element was that the Alliance would enable c ooperation between government and the private 
sector.  
Amgad Shehasta, Senior Vice President, United Parcel Service (UPS) , pointed out that of 
161 WTO Members, only nine met the standard of be st practices with regard to trade facilitation. 
Border issues remained the primary problem for UPS customers and involvement in the Alliance 
would give UPS the opportunity to raise the voice of its customers. 
 Rakesh Shah, Trade Policy Advisor, Department  for International Development, United 
Kingdom , stated that the aim of the Alliance was to involve the voice and expertise of the private 
sector in implementation phase of the TFA.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Sang Woo Kim, President, Corporate Affairs Europe, Samsung Electronics , referred to the 
many countries in which Samsung has production facilities and  mentioned that different customs 
procedures among countries were one of the main problems of Samsung products. Harmonized custom procedures would provide both cost efficiency and predictability for the company. 
Therefore, Samsung would support and contribute to  the Alliance for effective implementation of 
the TFA.  
Justin Bayili, Executive Secretary, Borderless Alliance , highlighted that the Borderless 
Alliance, which aimed to remove trade barriers in West Africa, would support the Alliance. The Borderless Alliance operated in three areas: (i) ad vocacy between the private and public sector to 
discuss border problems; (ii) supporting information centres managed by retired-experienced 
custom officers to support the movement of goods; and (iii) working to address constraints 
throughout West Africa on road governance. The Borderless Alliance could contribute to the work of the Alliance, in particular, through dissemination of information to West Africa stakeholders.  
 
Donia Hammami, Executive in charge of Taxation, Customs and Trade Facilitation, 
International Chamber of Commerce , emphasized that implementation of the TFA would help 
trade to become easier, faster and less costly. The private sector would be able to help the Alliance 
identify local challenges and opportunities and investment in global value chains, identifying potential solutions and providing feedback on the results of activities. She further added that the Alliance would complement other existing  networks such as Borderless Alliance. 
 
Questions and comments  
Several questions and comments were raised by the audience. In response to a question on what 
incentive the private sectors could have for investment, Mr Bayili stated that streamlined border procedures would provide access to millions of consumers in West Africa and serve as a great 
incentive for business in the region. Mr O'Neill, in response to the same question, mentioned that 
the private sector wanted stability and predictability for their investment policies, areas that would be enhanced by improved trade facilitation. Mr Ki m also reiterated that implementation of the TFA 
would be one of the factors in Samsung's incentive to invest. 
 
Conclusion  
The panellists demonstrated a strong will among those governments and private sectors already 
engaged in the Alliance to create an effective new model for implementation of the TFA. Several organizations extended their support to the Alliance including the International Road Transport 
Union, the World Custom Organization, the International Air Trade Association, and the 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 13:  Geographical Indications as an Engine for Development  
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of France, Geneva 
 
Chair: Jean-Paul Thuillier, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, France  
 
Panel: 
 Aurelie Ahmim-Richard, Agence Française 
de Développement 
 Siriporn Boonchoo, Director of Standards 
and Certification for Silk, Ministry of 
Agriculture, Thailand 
 Sarada de Silva, President, Ceylon 
Cinnamon Association 
 Andrzej Szumowski, President, Polish Vodka 
Association 
 Angelos Pangratis, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, European Union  With examples of silk from Thailand, cinnamon 
from Sri Lanka, and vodka from Poland, this 
well-attended workshop showed the relevance 
of geographical indications in a development 
strategy, not only from the perspective of a 
local community, but also to sustainable 
development and to integration into 
international trade flows. 
 
 
Aurelie Ahmim-Richard, Agence Fra nçaise de Développement (AFD) , opened the side event 
by presenting AFD's work on the establishment of geographical indications in developing countries, 
which ranged from feasibility studies to aid to development institutional frameworks.  
 
Siriporn Boonchoo, Director of Standards and Certification for Silk, Ministry of 
Agriculture, Thailand , introduced the geographical indication that had permitted the protection 
of four products since 2007 through a joint AFD-FAO project. She stressed the economic benefits 
for small producers in the region of Lumphun and throughout the local community. This protection also had impacts at national and international levels (e.g. by promoting tourism).   
Sarada de Silva, President,  Ceylon Cinnamon Association , explained the reasons that had led 
the sector to engage in a geographical indications approach for cinnamon from Sri Lanka (currently under way with assistance from UNIDO and the STDF). He stressed the importance of protecting 
the name of cinnamon from Sri Lanka, which was rooted in the identity of the country, at the 
international level. This protection had increased, and consolidated revenues, to producers and consolidated Sri Lanka's share of international cinnamon market.  
 
Andrzej Szumowski, President, Polish Vodka Association , presented the case of the Polish 
Vodka which dated back more than 600 years. A geographical indication (GI) specification had 
been prepared in 2013 to define the ingredients used in the production of Polish vodka and to limit 
its production area. The GI insists on the quality safeguards for the consumer as well as the 
societal (rural development) and environmental benefits.   
Angelos Pangratis, Ambassador, Perm anent Representative to the WTO , European 
Union, recalled the European framework on protected designations of origin and geographical 
indications. He noted the interest of developing countries, especially least developed countries 
(LDCs), and local communities, including the most vulnerable, to develop strategies of 
differentiation based on the characteristics of their products, and to protect them with geographical indications, and to integrate into the international trading system with higher value products - which gave the EU's geographical in dication promotion strategy, at the WTO and in 
other fora, additional relevance. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Questions and comments 
 The Ambassador of Sri Lanka stressed the interest of his country in the establishment of geographical indications to develop products and to ensure better integration into the value chain. 
He also stressed the importance of the support provided by donors. The ITC wondered as to the 
actual cost of implementation of the GI and the need to analyse accurately the return on 
investment, stressing the lack of studies on this point. The panellists stressed also the importance 
of taking into account the positive impacts beyond the producer (rural development, job creation, 
tourism...). UNCTAD gave its experience in this field and highlighted the challenges facing the implementation of geographical indications, particularly in LDCs, given the absence of a pre-established legal and institutional framework. The AFD confirmed these difficulties but stressed 
that success stories existed and stressed the impo rtance of a collective will and the necessary 
support from the authorities.   
 
Conclusion 
 The Chair  concluded the session by stressing the potential offered to developing countries by 
geographical indications for the integration of their products in value chains. He concluded that 
geographical indications were a real vector for development. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 14: Implementing Trade Facilit ation and Paperless Trade for Sustainable 
Growth: Evidence from the UN Regional Commissions  
Organized by:  
 
United Nations Regional  Commissions (UNRCs) 
 
Chair: Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, 
United Nations Economic Commission for 
Europe (UNECE) 
 
Panel: 
 Yann Duval, Chief, Trade Facilitation Unit, 
Trade and Investment Division, United 
Nations Economic and Social Commission 
for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) 
 David Luke, Coordinator of the African 
Trade Policy Centre, United Nations 
Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) 
 Adel Al-Ghaberi, First Economic Affairs 
Officer, UNESCAP 
 Tom Butterly, Deputy Director of the Trade 
Division, UNECE  How can trade facilitation best support 
sustainable growth in developing countries? 
Taking into account the results of the first 
Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and 
Paperless Trade Implementation, 
representatives from the five UN Regional 
Commissions presented their approaches, 
success stories, challenges and lessons learned.  
The presentations illustrated the development 
impact of trade facilitation interventions by the 
UNRCs in areas such as streamlining border 
clearance procedures; creating synergies 
between trade facilitation and quality control 
and quality assurance functions; reducing 
transaction costs; implementing international 
standards for paperless trade and other 
innovative trade facilitation approaches. 
 
Presentation 
 Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary, UNECE , opened the event by highlighting the 
importance of trade facilitation and the role of UN Regional Commissions to support Member 
States in this policy area. The UN Regional Commissions offer important support to implementation 
of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) through capacity building and technical 
assistance.  
 
Yann Duval, Chief, Trade Facilitation Unit, Trade and Investment Division,  UNESCAP , 
presented the Global Survey on Trade Facilitation  and Paperless Trade. This survey was designed 
to address a lack of systematic information on implementation of trade facilitation measures, 
including paperless trade measures. It was initiated for the first time in 2014. The survey included measures related to compliance with the WTO TFA as well as paperless trade measures going beyond WTO TFA compliance. Data had been collected from 111 countries and gave a good 
overview of the implementation rate of trade faci litation measures in different regions. The least 
implemented measures around the world includ ed: establishment and publication of average 
release times (South Asia, Latin America); trade facilitation measures for authorized operators 
(Middle East and North Africa) and introduction of electronic Single Window Systems (Pacific). All 
data would be made available online at the following link: http://unnext.unescap.org/UNTFSurvey2015.asp . Additional information on implementation of the 
measures as of May 2015 could be submitted at any time. 
 David Luke, Coordinator of the Af rican Trade Policy Centre, UNECA , emphasized that WTO 
TFA Needs Assessments remained crucial, with the UNRC Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and 
Paperless Trade a useful complement. Uneven quality of data and partial coverage remained 
important challenges, e.g. relatively lower response rates from LDCs and LLDCs. However, evidence indicated encouraging progress among African countries, in line with the growing efforts 
undertaken at both the national and regional level. African countries had focused more on general 
trade facilitation measures (notably formalities) than on paperless trade issues. LDCs tended to display lower implementation levels, especially in terms of institutional arrangements and 
transparency. Regional Economic Communities (RECs) had played an important role in advancing 
the trade facilitation agenda, especially in terms of transport and transit facilitation. The gap between African LDCs and non-LDCs appeared to be  particularly high in terms of institutional 
arrangements and transparency. Institutional challenges appeared to be a key concern for LDCs in 
Africa, both in terms of coordinati on and capacity development needs. 
 Roy Santana, Market Access Division, WTO , stepped in for Sebastián Herreros of UNECLAC  
and presented the basic parameters of the UNECLA C survey, together with the main findings and WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 125 - 
 
  conclusions for Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. The LAC region, like other regions, 
also saw differential response rates. Areas of lo w or partial implementation  included establishment 
of national level Trade Facilitation Committees, consultation of partners on draft TF-related regulations and electronic Single Window system s. There was greater implementation of risk 
management to target physical inspection of shipments, independent appeal mechanisms for 
customs rulings. Release times were also often not made public on a regular basis. Despite incomplete implementation, Electronic Single Window was identified as the strongest area of 
progress, followed by Authorised Economic Operat or and electronic submission of documentation. 
Limited human resources capacity, lack of coordination between government agencies and financial constraints were identi fied as the main barriers.  
 
Adel Al-Ghaberi, First Economic Affairs Officer, UNESCAP , outlined the results of the Trade 
Facilitation survey for Arab region. The results showed that Arab countries were at varying levels of implementation of trade facilitation measures. Most ESCWA countries had at least partially 
implemented most measures, but to varying degrees. Establishment of trade facilitation 
committees had been the most implemented measures while pre-arrival clearance was the least implemented measure. ESCWA's presentation also highlighted some issues related to trade 
facilitation namely trade logistics at the private sector level. A survey on the ways private firms in 
some ESCWA countries handled logistics revealed that contrary to global trends, there was a lack of reliance on specialized logistics providers  fo r providing logistics services. Instead, companies 
handled their logistics themselves through departments established within the company. This 
approach was believed to be causing increased cost of logistics and lack of efficiency. 
 Yann Duval , Chief, Trade Facilitation Unit, Trad e and Investment Division, UNESCAP , 
presented data on implementation of trade facilitation measures across the Asia-Pacific region. 
Implementation rates were highly variable ac ross the region, with low implementation rates 
notable for small-island developing states, LDCs  and LLDCs. Transparency measures and speeding 
up formalities were the most implemented measures. Cross-border paperless trade was the least 
implemented group of measures. Electronic exch ange of sanitary and phytosanitary standards 
(SPS) was one sector-specific area of limited implementation. Most progress has been made in automated customs systems, risk management and Single Window and other paperless trade 
measures. ESCAP members were actively working on addressing the technical and legal gaps 
associated with cross-border exchange and legal recognition of electronic data and documents for 
inclusive and sustainable trade facilitation, including through on-going negotiation of a regional UN 
treaty on the facilitation of cross-border paperless trade. 
 Tom Butterly, Deputy Director, Trade Division, UNECE , stated that the potential economic 
benefits of trade facilitation were clear, with the highest ranked countries in World Economic 
Forum Global Competitiveness Index also generally those with the best implementation rates of WTO TFA measures. UNECE, through its Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) had developed a broad range of global standards, recommendations and tools to 
support TF implementation. UNECE's suite of Single Window recommendations 
(Recommendations 33, 34 and 35) were implemented in over 70 countries worldwide, not just in the UNECE region. The UN Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide
39 developed in partnership with 
other international organizations was a useful roadmap for implementation. National Trade 
Facilitation Implementation Committees had an impo rtant part to play, and could provide a strong 
role for the private sector in policy making. UNECE provided outreach and support services to 
member States to assist in implementing their instruments. 
 
                                               
39 http://tfig.unece.org/  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 15: Regional Infrastructure for Trade Facilitation – Impact on Growth and 
Poverty Reduction  
Organized by:  
 
Overseas Development Institute (ODI) 
 
Opening remarks: Louise Thomas, Head of 
Trade for Development, Trade Policy Unit, 
Department for International Development, 
United Kingdom 
 
Chair: Ganeshan Wignaraja, Advisor, Economic 
Research and Regional Cooperation 
Department, Asian Development Bank 
 
Panel: 
 Marie-Agnès Jouanjean, Research Fellow, 
ODI 
 Olivier Cadot, Senior Research Fellow, 
Foundation for International Development 
Study and Research Director, Institut 
d'Economie Appliquée 
 Ben Shepherd, Consultant, Developing 
Trade 
 Frank Matsaert, Chief Executive Officer, 
TradeMark East Africa 
 Gerald Makau Masila, Executive Director, 
Eastern Africa Grain Council 
 Jodie Keane, Economic Advisor, Trade 
Division, Commonwealth Secretariat 
 Jaime de Melo, Senior Fellow, Foundation 
for International Development Study and 
Research This session discussed evidence on the impact 
of regional infrastructure for trade facilitation on 
growth and poverty reduction, based on a 
DFID-funded research project led by ODI. 
Preliminary findings suggest that improvements 
in regional infrastructure for trade facilitation in 
sub-Saharan Africa are very likely to result in 
growth and poverty reduction through both 
direct and indirect routes, although there may 
be specific negative effects on certain groups 
without complementary policies. Infrastructure 
reduces trade cost which increases trade; 
however, there is a lack of studies that isolate 
the specific effects of regional infrastructure. 
Regional infrastructure and regional integration 
can raise growth and productivity through 
increased trade, investment and competition. 
Hard (e.g. roads, ports) and soft infrastructure 
(e.g. relevant transport services, regional 
standards) interact in promoting impacts.  
 
 
Presentation 
 
Louise Thomas, Head of Trade for Developm ent, Trade Policy Unit, Department for 
International Development , United Kingdm, made an introduction to the session emphasizing 
the importance of the topic, follow ed by a few words from the chair, Ganeshan Wignaraja, 
Advisor, Economic Rese arch and Regional Cooperation Department, Asian Development 
Bank,  introducing the project's objective and research questions. 
 
The panel discussion started with a presentation by Marie-Agnès Jouanjean, Research Fellow, 
Overseas Development Institute , emphasizing the relevance of taking a regional perspective in 
Sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence showed that on average, distance mattered and that countries 
traded relatively more with their neighbours than  with the rest of the world. However, African 
countries were relatively "outward looking" in their trade patterns and it could sometimes be easier to trade with the EU than with a neighbouring country. This was due in part to problems of 
infrastructure and trade regimes on the African continent. One preliminary finding from the project 
was that it was crucial to have full pass-through of the reduction of trade costs to producers and consumers in order to have an effect on growth and poverty reduction. The complementarity between soft and hard infrastructure was essential. In particular, to have a poverty impact, the 
final mile mattered, not only in hard infras tructure, but also for soft infrastructure.  
 Olivier Cadot, Senior Research Fellow, Foundation for International Development Study 
and Research Director, Inst itut d'Economie Appliquée , and Ben Shepherd, Consultant, 
Developing Trade , presented ongoing research papers. Olivier Cadot used data on night-light 
intensity from satellite imagery to investigate the effect of borders on economic activity along 
cross-border roads. His findings supported the hypothesis that economic activity in Sub-Saharan 
Africa clustered in close proximity to borders, re flecting informal trade that required physical 
presence (changing of trucks etc.). However, this effect had been decreasing between 1995 and WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  2013, suggesting that investment in border post modernisation and reforms of trade regimes have 
led to a "formalization of trade".  Ben Shepherd presented current progress in his project on "Infrastructure, Trade and Network 
Connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa". Exploiting multi-regional input-output tables based on the 
EORA database, he showed that African countries are less involved in regional trade, with trade more outward looking with big trading blocs like the US, China and the EU. Both hard and soft 
infrastructure were amongst the determinants of th e position of a country in the network of global 
value chains.  Among the discussants, Frank Matsaert, Chief Executive Officer, TradeMark East Africa , 
focused on identifying direct and indirect pathways for poverty reduction. He noted that there were 
risks to the poor, for example, there would be adjustment costs at the macro level to any reform of trade regimes or investments in infrastructure and border posts. He called for export strategies 
for landlocked countries to help in the adjustment period. 
 Gerald Makau Masila, Executive Dire ctor, Eastern Africa Grain Council , presented a project 
on warehouse modernisation in East Africa and the challenges as well as benefits of harmonisation 
of standards in the region for smallholders. The process of increasing the awareness and implementation of the standards was ongoing. He mentioned the challenges in skills for grading products at the warehouse level, as well as laboratories etc. 
 
Jodie Keane, Economic Advisor, Trad e Division, Commonwealth Secretariat , recommended 
to distinguish more clearly between vertically sp ecialised and additive/resource based value chains 
and analyse the subsequent effects of inclusive growth and poverty reduction.  
 Finally, Jaime de Melo, Senior Fellow, Foundatio n for International Development Study 
and Research , drew attention to the shift of focus from poverty reduction being defined entirely 
by targeting the very poor to also aiming to improve the lives of people with less than 25-30 dollar of income per day in Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa.   
Questions and comments 
 Questions and comments from the audience focusse d primarily on the large share of informal 
trade in Africa that is not captured in official data. Infrastructure improvements that reduced the 
time informal and small traders needed to pass borders would lead to gains in household income and enable household investments in education. This would present an important effect of 
infrastructure investment that was not immediately captured by data.  
 Ben Shepherd pointed out that the main points brou ght up in his network analysis still stood up to 
scrutiny despite the presence of informal trade. He mentioned a recent analysis in West Africa 
where it had indeed been difficult to find regional value chains as most value chains remained 
domestic. This suggested that regional trade agreements in some parts of Africa at least, were not yet effective on the ground, and required further reforms and infrastructure improvements. 
Another point of discussion centred on the risk and gains of containerisation to bring down the cost 
of trade, and it was suggested to direct further research to this issue.  
Conclusion 
 The panel concluded with an emphasis on the issue of finding pathways to promote the benefits to 
the poor from trade facilitation and disentangling the impact of investment in hard and soft 
infrastructure. Another point to address was how to finance these measures.WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 16:  The Future of the EU Aid-for-Trade Strategy – A Stakeholder Consultation  
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of the European Union, 
Geneva 
 
Panel: 
 Giorgio Cocchi, Deputy Head of Unit, Private 
Sector Development, Trade, Regional 
Integration, DG DEVCO 
 Marc Vanheukelen, Director, Sustainable 
Development, DG TRADE 
 Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General, 
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation 
and Development, Germany 
 Frans Lammersen, Principal Administrator, 
Development Cooperation Directorate, 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development 
 Stephen N. Karingi, Director, Regional 
Integration and Trade Division, United 
Nations Economic Commission for Africa 
 Sanoussi Bilal, Senior Executive/Head of 
Programme, Economic Transformation and 
Trade, European Centre for Development 
Policy Management 
 Joseph Wozniak, Programme Manager, 
Trade for Sustainable Development, 
International Trade Centre The current EU Aid for Trade (AfT) strategy was 
adopted jointly by the EU and its Member 
States in 2007.  Quantitative targets have been 
met and exceeded since 2008, with the EU 
being collectively the main global provider of 
Aid for Trade. Attention has progressively 
focussed on possible improvements in particular 
in terms of impact and increased access to Aid 
for Trade by LDCs and other LMICs. In 2016 the 
EU will review its strategy, to take stock of 
relevant processes, notably the Post-2015 
Development Agenda and successive Global AfT 
Reviews; to identify new priority issues and to 
integrate the latest insights both in theory and 
best practices.  This side event presented an 
opportunity for stakeholders to share views and 
raise issues for consideration in the review 
process.  
 
Presentation  
Giorgio Cocchi, Deputy Head of Unit, Privat e Sector Development, Trade, Regional 
Integration, DG DEVCO , outlined the current EU Aid-for-Trade (AfT) strategy, progress so far 
and questions to consider.  He recalled that the EU AfT Strategy was a joint one between the EU 
and its Member States, adopted in 2007. It consisted of five pillars: increase overall AfT as part of 
the gradual increases of overall EU official  development assistance (ODA); implement the 
commitment by EU member States and the EU to collectively spend €2 billion annually on trade 
related technical assistance by 2010, including €1 billion from Member States and €1 billion from 
the EU. In the range of 50% of the increase in the collective EU Trade Related Assistance (TRA) 
was being made available to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries; enhance the pro-poor focus and the quality of EU Aid for Trade; increa se EU-wide and Member States' capacity in line 
with the globally agreed Aid Effectiveness principles; and  implement constant monitoring and 
reporting.    
In terms of progress, he reported that commitment on TRA had been collectively achieved in 
2008 when the €2 billion target had been exceeded  (with the latest expenditure figure being 
€2.8 billion in 2013). The EU had remained a majo r AfT donor (the biggest) with €11.7 billion in 
expenditure in 2013. Aid for Trade to LDCs had remained stable, with a notable increase in 2013, 
both in absolute and relative terms to reach €2. 6 billion in 2013, or 24% of the total EU and 
member States' Aid for Trade. From an ACP-specific angle, 64% of the TRA increase had gone to the ACP between 2008 and 2013. On aid effectiveness, EU and member stat joint programming 
was currently planned in 50 partner countries across the world, including in more than 20 fragile 
states.   
In terms of questions to consider, he suggested that while the AfT trend was overall positive, had 
quantitative commitments achieved their objectives? For Aid for Trade to LDCs, he asked if it was a question of size, priority, demand or capacity? On poverty reduction, he asked how to choose 
indicators that reflected better the link between trade and poverty reduction? He further asked 
how to move from a monitoring and reporting based on AfT flows, to one giving a greater place to impacts and results? He asked if Aid for Trade was the only means for donors to support growth WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  through trade and what links to make to other means of implementation? Another question was 
the implications for donors like the EU, that had both trade and development policies, and how 
best to articulate them in trade agreements and Aid for Trade to maximise development impact? Lastly he enquired what the move from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would imply for the EU's Aid-for-Trade Strategy? 
 Marc Vanheukelen, Director, Sust ainable Development, DG TRADE , gave an introduction by 
DG TRADE on the importance of Aid for Trade and how trade and development policies could be 
mutually supportive. Trade alone cannot achieve la sting, inclusive and sustainable development; 
supportive and enabling policies at the domestic level were paramount. By supporting partners to identify, enact and implement such enabling poli cies, Aid for Trade would make its strongest 
contribution. Ensuring the subsequent multiplier ef fect that Aid for Trade could have on developing 
countries occurred was a big responsibility: both that the multiplier happened where it was most needed and that it had the most sustainable impact. It was a shared responsibility, which is why 
Aid for Trade, like ODA, was programmed according to beneficiaries' own priorities, ownership by 
developing countries of their own development process being paramount. Aid for Trade could have the biggest impact when it linked to broader processes. In the trade arena this means trade 
agreements, whether bilateral, plurilateral, or of  course most significantly multilateral. The EU 
accompanied the implementation of trade agreements, among others means, through the provision of Aid for Trade. Trade policy coherence for development was a legal obligation for the EU; at the same time, Aid for Trade was how developing countries were supported to implement 
and benefit from trade agreements. This refl ected the mutual supportiveness of trade and 
development policies.  
Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General, Fe deral Ministry for Economic Cooperation and 
Development, Germany , highlighted the challenge for EU member States of integrating trade 
and development functions. Trade with developing countries did not just happen; it required a 
framework and government's involvement to le ad to economic development for developing 
countries. That was why Aid for Trade was of such importance for Germany, as demonstrated by having become the largest EU member State provider of Aid for Trade, with disbursements of US$3.4 billion in 2013 and projected commitments of US$5 billion in the coming years. In terms of 
commitments to LDCs, a 100% increase was foreseen, as Germany had not yet reached the 
0.15% of GDP to LDCs commitment. He noted that the role of the private sector and civil society 
would be strengthened, so that trade happened ac cording to social and environmental standards 
without social and environmental dumping. Speaking  on the transition from the MDGs to SDGs, he 
note that trade was set to be an important means of implementation, with ODA leveraging private investments for development. 
 
Frans Lammersen, Principal Administrator, Development Cooperation Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-o peration and Development (OECD) , outlined the main 
trends identified by recent AfT research and studies. Among the challenges for the Aid-for-Trade 
Initiative, he identified supporting economic growth for developing countries without a 
correspondingly rise in their carbon footprint, mo vement of donor interest beyond ODA to include 
investment and domestic resource mobilisation, stalemate in negotiations on the multilateral trade 
system and how to make the Aid-for-Trade Initiative more inclusive? OECD analysis showed that 
there was a strong correlation between AfT need s and AfT disbursements.  While LDCs received 
comparatively less in absolute terms, but their pe r capita figures were three times higher than 
those of middle-income countries. He noted that EU ODA loans went mainly to 
upper-middle-income countries, less to LDCs. While global value chain opportunities were present, but the poor were priced out due to high trade co sts. These high trade costs had to be reduced, 
through a mix of financing instruments: blending, grants, etc. Getting the mix right was an 
ongoing challenge. He suggested that further harmonising donor projects would be welcome, but a 
multiplicity of trust funds would hamper ownership. Private sector engagement was essential, but there needed to be clarity as to who was benefitting: the private sector in developed countries or 
in beneficiary countries, or both? Aid for Trade should not be allowed to distort trade in his 
opinion. He suggested that the EU should tr y new approaches for example through AfT Budget 
Support for reducing trade costs. On measuring resu lts, he noted that there was no single method 
and that the 2015 OECD-WTO Aid-for-Trade at a Glance publication  was a useful reference 
document. Lastly, he suggested that it would be interesting to have trade costs reduction objectives.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Stephen N. Karingi, Director, Regional Inte gration and Trade Division, United Nations 
Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) , offered perspectives on how to increase the access 
and impact of Aid for Trade on LDCs, by referring to UNECA's "Economic Report on Africa 2015: Industrialising through Trade". Flows of Aid for Trade had to be put in the context of the 
beneficiary economy sizes (LDCs, Small Island De veloping States (SIDS), Landlocked Developing 
Countries (LLDCs). These received more than other African economies in relative terms, but volumes should not be the only lens for assessment. He asked the question of how Africa would 
industrialise through trade. There was more co herence today, but impact on socioeconomic 
transformation has been weak. One had to look in to the nature, character and impact of trade in 
terms of development. For years, diversification of jobs from agriculture had gone to services with low value, rather than to industry where value and wages were higher. Aid for Trade could further 
foster structural changes for higher productivity and labour intensity (with decent wages). Africa 
was part of global value Chains mainly through forward integration (i.e. supplying inputs). Higher impact could be obtained by further regional inte gration and by further backward integration (i.e. 
sourcing inputs across borders), thus creating high er value within the continent. Higher shares of 
Aid for Trade could go to regional projects fostering backward integration of value chains. He highlighted that despite its recognised importance, relatively less Aid for Trade went to the 
services sector and urged support to LDCs to obtain higher value from services. In his opinion, 
aligning to the continental frameworks (ten-year programme, Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), etc.) would also increase impact of Aid for Trade.   
Sanoussi Bilal, Senior Ex ecutive/Head of Programme, Ec onomic Transformation and 
Trade, European Centre for Deve lopment Policy Management (ECPDM) , discussed how Aid 
for Trade and trade agreements could support each other. Noting that aid was useful, there were 
also other means of financing for development. Discussion should not focus solely on aid any 
longer. Trade was not an aim in itself; it was a means for poverty reduction and economic transformation. Aid for Trade had been useful in  supporting developing countries in their trade 
agreement negotiations.  The time between conclu sion of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) 
negotiations and agreement implementation could be long due to administrative and legal procedures. Such time should be used already to prepare the next phase, i.e. speeding-up the operational preparatory work for implementation. Trade agreements were about business partners 
taking advantage of the opportunities offered. A stronger emphasis on business was needed to 
tailor Aid for Trade according to business needs. T oo often aid operated in silos, keeping debates 
are artificially separated. This called for an in tegrated approach that reducing trade costs for 
developing countries, but also examined what to trade. Further increasing productive capacities, 
industrialisation and moving up the value chain were key. Too often Aid for Trade was discussed in technical terms while ignoring the politics behind. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the 
political economy and dynamics behind the context in which Aid for Trade operated. 
 
Joseph Wozniak, Programme Manager, Trade for Sustainable Development, 
International Trade Centre (ITC) , discussed emerging issues for Aid for Trade including 
sustainable development. Free, globally available public goods and accessible trade information 
were an effective way to contribute to the AfT agenda and any future AfT strategy. ITC had developed a series of global public goods: Tr adeMap, StandardsMap, MarketAccessMap with some 
450,000 users and a growth rate of 470% over the past five years. ITC's strategy looked to 
increase outreach to beneficiaries including Mobile solutions and other IT tools; provide more information about companies doing business (connecting suppliers and buyers); developing 
customised tools, regional in scope, linked to trade and investment institutions; providing 
decision-making tools; and expanding surveys of non-tariff-measures that SMEs themselves say they are confronted with. He suggested moving to big data by connecting companies to sustainable value chains through accessing at the right information at the right time. He also 
opined that big data access was set to inform and provide solutions for a renewed AfT strategy. 
 Questions and comments 
 
Aid for Trade to LDCs was probably not increasing because of competing priorities in beneficiary countries, which posed the issue of the Aid for Trade additionality in relation to the rest of ODA. 
Complexity of EU procedures could also be a difficulty in increasing Aid for Trade to 
LDCs: i.e. timeframes of EPA negotiations and EU Aid for Trade were not articulated. It had been challenging to plan EPA implementation accompanying measures in between two European Development Fund programming cycles. EU join t programming with EU member States was 
important and should be encouraged to give fu rther predictability to AfT funding over time. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Incorporating new issues to the EU AfT strategy, like environment, should not lead to a dilution of 
the means available to support the strategy's traditional pillars. Additionality should be considered. There was good will in donor countries for trade to make a real contribution to economic development, but that impact was not yet fully realised, probably because donors focused on trade 
down-stream, while reinforcing countries capacities up-stream was also needed. 
 Conclusion 
 
Updating the EU Aid-for-Trade Strategy would entail consideration of the various processes impacting on development as the global community headed towards the Addis Ababa and New York meetings this year, whereby aid would not be the only means of implementation of financing 
for development. Trade was set to have an important role in achieving the new SDGs, as long as it 
was associated with an AfT agenda seeking to support developing countries, in particular LDCs, in reaping the benefits of trade liberalisation. This would require a more strategic trade and 
development policy articulation around trade ne gotiations and agreement implementation. Aid 
effectiveness principles and private sector engagement would remain key, so that the donor community responded to the needs of those on the ground doing business. Diversification to 
higher value sectors, industrialisation, removing barriers to regional value chains, alignment to 
regional and continental dynamics were some of the issues proposed to consider. Just as important would be to ensure Aid for Trade was delivered in  an integrated manner while incorporating better 
political economy considerations. Existing and future market information tools could optimise such 
processes. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 17: Good Management: A Way to In crease Economic Benefits, including Trade 
in the Fisheries Sector  
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of Norway, Geneva 
 
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
 
Opening remarks: Morten Høglund, State 
Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway 
 
Panel: 
 Per Sandberg, Head of Statistics 
Department, Directorate of Fisheries, 
Norway 
 Audun Lem, Deputy Director, Policy and 
Economics Division in the Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Department, FAO 
 Gabriella Bianchi, Senior Fisheries 
Resources Officer, FAO 
 Aasmund Bjordal, Director, Centre for 
Development Cooperation in Fisheries, 
Institute of Marine Research, Norway 
 
 The side event focused on the sound and 
sustainable exploitation of fish resources in such 
a way to increase economic benefits for those 
participating in the fisheries sector. This 
involved good governance in fish stocks which is 
underpinned by adequate data collection, 
control of catch capacity, monitoring, control 
and so forth. The participants also provided an 
overview of the global fishery sector which 
consists of captured fisheries and growing 
aquaculture, with the developing world enjoying 
both a large share of the supply and a growing 
consumption rate. Traceability and eco-labelling 
were emphasised from a sustainability and 
market access point of view. Details of the EAF 
Nansen project were explained. The project is a 
partnership between Norway and FAO which 
assists developing countries in building up an 
ecosystem approach to fisheries management. 
The desired impact of the Programme is that 
people in partner countries are nutrition secure 
and less poor. The Nansen Program was also 
discussed in view of the launch of their third 
vessel that will become operational for research 
and surveys late 2016.   
 
Presentation 
 The session was introduced by Morten Høglund, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Norway . He said that fisheries were the second most important source of income in Norway and 
the management of resources and the elimination of  subsidies are therefore vital. Many countries, 
including developing countries, had an abundance of fish resources that had to be managed properly. In Norway for example, an ecosystem based approach reversed the pressured fish stocks 
of herring and cod while safeguarding profitability  and economic benefits for the sector at the 
same time. To demonstrate this process and how it could be achieved in the developing world, he introduced the different speakers who addressed associated issues.  
 
The first presentation was by Per Sandberg, Head of Statistics Department, Directorate of 
Fisheries, Norway , on the importance of good governance to maximize the economic benefits in 
the fisheries sector. Good governance in fisheries,  he said, included good knowledge of the fish 
resources, sound exploitation of the fish reso urces, control of catch capacity and adequate 
monitoring, control and enforcement of fisheries. Data from research vessels was required to answer questions surrounding sound knowledge of fish resources such as the size of the fish stock, 
its maturity levels, whether it could spawn and the productivity of the fish stock at various stock 
levels. This data was neutral and independent of fisheries.   
Mr Sandberg said that sound exploitation of fish resources would lead to maximum economic 
benefits. In this regard two questions were important: (1) how much of the fish stock should be fished each year to ensure a high sustainable catch? And, (2) how many fishermen and fishing vessels should be allowed to participate in the fi shery? Mr Sandberg explained that there was an 
economic incentive for the individual fisherman to harvest more than his allocated share. 
Consequently, there was a need for monitoring and control of the fishery, inter alia  through the 
registration of all fishermen, vessels and licences, and so forth.   
 
Norway had a high cost of living and a very low level of unemployment. This implied a need for high productivity – also in fisheries, in which they  had established harvest rules to exploit their fish 
resources in a precautionary manner and to obtain a high sustainable yield. Norway also 
established a framework that aims for a balance between fishing efforts and sustainable yield from the fish stocks, monitoring, control and surveillance. The objectives of fishery management may WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  vary for different countries. The usual objectives when exploiting a fish resource was maximum 
yield, low risk of stock collapse and stability in terms of the size of fish stock fisherman may harvest from year to year. However, objectives may differ, and instead of a focus on high productively and profitability, employment and food  security might be the emphasis. In both cases 
however, there was a need for knowledge of good go vernance of fisheries, that was, about the fish 
resources and their productivity, the effect of the fi shery on the fish stock, and that this knowledge 
is utilized when establishing management measures for the fishery. 
 
Audun Lem, Deputy Director, Policy and Ec onomics Division in the Fisheries and 
Aquaculture Department, FAO , presented on fish trade and sustainable resources management. 
He started by inviting all participants to the 20 year anniversary conference of the FAO Code of 
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries to be held on 8 and 9 October 2015 in Vigo, Spain. He went on 
to explain that the global fishery sector was dive rse, both in terms of fi sh types and geography, 
while Asia was a dominate player. Production (or supply) consisted of a stable supply of captured 
fisheries and growing aquaculture, which was ov er-taking captured fisheries in the share of 
consumption of fish. The growth of aquaculture meant that in the long term there was better control of production and that products adapt easier to market requirements. Most of the 
aquaculture sector expansion lay in developing countries and would make a significant contribution 
to future food and nutrition security. Capture fi sheries, on the other hand, included marine and 
in-land fisheries. A large proportion of marine fisheries were fully fished at Maximum Sustainable Yield. Although there are some overfished marine  stocks, the situation seems to be improving. 
In-land stocks remained under fished but some  stocks had collapsed or were collapsing. 
 China, Norway, Vietnam and Thailand were the bi ggest exporters in 2014 while the EU, the USA, 
Japan and China were the biggest importers. According to Organisation for Economic Co-operation 
and Development (OECD) and FAO projections, developing countries were catching up in terms of consumption. Prices had increased but not as rapidly as compared to meat. Today, fish was one of 
the most traded food commodities, often crossing multiple national boundaries on its journey from 
production to consumption. Globalization of supply chains,  concerns about food safety and quality 
assurance, and consumer awareness of fisheries sustainability issues (IUU fishing) had led to a growing need for traceability mechanisms and guidelines. However, the balance between the need 
for traceability and minimizing unnecessary barriers to trade remained important. Traceability was 
now included as a market access requirement in the regulations of major seafood markets such as the European Union, the United States, and Japan. It was necessary to show that the fish had 
been caught legally from a sustainably-managed fishery wherever in the world that may be. It was 
also an important component in many private eco-labelling schemes. FAO guidelines stated that any claims on the labels should be accurate and verifiable through a traceable chain of custody. 
Some of the costs and benefits of eco-labelling and certification included providing access to new 
markets or consumer groups and encouraging the development of stable and integrated supply 
chains. However, there were many new labels that might be confusing to the consumer and therefore clarification was needed by bench-marking ecolabels. 
 
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) played a very important role. Previous CITES listings were largely commercially unimportant 
species. However, the 2013 listing of new species pointed to the need for increased dialogue and 
collaboration. In particular FAO was focused on providing technical assistance to developing countries in implementing the mechanisms and practices associated with a CITES-listed species.  
The FAO-NORAD Value-chain study showed that fish trade had in most cases a positive impact on 
local welfare but trade could increase pressure on resources and lead to over fishing if fisheries management instruments were not used. Fisherie s management referred to the wide range of 
policies and practices which enabled the sustainable exploitation of a fishery resource. Fisheries 
management processes must involve many diffe rent stakeholders beyond the management 
authority itself and give due consideration to competing interests and risk stemming from uncertainty. 
 
There were five key management policy areas which include (i) an ecosystem approach to fisheries 
(EAF), (ii) small-scale fisheries, (iii) marine protected areas (MPAs), (iv) traceability and IUU 
fishing, and (v) eco-labels. All the key intern ational agreements adopted over the last two 
decades, including the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, had stressed the need for the adoption of these five elements and a collaborative, decentralised multi-stakeholder 
approach that included non-harvesting objectives while recognizing the requirement of 
understanding and managing ecosystems in an economic context. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Most of the world's fishers were employed in small-scale fisheries. The international community 
recognized the urgent need to develop policy fr ameworks and practical strategies to inform, 
assess, monitor and manage small-scale fisheries.  The emphasis was on a rights-based approach 
which also covers the rights of fishers to an  adequate livelihood. FAO COFI Adopted Voluntary 
Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines in 2014. MPAs could have a critical role to play in sustainable 
fishing in preserving critical habitats or sensitive life stages of species. MPAs had to strike a balance between conservation and the rights of current users. The Code of Conduct for 
Responsible Fisheries set out principles and intern ational standards for responsible practices with 
respect to the goals of conservation, management and development and aimed to increase productivity and sustainability.   
The EAF-Nansen Programme in support of sustainable fisheries in developing countries was 
introduced by Gabriella Bianchi, Senior Fish eries Resources Officer, FAO . From 1975 the 
programme had developed into a unique mechan ism for cooperation, knowledge and manpower 
exchange in developing regions and particularly in Africa. Thanks to the use of the UN flag, the R/V 
(research vessel) Dr. Fridtjof Nansen could easily move across jurisdictional boundaries and address transboundary issues. The present drivers of marine ecosystem change were to monitor 
overfishing and other ecosystem impacts of fishing (such as provision of food, income, and 
livelihoods). External drivers included land-based pollution (including marine debris), oil and gas 
exploration and exploitation, and climat e change and oceans acidification.  
 
The EAF Nansen Programme comprised of (1) science, (2) management and policy, and 
(3) capacity development. Cross cutting issues were public awareness, outreach and resource 
mobilization. The desired impact of the Programme was that people in partner countries were 
nutrition secure and less poor. This was to be achieved through three components. First, a science 
component which involved enhancing the knowledge base for the sustainable management of fisheries resources in the face of climate variability and change, pollution and anthropogenic 
pressures. Second, a management and policy component which involved the improved 
management of fisheries in developing countries while taking into consideration the risks and opportunities related to climate, pollution and other environmental and anthropogenic stressors. 
Finally, the third component was capacity development which involved increasing the capacity for 
sustainable management of fisheries in developing countries and the promotion of gender equality 
and effective participation of women.  
The fundamental model of sustainable developmen t was implemented through the EAF. The world 
was characterized by increasingly globalized economic activity, incr easing environmental 
degradation and widening income inequality. Achieving sustainable development depended 
critically on understanding how these trends are linked at domestic and international levels as the 
basis for identifying ways of reverting them. Ms Bianchi explained how a management plan was developed for a very specific area/system with operationally defined boundaries. She emphasized that stakeholder participation was envisaged at all levels of the planning and implementation steps 
and all key components of a fishery (ecological, social-economic and governance) were 
comprehensively considered while also taking into account external drivers. There were four phases for setting policy objectives and it stretched over five to ten years. These included 
(1) initiation and planning, (2) identifying and prioritizing issues, (3) developing a management 
System, and (4) implementation and monitoring.  
An integrated assessment of a fishery took cognis ance of the (1) ecological wellbeing of targeted 
species, by catch/discards and the general ecosystem, (2) human wellbeing, and (3) the ability to achieve governance, and external drivers. The Programme would start in July 2016 and would be 
implemented by FAO, in close collaboration wi th IMR (Norway) and through partnerships at 
international, regional and national levels. 
 Aasmund Bjordal, Director, Centre for Developm ent Cooperation in Fisheries, Institute of 
Marine Research, Norway , introduced the new "Dr. Fridtjof Nansen". Mr Bjordal said that the 
Nansen Program was conceived in the 1960s and the first vessel had left Norway in 1974. The second vessel was launched in 1993 and was still operational. It had mainly been active in Africa, 
but also in Latin America where it collected data  and provided on the job training. There were 
currently around 4,500 fish species in the database and it was expanding in ecosystem surveys.  He explained that a new vessel had started construction in 2014 and should be operational for 
research/surveys by late 2016 and thereby ensured the duration of the programme for a further WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  20 years. The third vessel had functions such as Oceanography; Plankton; Marine Biology; 
Geology; Geophysics, etc. and offered on-board/on-th e-job training of local scientific staff. It also 
had, inter alia , different laboratories, such as a fish la b, wet/dry, benthos/sediment/plankton, two 
hangars, large meeting/lecture room, marine mammal/seabird observatory and arrangement for 
three 20f containers. 
 The new research vessel was a microscopic example of trade associated to the fisheries industry. 
In addition to global trade in fish products per se , there was a significant associated trade of 
various products based on the fish resources, such  as fishing vessels, fishing gear and equipment, 
engines, fuel, instruments, computers, fish pr ocessing equipment, cooling and freezing plants, 
packaging, transport, tourism, and so forth. 
 
Questions and comments  
The panel was asked to elaborate on the reform lessons in Norway and how Norway made the 
transition (across the board policy reforms). One fundamental aspect, was said in reply, was Norway's low level of unemployment and therefore the transition from being a fisherman was not 
harmful. Norway focused on two elements, to rest ore fish stocks and to harvest sustainably in 
cooperation with their neighbours such as Russia and the EU. Norway performed a long-term forecast for the consequences of fish stocks, a risk analysis and formulated long term harvest rules. It also initiated a buy-back programme wh ere the Government bought fishing vessels from 
owners which left the remaining fisheries more profitable.  
 Another question focused on the relationship be tween fisheries management and subsidies during 
negotiations. In answering the question, the pane l referred to studies that indicated that over 
capacity will lead to over fishing. Subsidies ensu red over capacity. The question was how to reduce 
the subsidies. When subsidies reduced, over fish ing reduced and the profitability of fishing would 
increase.  
 Conclusion  
The panellists thanked the attendees for their intere st and invited them to attend future events or 
to acquire further information on the subject from the presenting organizations. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 18:  The Vienna Programme of  Action for the Landlocked Developing 
Countries 2014-2024 
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of Paraguay, Geneva 
 
Permanent Mission of Tajikistan, Geneva 
 
Moderator: Juan Esteban Aguirre Martínez, 
Ambassador,  Permanent Representative  to the 
WTO, Paraguay  
 
Panel: 
 Gyan C. Acharya, UN Under-Secretary-
General and High Representative for the 
Least Developed Countries, Landlocked 
Developing Countries and Small Developing 
States  
 Nazriev Saidrahmon, First Deputy Minister 
of Economic Development and Trade, 
Republic of Tajikistan 
 Banesaty Thepphavong, Director General, 
Department of Import and Export, Ministry 
of Industry and Commerce, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic 
 Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, 
Uganda  
 Klaus Tilmes, Director, Trade and 
Competitiveness Global Practice, World 
Bank Group The side event was jointly organized by 
Paraguay and Tajikistan.  The objective of the 
session was to recall the Vienna Programme of 
Action and to discuss the decade of actions 
planned to address the special development 
needs and challenges of landlocked developing 
countries (LLDCs) arising from the 
landlockedness, remoteness and geographical 
constraints in a coherent manner.  The 
discussion emphasized the importance of 
reversing the deep-seated structural 
weaknesses that have prevented LLDCs from 
harnessing trade to achieve economic growth 
with equity, by targeting the root causes and 
the channels through which LLDCs can integrate 
into the global economy. Speakers called on 
donor agencies and international organizations 
to intensify their support for LLDCs' reform 
efforts in a manner that allows for synergies 
between transport development objectives, 
trade facilitation, economic diversification, 
export competitiveness and poverty alleviation.  
Additionally, particular attention was given to 
the development and expansion of efficient 
transit systems and regional cooperation, in 
order to transform LLDCs into land-linked 
countries. 
 
Presentation 
 Gyan C. Acharya, UN Under-Secretary-Genera l and High Representative for the Least 
Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing  Countries and Small Developing States 
(UN-OHRLLS) , opened the session by  recalling the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA).  
Landlocked developing countries faced specific challenges including high transport costs and 
logistics' infrastructures costs. Attention needed to  be paid to the trade development of landlocked 
countries and the related challenges – action that would significantly contribute to the millennium 
goals including reducing extreme poverty. He me ntioned the first Almaty Programme of Action 
addressing the special needs of landlocked de veloping countries which had identified the 
challenges of LLDCs and proposed a strategy to address them. He emphasized the need for 
structural economic transformation that responded to competitiveness, diversification and access to finance. He stressed that volatility and vulnerability were high in Africa. He mentioned that with 
regard to the global development agenda, the VPoA should be given special attention and 
mainstreamed with trade facilitation priorities aiming at reducing trade costs for inclusive sustainable growth. He called upon all developmen t partners including WTO, to aim at greater 
cooperation.  
 Nazriev Saidrahmon, First Deputy Minister  of Economic Development and Trade, 
Republic of Tajikistan , shared the Tajik experience on trade facilitation and outlined the policies 
that his country had put in place to ensure poverty reduction, including trade policy that gave 
importance to implementation the WTO Trade Facili tation Agreement (TFA). He mentioned that out 
of 37 TFA measures, Tajikistan had 27 of them under implementation and only ten would be 
scheduled under Category C.  
 Banesaty Thepphavong, Director  General, Department  of Import and Export, Ministry of 
Industry and Commerce, Lao People's  Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) , shared her 
country's experience, highlighting the tremendous improvements that had taken place through institutional reforms, application of automated systems in customs, establishment of a trade WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  facilitation secretariat, trade portal and other measures. She suggested that Lao PDR had become 
a land-linked, not a landlocked country.   Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO , 
Uganda,  shared Uganda's experience and outlined ho w regional integration had helped overcome 
some challenges, including non-tariff barriers, through initiatives under East Africa Community framework which had helped to reduce cost of trade tremendously.  
 
Klaus Tilmes, Director, Trade and Competitiv eness Global Practice, World Bank Group , 
underlined the importance of information across value chains. He further indicated that connecting landlocked countries went beyond simple trade facilitation and required a combination of 
institutional capacity, hard and soft infrastructure. He suggested that the services sector was a 
high potential sector for landlocked countries.   
Kazakhstan also shared its experience as a new acceding countries and commitment to trade 
facilitation.  
 
Conclusion 
 The session ended with a call to Members to play their role in moving forward the Vienna Programme of Action, in line with trade facilitation implementation, so as to achieve trade cost 
reductions that would support sustainable growth. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 19:  Reducing Trade Costs by Mapping Sustainability Standards in Supply 
Chains  
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of Switzerland, Geneva 
 
Opening remarks:  Ivo Germann, Head of 
Operations, SECO, Switzerland 
 
Moderator:  Remigi Winzap Ambassador, 
Permanent Mission to the WTO, Switzerland 
 
Panel: 
 Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General, 
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation 
and Development, Germany 
 Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, 
International Trade Centre (ITC)  
 Juan Carlos Ardila, Managing Director, 
Cafexport Colombia 
 Antonia Wanner, Head of Global Commodity 
Procurement, Nestlé 
 Puvan Selvanathan, Head, Food and 
Agriculture Business Principles Programme, 
UN Global Compact 
 
 This side event presented the work of the ITC 
Trade For Sustainable Development Programme 
(T4SD) and invited different key stakeholders of 
the programme to share their perspective on 
the importance of sustainability standards for 
promoting sustainable trade and reducing trade 
costs for developing countries.  
 
The event demonstrated the importance of 
sustainability standards for the promotion of 
sustainable trade and highlighted the 
opportunities they can offer to developing 
countries in terms of improving competitiveness 
and enhanced market access. However, the 
presentations and discussions also made clear 
that the compliance with sustainability 
standards still posed many challenges for 
suppliers in developing countries, in particular 
for small- and medium-sized enterprises 
(SMEs). The speakers agreed that the T4SD, 
and in particular its flagship product the 
Standards Map, provided crucial support to 
developing countries and their suppliers and 
allowed them to effectively reap the possible 
benefits of sustainability standards by opening 
new market opportunities and reducing trade 
costs. 
 
Presentation  
In his opening remarks,  Ivo Germann, Head of Operations, Economic Cooperation and 
Development, SECO, Switzerland , stressed the importance of trade as an engine for 
development and highlighted the importance Swit zerland attributed to sustainability and to 
promoting sustainable trade for sustainable development. Switzerland was convinced that 
sustainability standards played an essential role in the promotion of sustainable trade and offered 
many opportunities for developing countries. However, compliance with sustainability standards 
held challenges for many economic actors from developing countries, in particular for SMEs. In 
order to mitigate these challenges and allow the potential of sustainability standards to unfold, Switzerland had supported the ITC's T4SD from its start and was convinced that the programme provided crucial support in making neutral information on standards easily and widely accessible 
and thus allowing stakeholders to take informed decisions on sustainability standards and 
facilitating compliance.   
Dominik Ziller, Deputy Director General fo r International Development, BMZ, Germany , 
(Co-Donor) , highlighted that the compliance with sustainability standards provided significant 
opportunities for developing countries to pave the way to new market or enhance market access to 
existing markets. ITC's T4SD in this regard played an important role in capacitating SMEs in 
developing countries to work with sustainability standards and thus to securing this additional market access. T4SD was a practical tool to pr ovide more transparency and credible data on 
sustainability standards, particularly benefiting small producers. Facilitating compliance with 
sustainability standards was an important contribution to stopping social and ecological dumping, 
raising the share of sustainably produced goods and including developing countries in global value chains.  
 
Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, ITC , emphasized that sustainable trade mattered 
to everyone and that demand for sustainably produced goods was growing. Sustainability 
standards had an important role to play in this regard and did not only offer new trade 
opportunities for developing countries, but also opportunities to improve product quality and boost competitiveness. However, the landscape of su stainability standards had become complex and WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  compliance with standards increasingly challenging. In order to realise the opportunities that 
sustainability standards offer, a collective effort was necessary to facilitate compliance with standards. The Standards Map tool, developed by ITC, was an online database providing comprehensive data on sustainability standards in collaboration with over 170 standards. The 
information was constantly updated and was regula rly reviewed by peer groups thus providing a 
neutral and verified comparison point and possibility for self-assessment of standards.   
Juan Carlos Ardila, Managing Director, Cafexport Colombia , explained that despite impact 
measuring of sustainability standards having started only recently, he could tell from his personal experience that sustainability standards had definitely mitigated social and environmental problems. Despite at first also some reluctance towards sustainability standards, suppliers in 
Colombia were more and more starting to work with these standards and to actually try to make 
use of the opportunities they offered. He highligh ted the need to start to think beyond the farms, 
as many sustainability issues actually lay beyond the supplier side. He also stressed the 
importance of changing the mind-set among suppliers and investing in long-term structural 
reforms regarding compliance with standards so that sustainability became sustainable.   
Antonia Wanner, Head of Global  Commodity Procurement, Nestlé , presented key learnings 
that Nestlé as a big multinational buyer had disco vered in the implementation of their sustainable 
business model. Firstly, sustainability standards were a key driver for sustainability. The Standards Map of ITC's T4SD had been a great achievemen t and had taken emotion out of the debate and 
focused attention on action. However, standards were not a silver bullet, additional tailored 
remedies were needed. Standards alone, for instance, did not reduce child labour. It was necessary to raise awareness and inform people about what was acceptable and what was not 
when children were helping in the family business, to stress that sending children to school was 
very important, but then also to actually make it possible for the suppliers to send their children to 
school. And information and training was not limited to suppliers, but consumer communication 
was equally crucial, as most consumers were poorly informed about what standards and labels 
stood for. In this regard, Nestlé had launched a broad initiative by providing very tangible and concrete information about suppliers on product labels.   
Puvan Selvanathan, Head, Food and Agricult ure Business (FAB) Principles Programme, 
UN Global Compact, presented the FABs programme of UN Global Compact (UNGC) that had 
been launched in Rio in 2012 and attempted to agree a common language regarding sustainability, 
so that there was a common understanding of issues related to sustainability. UNGC formulated 
them in form of business principles, accounting for the fact that the private sector increasingly was seeing sustainability as also being an issue that concerned them. UNGC was now currently working 
with ITC on building up a broad integrated, big data platform that would allow a very thorough 
protocol to map through the jungle of sustainability standards. The idea was to create a registry for suppliers by issuing them global location, or "blue numbers" to create the foundation for traceability and to better understand how many farmers and trading partners were out there and 
how they were farming and operating – to make th em part of the global community. He suggested 
that there was need for a global registry in which farmers would be visible. This programme would be launched at the UN General Assembly in September 2015.    
 
Comments from the floor remarked that there was still a lack of coordination among businesses, as many suppliers would encounter the problem that different buyers demanded compliance with 
similar, but different standards, forcing them to comply with several similar standards at the same 
time. Furthermore, it was discussed whether there it was necessary to link public and private standards or to, for example, discuss private standards in a forum like WTO.  
Conclusion 
 In their concluding remarks, the speakers once again highlighted the important opportunities that 
sustainability standards offered, but also acknowledged that many challenges remained. 
Participants agreed that the T4SD, and initiatives like the big data platform of UNGC, were crucial 
tools to bring improvements in order to reap the full benefits of sustainability standards. They 
noted that much remained to be done, but that these programmes constituted an important step 
in the right direction and a solid basis for further work.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 20:  Understanding Effective Development Partnerships - Cooperative 
Experiences with Developing Countries/LDCs 
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of the Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu  
 
World Vision 
 
Panel: 
 Shih-Yuan Lai, Permanent Representative of 
the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, 
Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu to the WTO, 
Geneva 
 Shih-Hung Liu, Deputy Director, Technical 
and Cooperation Department,   ICDF, 
Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, 
Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu to the WTO, 
Geneva 
 Carmen Gisela Vergara, Secretary-General, 
Secretariat for Central American Economic 
Integration  
 Njabuliso Busisiwe Gwebu, Ambassador,   
Permanent Representative to the WTO, 
Swaziland  
 Beris Gwynne, Director and UN 
Representative, World Vision International, 
Geneva This side-event showcased the Separate 
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen 
and Matsu's Aid-for-Trade projects in Latin 
America, Africa and the Pacific. It set out to 
share results and experiences with Members on 
how these projects are benefiting the local 
people in the participating countries and their 
relevance to the specific aims of WTO's 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative. 
 
Presentation  
 Shih-Yuan Lai, Ambassasor, Permanent Re presentative of the Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu to the WTO , explained how in the 1950s 
and 1960s the Separate Customs Territory of Ta iwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu was a recipient 
of foreign aid, and it was the Government's wise and effective use of that aid in developing the 
economic infrastructure that produced the rapid economic growth they experienced in the 1970s 
and 1980s. They then started to send agriculture and medical teams into LDCs, with good results, 
which after the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu's accession to 
the WTO in 2002 led them to channel more foreign aid resources through Aid-for-Trade (AfT) 
projects in Latin America, Africa and the Pacific.   Shih-Hung Liu, Deputy Director, Technical and Cooperation Department, ICDF, Separate 
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu,  s a i d  t h a t  I C D F  r a n  m a n y  A f T  
projects in Latin America, Africa and the Pacific.  For example, an E-customs project was helping to 
reduce the costs of trade in Belize and several vegetable marketing and promotion projects were 
assisting farmers in Swaziland and Fiji to make a profit for the very first time.  
 Carmen Gisela Vergara, Secretary-General, Secretariat for Central American Economic 
Integration , demonstrated the importance of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen and Matsu's efforts in Central America to the economic development of the region.  
 Njabuliso Busisiwe Gwebu, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO, 
Swaziland , showed how projects of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen 
and Matsu were contributing to the economic development of Swaziland.  
Beris Gwynne, Director and UN Repres entative, World Vision International,  Geneva , 
proposed that Aid for Trade should be designated  as sustainability work and suggested that the 
value of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu's efforts in the AfT 
area should not be under-estimated. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Conclusion 
 The overall conclusion of participants and expert s alike was that the Aid-for-Trade work of the 
Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu was extremely effective and 
deserved much greater recognition around the world. It must continue with its AfT projects and 
more effort should be made to communicate the successful results of these cooperative partnerships to the international community.  
 
  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 21: Promoting Cooperative to C ooperative Trade for Sustainable Development  
Organized by:  
 
Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development  
(CSEND) 
 
International Labour Organization (ILO) 
 
International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) 
 
Panel: 
 Eloi Laourou, Ambassador, Deputy 
Permanent Representative to the United 
Nations Office in Geneva, Benin 
 Aly-Khan Jamal, Expert Advisor, Dalberg 
Global Development Advisors 
 Sergi Corbalan, Executive Director, Fair 
Trade Advocacy Office 
 Zhang Wangshu, Managing Director, 
International Cooperation Department, All-
China Federation of Supply and Marketing 
Cooperatives 
 Rodrigo Gouveia, Policy Director, ICA 
 Raymond Saner, Director, CSEND & 
Diplomacy Dialogue 
 
 
 Cooperative enterprises are major players in the 
global economy. According to the most recent 
figures of the International Co-operative 
Alliance, the 300 largest cooperatives in the 
world have a combined turnover of 
US$2.2 trillion. Some 250 million people are 
employed or earn their living thanks to a 
cooperative enterprise. The panel will examine 
the links between cooperatives and trade, 
practical experiences of 
cooperative-to-cooperative trade and how this 
can make value chains shorter, fairer and more 
efficient and competitive.  
 
The session addressed the following questions 
around trade costs:  
 How do cooperative enterprises contribute 
to addressing some of these pressing trade 
issues? 
 What are the benefits of cooperative-to-
cooperative cross border trade? In 
particular, what are the added benefits for 
developing and least developed countries? 
 How do fair trade and similar partnership 
approaches to trade, that often build on 
partnerships with cooperatives, lower trade 
costs? 
 How can cooperative enterprises help 
developing and LDCs link up to global and 
regional value chains?  
 
Presentation  
 Eloi Laourou, Ambassador, Deputy Permanen t Representative to the United Nations 
Office in Geneva, Benin , stated that  cooperatives were very important actors for delivering on 
sustainable development goals. They helped address social, economic and environmental 
challenges in both developed and developing countries. Access to finance was a key challenge for 
cooperatives, especially in low-income countries. When talking about cooperatives and trade the 
focus should not only be about market access but also food security. Special and Differentiated Treatment provisions should be designed in a manner that allowed for the cooperative model to thrive and benefit producers and workers who were not getting their fair share from the global 
supply chains.  
 Aly-Khan Jamal, Expert Advisor, Da lberg Global Development Advisors , highlighted that  
agricultural trade between cooperatives was a promising starting point to drive greater intra-coop 
trade. Intra-cooperative trade was around US$10 billion in 2012; and was mostly made up of competitively priced, fresh, low value-added goods traded nationally and intra-regionally. There 
were multiple barriers that inhibited coop-to-coop trade in the areas of: production, harvesting and 
aggregation; sorting, processing and merchandising; trade and wholesale distribution; and retail and consumption. To increase coop-to-coop trade, it would be necessary not only to link producers 
and consumers but also to establish a clear value proposition for consumer cooperatives. Targeted 
efforts could substantially increase trade flows, both between cooperatives and from cooperatives 
to the rest of the world.  
Sergi Corbalan, Executive Direct or, Fair Trade Advocacy Office , suggested that fair trade 
offered an inclusive model of trade by seeking grea ter equity in international trade through trading 
partnerships, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, it contributed to sustainable 
development and inclusive growth by offering bette r trading conditions to, and securing the rights 
of, marginalized producers and workers. These aspe cts of fair trade suggested that fair trade was 
a movement clearly related to cooperatives. Cafédirect was a good example of fair trade in the UK. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  The premium went to the cooperative (not to the farmers) for institutional development and 
strengthening.   Zhang Wangshu, Managing Director, Intern ational Cooperation Department, All-China 
Federation of Supply an d Marketing Cooperatives , recalled that business-to-business (B2B) 
trade represented 34% of China Coop's trade port folio. Agro inputs represented 59.9% of China 
Coop export structure and 37.5% of its import stru cture. The diversity of ICA members in different 
countries and sectors allowed trade among cooperatives based on comparative advantage, not just 
about shared principles. Coop-to-coop (C-to-C) trade also meant lower transaction costs and lower risks. The first and very basic barrier in C-to-C trade was the fact that conceptually cooperatives were connected. However with respect to informat ion and business relations, these were scattered 
and separated.  
 Rodrigo Gouveia, Policy Director, ICA , noted that cooperatives were a part of the fair trade 
system. Cooperatives were people-centred and ba sed on values. The most relevant of the seven 
cooperative principles for making trade more equitable were that cooperatives were open and voluntary and that they were democratically controlled and there was cooperation among 
cooperatives. These principles ensured that people  who were members of cooperatives would also 
be the main beneficiaries and revenues would stay in the communities. It was worth noting that eight of the top countries with the highest C-to-C trade volume were also among the top 12 countries of the social development index. 
 
Raymond Saner, Director, CSEND & Diplomacy Dialogue, highlighted that available financial, 
employment and social statistics showed that coops were a critical part of the economy. The data 
available on cooperatives' share in trade was still quite preliminary. It was necessary to include 
cooperatives in the discussions on trade developm ent. C-to-C trade was important and existed but 
data was scarce; beyond some isolated efforts at  the company level, better structured and regular 
data at country and sectoral levels was needed. Cooperatives should be integrated into the WTO 
statistics by creating a new category of trading organization analogous to the WTO State Trading Enterprise called "Cooperative Trading Organization". Coops could make a contribution to all the three spheres of sustainable development and across sustainable development goals. As the recent 
discussions at the International Labour Conference indicated, cooperatives were an option for 
countries with large informal economies.  
 
Questions and comments 
 Comments made included the following: cooperatives contribute to environmental sustainability; 
there was a growing presence of cooperatives in  the renewable energy field; governance of 
cooperatives was a challenge; it was important to balance governance and democracy (a paper on this topic would be presented by ICA at its General Assembly in Turkey in November 2015); 
volatility of prices of products produced by coop eratives (e.g. coffee) was a major challenge for C-
to-C trade; the potential of cooperatives was greatly underutilized as there was a general lack of 
information of cooperative businesses in different parts of the world; and cooperatives can help promote sustainable development if certain conditions are fulfilled such as access to finance, 
enabling environment, etc. 
 Conclusion 
 
In order to increase C-to-C trade, it would be necessary not only to link producers and consumers 
but also to establish a clear value proposition for consumer cooperatives. Fair trade was a movement clearly related to cooperatives and well-recognised as a premium label. Scaling up the 
Fair Trade "brand" could be one option to support start-up cooperatives to enter the market more 
successfully. Statistics showed that coops were ve ry important part of the economy. To treat 
cooperatives as any private enterprises would be misleading and a failure to addressing the 
growing trend toward "shared economy" or "solidarity economy". There was a need to integrate 
cooperatives into the WTO statistics to track this trend which is better aligned to the post-2008 world. This could be done by creating a new category of trading organization analogous 
to the WTO State Trading Enterprise called "Cooperative Trading Organization". Cooperatives were 
very important for the implementation of SD Gs and achieving sustainable development. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 22:  Motor Vehicle Agreemen t Among the BBIN Group of Countries: Key 
Concerns, Challenges and Benefits  
Organized by:  
 
CUTS International  
 
Panel: 
 Julien Grollier, Assistant Programme Officer, 
CUTS International, Geneva 
 Marek Retelski, Head of TIR and Trade 
Facilitation, International Road Transport 
Union 
 William John Gain, Senior Private Sector 
Development Specialist on Trade Logistics, 
Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice, 
World Bank Group 
 Mostafa Abid Khan, Minister at the 
Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the 
United Nations and other International 
Organizations in Geneva 
 Yann Duval, Chief, Trade Facilitation Unit, 
Trade and Investment Division, United 
Nations Economic and Social Commission 
for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) 
 Pranav Kumar, Head of International Trade 
Policy, Confederation of Indian Industry 
 
 
 On 15 June 2015, the 
Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) group 
of countries signed a sub-regional motor 
vehicles agreement that had the potential for 
facilitating easy cargo movement across their 
borders. It was expected to reduce trade 
transaction costs significantly and could be an 
effective tool to realise trade and investment 
potential. This event discussed the potential 
benefits of this agreement, as well as key 
concerns and challenges to be addressed for 
effective implementation, including through 
leveraging Aid for Trade.  
 
Overall, panellists expressed high hopes for the 
agreement and its potential to facilitate trade 
and streamline movement of goods in the area.  
Some commended the framework agreement as 
ground-breaking and prov ided insightful views 
on ways to address business concerns and 
foreseeable implementation challenges. At this 
stage, questions and concerns still existed on 
issues such as route earmarking, permits, 
vehicle registry, minimizing the need for 
inspection, ensuring flexibility etc. The main 
challenge identified was the long process for 
regulatory harmonisation between the four 
contracting parties, where effective 
multi-stakeholder consultations would be 
required.  
 
Among other recommendations, the session 
identified the need to devise a mutually agreed 
plan for sequenced implementation, where 
possible early actions could include agreeing on 
common standards (e.g. for axle load) and 
authorized routes.  
 
Presentation  
Julien Grollier, Assistant Programme O fficer, CUTS International Geneva, highlighted the 
potential of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN)  Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) , 
for greater regional economic integration in South Asia, Mr Grollier presented some concerns to be 
addressed during the implementation phase. These pertained to route earmarking, permit issues 
that could arise, vehicle registry, inspection mechanisms, gaps in capacity, information asymmetry and local political stumbling blocks. He proposed a number of possible solutions which would help 
reduce business costs, including the adoption of appropriate technologies (GPS, CCTV, e-seals) to 
minimise the need for inspection. It was also recommended to allow flexibility in changing routes, d rive r or trac tor d uring  the  c ours e  of a journe y, as  we l l as  to d e vis e  s p e c ific  arrang e me nts  for Less-than-Truck-Load (LTL) shipments. 
 
Marek Retelski, Head of TIR and Trade Facilitat ion, International Road Transport Union, 
began by commending the agreement's signing. He  spoke of sustained progress and a continued 
commitment to the agreement. Drawing on his experience with borders and transport, he 
mentioned some of the challenges commonly faced in operationalizing such international and regional agreements.    
 
William John Gain, Senior Private Sector De velopment Specialist on Trade Logistics, 
Trade and Competitiveness Global  Practice, World Bank Group , commended the agreement WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  as ground-breaking and a serious move towards development and regional integration. He was 
appreciative of the participatory process that led to the BBIN MVA, including the transparent collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sector. According to him, the need 
for sustained collaboration between the public and the private sector, as well as between border 
agencies, in operationalizing the MVA could not be overstated. He also highlighted the difficult path 
ahead, explaining that signing the agreement was only the first step of many. In this regard, 
clearly defined rules and regulations would be key to securing private sector stakeholders' buy-in.  
 
Mostafa Abid Khan, Minister, Permanent Missi on of Bangladesh to the United Nations 
and other International Organizations, Geneva , emphasized the framework nature of the 
BBIN MVA as well as its broader coverage that included not only cargo but also passenger and 
personal transport. He provided practical insights  on some foreseeable implementation challenges 
and needs for harmonization. For instance, Indian roads could be able to support trucks with greater loads than those in Bangladesh. Also, the different sizes and composition of different 
vehicles begged the question of pan-regional definitions and standardization. Finally, Mr Abid Khan 
was hopeful that tourism would encourage quicker operationalisation. He concluded by saying that the devil was in the details.  
 
Yann Duval, Chief, Trade Facilitation Unit , Trade and Investment Division, UNESCAP , 
joined other panellists in calling the signing of the MVA a breakthrough, which was consistent with the UNESCAP Strategic Framework for Internat ional Road Transport adopted by Transport 
Ministers of the Asia-Pacific region in 2013. He  noted that securing broad-based stakeholder 
ownership for the MVA would be critical to ensure its implementation enhanced national welfare. He also pointed to a list of ten international instruments and conventions that could be adopted to 
support implementation, in addition to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. He made two 
recommendations: first, any institutional mechanism established as part of the agreement should be placed under the umbrella structure of the National and Sub-regional Trade Facilitation 
Committees; second, he called for the establishment of a monitoring mechanism, possibly as part 
of those on trade facilitation being established by the SASEC
40 nations with support from UNESCAP 
and the Asian Development Bank.  
 
Pranav Kumar, Head of International Trade Policy, Confederation of Indian Industry , 
joined other panellists in underscoring the long path ahead with regard to successful implementation. He stressed the need for setting an implementation timeline and highlighted the 
potential of Aid for Trade in supporting implemen tation. The Indian private sector was looking 
forward to implementation of the MVA, which should allow bringing higher quality motor vehicles from India to the three neighbours. The agreement was expected to facilitate further Indian trade 
with the three members, who already enjoyed du ty-free and quota-free access to Indian markets 
for most goods.  Questions and Comments 
 
Questions from the audience focused on precedents where similar motor vehicle agreements in other regions which could provide lessons for BBI N countries. The example of the Greater Mekong 
Subregion Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement was mentioned. However, its success 
was limited partly due to the extreme complexity of the agreement. In the case of the BBIN, the MVA was a framework Agreement and it was not overly convoluted. Other lessons learnt included 
the need for principle-based and flexible framework for implementation, as well as the need for not 
overlooking possible road quality issues, which could prove more of a stumbling block than 
expected.  
                                               
40 South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Conclusion 
 The panellists concluded with high hopes for the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, while recommending continued efforts with regard to implementation. As stated by a panellist, 
"Collaboration must be maintained before and after the ink dries." The risk for implementation 
challenges existed in any agreement, but proper involvement from all stakeholders, flexibility and use of pre-existing resources would help to avoi d as many hiccups as possible. The need of the 
hour was to devise a mutually-agreed plan fo r sequenced implementation, where possible early 
actions could include agreeing on common standards (e.g. for axle load) and authorized routes.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 23: Discovering Pacific Trade Potential  
Organized by:  
 
Enhanced Integrated Framework Secretariat 
(EIF) 
 
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) 
 
Permanent Mission of Australia, Geneva 
 
World Trade Organization (WTO) 
 
 
 Due to their remoteness, size, exposure to 
devastating natural disasters and climate 
vulnerability, Pacific Island countries – and in 
particular LDCs – are among the most 
vulnerable in the world. Aid for Trade can have 
a positive impact in supporting these countries 
on their development path, leveraging the 
region's unique natural and cultural 
endowment.  
 
This reception – organized by Australia, the 
Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework, the PIFS, and the WTO 
Secretariat - provided Global Review 
participants with a Pacific Islands' experience 
that showcased select LDC exports supported 
through Aid for Trade and offered a taste of 
Pacific Islands' culture, arts and cuisine. 
 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 24: Managing Non-tariff Measures  in Sustainable Development Strategies  
Organized by:  
 
United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development (UNCTAD) 
 
International Trade Centre (ITC) 
 
World Bank Group (WBG) 
 
World Trade Organization (WTO) 
 
Panel: 
 Olivier Cadot, University of Lausanne and 
Foundation for International Development 
Study and Research 
 Marc Bacchetta, Senior Counsellor, WTO 
 Ralf Peters, OIC Trade Analysis Branch, 
UNCTAD 
 Marion Jansen, Chief Economist, ITC 
 Jose Guilherme Reis, Manager, Trade Unit, 
WBG 
 
 
 The session focused on the link between 
non-tariff measures (NTMs) and sustainable 
development through trade. The objective was 
to discuss collaborative work and progress of 
different institutions in relation to NTMs, in 
aspects such as trade costs, governance, 
coherence or convergence. 
 
Part of the discussion related to data availability 
and progress in the area of data collection. 
Some assessments using collected NTM data 
already indicated that NTMs were more 
important for trade costs than tariffs.  
 
Panellists also shared their views on the need 
and ways to overcome other potential adverse 
effects on trade. There were some instruments 
at the multilateral level, for example, disciplines 
and dispute settlement mechanisms, especially 
on trade remedies or trade contingency 
measures. The role of the SPS and TBT 
agreements was also fundamental, especially in 
setting the theoretical principles for appropriate 
regulation.  
 
At regional level, convergence between 
countries was considered convenient for 
lowering trade compliance costs, improving 
private companies' competitiveness, through 
harmonization and mutual recognition of NTMs. 
At the same time, unilaterally, countries could 
improve their performance by assuring 
coherence in their policy choices to attain 
desired development objectives.  
 
Presentation  
 
Olivier Cadot, Senior Research Fellow, Foundation for International Development Study and Research Director, Inst itut d'Economie Appliquée , suggested that the fear that NTMs 
used as protectionist policies had not widely materialized. Instead, there was a concrete risk of 
spill-over of one measure taken on another area not related to the objective it was designed to 
attain. National policy making played a key role. Regulatory supervisory bodies within a country or 
a region could perform the role of explicit coordination to address this risk or offer conflict 
resolution and coordination mechanism. Presently,  the closest institutional bodies were the NTM 
Committees to be set up through the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).   
Marc Bacchetta, Senior Counsellor, Economic  Research and Statistics Division, WTO , 
stated that there was room for international management and cooperation in the area of NTMs. Regional arrangements may have had an impact on third countries and this was the main reason why regulatory convergence and alignment at the multilateral level was needed. The agreements 
on SPS and TBT were useful, but probably no t enough. Some members were ready to discuss 
some of the other issues related to market acce ss. In the area of data availability, the 2012 WTO 
World Trade Report had reviewed extensively the ty pes of data, existing sources and coverage in 
terms of countries and subjects. Data on NTMs was definitively not a given. Besides WTO 
Notifications, there was active collection of official measures done by UNCTAD; coverage that was expanding, especially in the areas of SPS and TBT. There were also ITC surveys to trading 
companies which complemented this information to offer a different perspective and included 
concerns in respect of procedural obstacles. Th ere was also the Global Trade Alert, monitoring 
policies that affect world trade. Data for some measures such as subsidies were currently not WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  available. The purpose of collecting data was to support analysis that would lead to informed 
decisions on trade policies, including NTMs. Th e effects of NTM were well understood, but not 
documented, since this needed to be based on so lid data analysis. This area was again not fully 
established, as modelling it was not straightforward. The numerous studies coming out recently 
contributed to expanding this area of knowledge.  
 Ralf Peters, OIC Trade Analysis Branch, UNCTAD , highlighted data that was collected and 
available in the UNCTAD TRAINS database and used, for example, for the estimation of ad valorem 
equivalents, which indicated that the effect of NTMs was much larger than tariffs. The effect on exports from LDCs was assessed to be even more significant. Still, NTM were not just impeding 
trade, but contributed to policy objectives much linked to sustainable development. There was a 
close link between the two, and Aid for Trade could help countries to use NTMs to attain their 
development objectives. Transparency was the first step towards facilitating compliance for requirements in export markets. UNCTAD and its pa rtners was planning to have by the end of this 
year data on official measures of NTM countries accounting for 90% of world trade. The data was 
also used for supporting regional integration, for example through facilitating regional convergence. As a future step, ex-ante cooperation could help countries implement their regulation 
in a way that met the stated objectives but did not hamper trade, especially considering that most 
developing countries were expected to catch up with regulations   Marion Jansen, Chief Economist, ITC, stated that  S M E s  w e r e  l e s s  p r o d u c t i v e  t h a n  l a r g e  
enterprises, and half of them were affected by NTM in trade. The work of ITC in this area was 
summarized in four steps. Access to information was again stated as a starting point for supporting these companies the enhance competitiveness. Firms were supported to enhance their 
capacity level to meet regulatory and standard related requirements. At the country level, there 
was a need to provide technical infrastructure to assess conformity to those requirements. At the border, trade facilitation work eased procedural obstacles for more efficient cross-border 
procedures, especially through simplified docume nts and procedures and enhanced predictability. 
It was stressed that private standards could pose a problems to exporters and ITC offered a tool to search for extensive information in this area.   
Jose Guilherme Reis, Manager, Trade Unit, WBG , recommended that national governments 
streamline their NTM regulations to ensure coherence and reduce unwanted side effects. The Bank had developed a tool kit for this purpose and supported the fact that NTM were necessary to 
accomplish domestic safety and development objectives, and so the analysis had to be done case 
by case to improve regulatory governance and ta rget policy advice. The approach should not be 
confrontational among public and private sector s, since NTM could improve competitiveness. 
 
Discussion  There was agreement that NTM were not set mainly for protectionism, but for other objectives, for 
example related to safety and to attain other de velopment objectives. It was also explained that 
the term Regulatory Coherence referred to policy design within a country, so that there were no conflicting regulations put in place, while Policy Convergence referred to negotiation among two or 
more countries to align their policies, mainly through mutual recognition or harmonization. 
Negotiation in this area was more complex than in the case of tariffs, since it is not a price but, for example, which method was chosen to eliminate pathogens in food, or which approach to take in 
determining authorized ingredients. NTM Data indicated in which areas countries had more 
differences, so as to focus discussion to those areas. It was stated that mutual recognition in conformity assessment could bring substantial reduction in compliance costs, and this seemed promising for AfT work. It was also mentioned that competition issues could be raised in some 
cases, if any regulation created a monopoly de facto . This issue was being considered by some 
institutions.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 25: Transforming Border Bottlenec ks into Global Gateways – OECD Tools to 
support Trade Facilitation 
Organized by:  
 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development (OECD) 
 
Panel: 
 Evdokia Moise, Senior Trade Policy Analyst, 
OECD  
 Valérie Thielemans, Senior Statistical Data 
Management Officer, OECD 
 Steven Pope, Head of Customs and 
Regulatory Affairs Europe, DHL 
 Gabriel Duque, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative to the WTO, Colombia  
 Elizabeth Santucci, Office of Trade  and 
Regulatory Reform , United States Agency 
for International Development 
 
 
 The objective of the event was to present the 
analytical and benchmarking tools developed by 
the OECD to support the implementation of 
trade facilitation and, drawing on the findings of 
those tools to discuss the impact of trade 
facilitation on trade costs and the contribution 
of the donor community in supporting trade 
facilitation.  
 
The presentations illustrated the various uses of 
the tools for countries that seek to formulate 
their implementation action plans as regards 
the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) 
and secure appropriate technical assistance and 
capacity building support. Discussions and 
questions from the floor focussed mainly on the 
methods used  by the OECD to ensure the 
accuracy, relevance, timeliness and robustness 
of the collected data and analysis undertaken; 
the capacity of the underlying databases to 
reflect not only applicable regulations but also 
practice on the ground and to monitor actual 
performance as opposed to perception; 
scheduled updates of the data; and possibilities 
to incorporate user's feedback to further 
improve the relevance and effectiveness of the 
tools for policy makers, donors and researchers 
alike. 
 
Presentation 
 
Evdokia Moise, Senior Trade Policy Analyst, and Valérie Thielemans, Senior Statistical 
Data Management Officer, OECD , introduced the Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFI) and the 
Policy Simulation tool. Three tools had been developed: the "Compare your Country on Trade 
Facilitation"41; the TF Policy Simulator42; and the Aid for Trade Facilitation Interactive Database43. 
The aim of the tools was to help countries prioritise trade facilitation actions, mobilise technical 
assistance and capacity-building efforts in a more targeted way and identify available development 
assistance. Data was collected on a three-layer basis: data from the OECD, data coming from the private sector and data coming from (currently) 152 governments (soon 163).   
Steven Pope, Head of Customs and Regulatory Affairs Europe, DHL , highlighted the impact 
of effective trade facilitation actions for supporting and promoting economic activity and shaping firms' location and sourcing decisions.   
 
Gabriel Duque, Ambassador,  Permanent Representative to the WTO, Colombia , 
showcased the trade facilitation progress achieved by his country in recent years and how OECD 
TF tools were helping Colombia identify and address remain challenges.  
 Elizabeth Santucci, Office of Trade  and Regulatory Reform, United States Agency for 
International Development , stressed the importance of reliable measurement and monitoring 
mechanisms, such as the OECD TF interactive tools, in informing and strengthening policy 
decisions.  
                                               
41 http://www.compareyourcount ry.org/trade-facilitation 
42 http://oecd/tfi-sim  
43 
https://public.tableau.com/views/AFTFacilitation/Byaidprovider?:embed=y&:showTabs=y&:display_count=no?
&:showVizHome=no#1     WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Discussion 
 Participants from the private sector offered further data inputs from the business perspective to enrich the reflection of trade facilitation practices on the ground. Other participants inquired how 
discrepancies between government inputs and priv ate sector feedback were reconciled in the TFI 
data. The audience discussed the three-layered process for fact-checking the data and ensuring that possible errors could be rectified by concerned administrations. Participants also discussed the 
coverage of performance of border authorities other than customs and the possibility to 
benchmark best practices and highlight challenges at the regional level. Finally participants enquired about the possibility to further deepen and adjust the information contained in the tools for diagnostic and policy formulation needs. Lastly, the OECD Secretariat invited feedback on the 
relevance and user-friendliness of the tool s and suggestions for future improvement. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 152 - 
 
  Side event 26: Sequencing Reforms and Ge aring up for Ratification of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement  
Organized by:  
 
World Bank Group (WBG) 
 
Opening Remarks:  
 Anabel González, Senior Director, Trade and 
Competitiveness Global Practice, WBG 
 Xiaozhun Yi, Deputy Director General, World 
Trade Organization (WTO) 
 Esteban Conejos, Chair of the Preparatory 
Committee on Trade Facilitation 
 
Moderator: Klaus Tilmes, Director, Trade 
Competitiveness Global Practice, WBG  
 
Panel: 
 William Gain, Global Product Specialist, 
Trade Competitiveness Global Practice, 
WBG  
 Gerard McLinden, Lead Specialist, Trade 
and Competiveness Global Practice, WBG 
 Sheri Rosenow, Senior Counsellor, WTO  The objective of this event was to share best 
practices in reform design, sequencing and 
implementation to improve alignment with the 
Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). 
 
Presentation 
 Anabel González, Senior Director, Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice, WBG , 
opened the side event. In her presentation, she underlined the political momentum for trade 
facilitation reform and that Members needed to build on this momentum. She referred to recent studies and empirical evidence that pointed to the significant impact of trade facilitation reforms on a country's GDP, trade flows, and welfare, and noted that for every 1% reduction in global 
trade costs, global income rose by US$40 billion. She said that trade facilitation provided a boost 
to trade by reducing costs and delays for traders through measures that provided for predictability, simplicity, transparency and uniformity in customs and other border procedures.  
 
Xiaozhun Yi, Deputy Director-General, WTO , urged Members to ensure that the TFA entered 
into force. He noted that two-thirds of Members had to ratify the TFA before it would enter into 
force.  He observed that the previously multilateral and Geneva-based TFA processes had now 
shifted to Members' capitals and was being subjected to stakeholder scrutiny. He requested Members to share best practices to overcome implementation challenges. In this regard, he emphasised the importance of support from deve lopment partners such as the World Bank and 
noted that the WTO would continue to play a "coherence" role.  
 Esteban Conejos, Ambassador, Permanent Repr esentative to the WTO,  Philippines, and 
Chair of the Preparatory Comm ittee on Trade Facilitation , presented the historical 
background of the TFA and requested Members not to  lose sight of the TFA's positive aspects. He 
reported that many countries were expected to ratify the Agreement before the 10
th Ministerial 
Conference.  
 World Bank Group staff presented the Trade Facilitation Support Program  (TFSP) , managed 
by the WBG, which provides support for developing  countries seeking assistance in aligning their 
trade practices with the TFA. The TFSP helps developing countries implement trade facilitation 
reforms aimed at improving trade systems, services  and practices, potentially leading to increased 
trade, investment, job creation, and private sector competiveness. Areas of TFSP intervention and 
technical assistance include: (i) assistance to schedule commitments and implementation 
timelines; (ii) review and validation of self-assessments and identification of reform gaps; (iii) support and strengthening of National Trade Fa cilitation Committees'; (iv) review and drafting 
of trade laws and implementation of regulations to ensure alignment with the TFA; 
(v) streamlining and harmonization of trade procedures and documents to reduce  time and costs to trade; (vi) improvement of transparency and accountability measures of trade practice; WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  (vii) fostering partnerships between public and private sectors to catalyse trade facilitation 
reforms; (viii) integration of risk based mana gement systems and other contemporary border 
management into approaches into border inspections and clearance processes; (ix) review of interagency coordination and design of institutio nal capacity building plans; and (x) support of 
regional solutions to facilitate the recognition of agreed standards for goods crossing borders and 
support to the design and implementation of automated systems.   
Sheri Rosenow, Senior Counsello r, Market Access Division, WTO , gave an overview of the 
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF or the Facility). The TFAF had been created at the 
request of developing countries and LDCs to help ensure that these countries received the assistance needed to reap the full benefits of the TFA and to support the ultimate goal of full 
implementation of the Agreement by all Members. The Facility had been formally launched on 
22 July 2014 by WTO Director-General Robert o Azevêdo and had become operational on 
27 November 2014. The TFAF would support developing and LDC Members to assess their specific 
needs and to identify possible development partners to help them meet those needs. This would 
be achieved by, inter alia : assisting Members in the preparation of their notification of special and 
differential treatment categories; developing and delivering assistance and support for capacity 
building, with a view to ensuring that WTO Me mbers fully understood the Agreement; supporting 
developing and LDC Members to access available implementation assistance from regional and multilateral agencies, bilateral donors and other stakeholders that offered a broad range of different programs; where no other funding source was available, offering either project 
preparation grants or project implementation grants to developing and LDC Members notifying 
Category C commitments.  
Presentations of findings from country self-assessments and validation missions were provided by 
the delegations of Zambia, Sri Lanka, Banglade sh, and Rwanda. Most of these countries had 
completed their self-assessments and had carried out the gap analysis of TFA implementation 
requirements. All delegations reported that they had completed the categorisation and validation 
of Category A, B, and C measures, had notified Category A measures, and had established National Trade Facilitation Committees.  
The management of the ratification process in the respective countries was noted as the main 
challenge as far as next steps were concerned. Other challenges included, inter alia , change 
management issues, border agency cooperation and coordination; establishment of enquiry points; 
capacity building among stakeholders; completi ng gap analyses; developing national trade 
information portals; establishment of single window steering committees; revision of legal frameworks; incorporating private sector in Trade Facilitation Committees; agreeing on priorities 
for national reform; and bringing on board othe r border management agencies; lack of clear 
understanding of the legal implication of the TFA; multiple interpretation of the TFA; and lack of general awareness of procedures among traders and excessive manual processes. The four delegations, however, reported on progress made in the reform and modernization processes of 
their respective Customs Authorities. 
 Questions and comments 
 
Panellists were asked why in the TFA there were "best endeavour" and "legally binding" provisions. In response, it was indicated that this was to gi ve members flexibility in the implementation of 
some TFA provisions, particularly those where funding would not be forthcoming. It was also 
proposed that a regional approach should be pursued in implementation of some of the TFA provisions in order to promote harmonization and coordination.  
Conclusion 
 The WBG will continue to support all efforts at all levels (public and private) to support countries in 
full and effective implementation of the TFA. The need for continued dialogue and communication 
among stakeholders on trade facilitation issues was also underlined.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Side event 27: Aid for Trade in Suppo rt of Sustainable Development Goals 
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of Canada, Geneva 
 
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable 
Development (ICTSD) 
 
Opening remarks: 
 Ricardo Melendez-Ortiz, Chief Executive, 
ICTSD 
 Alice Tipping, Senior Programme Officer, 
ICTSD 
 
Panel: 
 Liesbeth Casier, Researcher, International 
Institute for Sustainable Development 
 Patrick Kanyimbo, Principal Regional 
Integration Expert, Regional Integration and 
Trade Division, African Development Bank 
 Vicki Poole, First Secretary, Permanent 
Mission of New Zealan d to the OECD, Paris 
 Amadou Tall, Senior Fish and Fishery 
Products Consultant 
 Stephen Yeobah, Research Fellow, Africa 
Progress Panel 
 
 The objective of the event was to highlight the 
need for a coherent and comprehensive 
sustainable development approach to 
Aid-for-Trade (AfT) strategy and planning, and 
to demonstrate ways in which AfT could support 
the achievement of the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs). The session 
generally illuminated the links between trade, 
the SDGs, and various sectors where AfT could 
play a major role in supporting sustainable 
development.  
 
First, an overview of the proposed SDGs set the 
stage and provided participants with an 
understanding of the expected new 
development agenda. Goals two, seven, eight, 
fourteen, and seventeen were highlighted as 
examples where AfT could make a contribution. 
Second, panellists provided specific examples of 
how AfT had supported trade facilitation and 
infrastructure projects in Africa and the Pacific 
that contributed to food security and access to 
sustainable and affordable energy. The 
significant energy gap in Africa was a major 
obstacle for economic development including 
trade expansion – and a number of 
recommendations, including around trade and 
investment, were provided. Third, a practical 
guide was presented on how environmental 
considerations could be further integrated into 
AfT projects and initiatives. Lastly, guidance 
and concrete examples on how AfT projects 
could be screened to ensure that they were 
sustainable from both an environmental and 
social perspective were provided. 
 
Presentation 
 
Ricardo Melendez-Ortiz, Chief Executive, ICTSD , opened the session and  introduced the 
linkages between trade and the post-2015 develo pment agenda and how trade could be brought 
into play in support of the SDGs.  
 
Alice Tipping, Senior Programme Officer, ICTSD , opened the discussion and highlighted that 
trade was directly and indirectly relevant to all 17 SDGs, of which four she made specific 
reference. SDG Goal 2 aimed to end hunger, achi eve food security and improve nutrition and 
promote sustainable agriculture. It reflected the importance of well-functioning markets, trade policies, reduction of price volatility and having access to food all year round. SDG Goal 8 aimed to 
ensure access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for all. In this context, AfT initiatives 
including the need to enhance international cooperation and the promotion of investment infrastructure were relevant. Goal 8 specifically referred to how trade could help to promote sustained, inclusive and economic growth, full pr oductive employment and decent work for all. 
SDG Goal 14, which sought to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine 
resources for sustainable development, could also  be achieved through trade and trade policies. 
For instance, Ms Tipping provided the example of how fishery subsidies can help combat 
overfishing. She emphasised that AfT initiatives could also help respond to climate change. Lastly, 
SDG Goal 17, which sought to strengthen the mean s of implementation and revitalize the global 
partnership for sustainable development, could be achieved through an equitable rules based 
system. 
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
- 155 - 
 
  Amadou Tall, Senior fish and Fishery Products Consultant , highlighted the importance of 
fisheries in attaining the goal on ending hunger and underscored that Aid for Trade had a substantial role to play in ensuring food security. He focused on the role of fish to food security 
and its importance particularly in small-island developing states (SIDS) and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 
2013, fish contributed to US$134 billion of global trade. He highlighted the difficulties of trading 
fish in Africa and the importance of progra mmes such as the EU ACP Programme to provide 
opportunities for countries to enter the global market. He raised the issue of population growth 
and the increasing demand for fish that could not be met with the current infrastructure and 
capacity in fishery management. Aid for Trade could contribute to improvements in infrastructure, trade facilitation, compliance with SPS standards and improvements in the cool chain to reduce loss and thus reduce prices.  
 
Vicki Poole, First Secretary, Permanen t Mission of New Zealand to the OECD , addressed 
the transition underway among SIDS in the Pacific towards renewable energy and highlighted how 
New Zealand was supporting these efforts and would continue going forward. She discussed how 
New Zealand was a great supporter of Aid for Trade and that 40% of their New Zealand's official development assistance was AfT-related. She fo cused on specific renewable energy projects 
currently taking place and ways in which trade could be linked with renewable energy. New 
Zealand's 2015-2018 strategy addressed this issue, particularly in the Pacific region.  Stephen Yeobah, Research Fellow, Africa Progress Panel , presented the recent report 
published by the Africa Progress Panel: People, Pl anet, Power that focused on Africa's efforts to 
build climate resilient practices and provide clean energy opportunities. He discussed Africa's endowment in energy resources, including oil, ga s, geothermal, solar and wind, and contrasted it 
with the fact that 600 million Africans were lacking access to energy. He recommended cross 
border trade in electricity since only 5% of energy was traded across borders in Africa. 
Furthermore he mentioned how governments were now adopting more ambitious targets with far 
reaching reforms to change energy dynamics. However challenges still remained with illicit 
financial flows and corruption. He emphasized the importance of acting collectively to combat corruption and to advance transparency.   
Liesbeth Casier, Researcher, Internationa l Institute for Sustainable Development , 
discussed the notion of how and why environmental considerations should be integrated into Aid for Trade and should contribute to the achiev ement of the SDGs. She recommended practical 
measures where Aid for Trade could help sustaina bility in the sectors of agriculture, energy, 
infrastructure, transport, and tourism. Aid for Trade was not an end in itself but rather could serve as a driver for a greener economy. Aid for Trade sh ould avoid negative effects such as overfishing, 
deforestation, or bad land-use. Existing concrete tools included using strategic environmental 
assessments (SEAs), increasing market access, an d fostering cleaner production. SEAs should be 
done early in the planning phase, not as an add-on, to identify environmental and social 
consequences of various options, so that informed decision-makers would choose the best, most 
sustainable ones.   
 Patrick Kanyimbo, Principal Re gional Integration Expert, Re gional Integration and Trade 
Division, African Development Bank (AfDB) , provided examples of the AfDB's AfT projects 
that aligned with the SDGs. Social, gender, and environmental standards and processes of the Bank were applied to project screening and implem entation. Specifically, the AfDB had projects in 
progress focused on SDG Goal 2, Goal 5, and Goal 12. He presented the Bank's project cycle and 
its two overarching goals: inclusive growth and transitioning to green growth. He noted that 
Canada had provided US$15 million in AfT funds to the Africa Trade Fund.    
Questions and Comments 
 Several comments were made about better unders tanding Aid for Trade in the development of 
trade policies to focus more on sustainable development. One challenge identified was to promote 
sustainability without imposing new non-tariff barriers that could risk access to markets and increase costs. Another concern expressed was polic y coherence and specifically the need for trade 
officials to understand the SDGs.   
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  Conclusion 
 The goal of the session was well-achieved: partic ipants took away a better understanding of Aid 
for Trade and its relationship to achieving the SDGs. A number of participants complimented the 
coherence of the session itself, and indicated that they would reach out to other parts of 
government/development cooperation agency to  improve coherence and mutual supportiveness 
between Aid for Trade and efforts to achieve SDGs and targets. 
 
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  Side event 28: Barriers Facing Women Trader s in Africa: What are They and How could 
Aid for Trade Help in Removing Them? 
Organized by:  
 
Permanent Mission of Sweden, Geneva 
 
Moderator: Daniel Blockert, Ambassador, 
Permanent Representative to the WTO, Sweden  
 
Panel: 
 Paul Brenton, Africa Trade Practice 
Leader, World Bank Group and editor of 
the volume "Women and Trade in 
Africa: Realizing the Potential" 
 Joakim Reiter, Deputy Secretary-General, 
Unitd Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development  
 Marie Ottosson, Director for International 
Organisations and Policy Support, 
Swedish International Development 
Cooperation Agency 
 Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive 
Director, International Trade Centre  
 
 Women are important players in trade in 
Africa: they produce products, transport goods 
across borders, manage and own trading firms 
or are employed to work in them. However, 
women's potential in trade is often held back by 
the many constraints they face, including 
barriers to trade. 
 
Addressing women as key economic agents has 
been recognized as "smart economics" by the 
World Bank, which has recently launched 
several studies on trade and gender.  The World 
Bank volume "Women and Trade in 
Africa: Realizing the Potential" demonstrates 
how women will be essential to Africa's success 
in exploiting its trade potential, and puts 
forward a set of recommendations to facilitate 
the participation of women in trade. On the 
basis of this volume, a discussion was held on 
what the opportunities and challenges were 
facing women in trade and how Aid for Trade 
(AfT) could contribute to this agenda. 
 
Sida, ITC and UNCTAD participated in this event 
and shared their experiences on gender, 
barriers to trade and the role of Aid for Trade. 
Sida systemically integrates a gender equality 
perspective and supports several activities to 
strengthen women as actors. UNCTAD supports 
its member countries to assess distinct effects 
of trade and macro-economic policies on men 
and women, boys and girls, and to integrate 
gender considerations in negotiations, policy 
formulation and negotiations. ITC supports 
women entrepreneurs, especially active in 
small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  
 
Paul Brenton, Africa Trade Practi ce Leader, World Bank Group (WBG),  presented a new 
WBG report on "Women and Trade in Africa: Realizing the Potential". In his presentation, he discussed ways of overcoming the main barriers that many women entrepreneurs and traders face 
in Africa, in particular when it came to intra-regional trade. These barriers included lack of 
transparency and awareness of rules, lack of acce ss to trade information including market prices 
and demand, as well as poor border conditions. Gender disaggregated data, gender sensitive trade 
facilitation measures and awareness-raising of risks faced by women were crucial to this work. 
These issues would be addressed in a new World Bank project focused on small traders in the African Great Lakes region.  
 
Joakim Reiter, Deputy Secret ary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development , emphasized that gender-informed policy formulation would be crucial to achieve 
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Women represented 70% of the world's one billion 
poorest people and were a huge untapped resource. Trade liberalisation was an engine of 
transformation and could challenge old power structures, many of which were defined by men. However, women were often active in sectors that were affected by structural adjustment. Also, in 
many development strategies, there was a tendency to stimulate export manufacturing zones and 
large companies rather than improving the business environment as a whole and focusing on rural areas and SMEs. Therefore, in order to formulate the right policies it was important to know how 
women were affected by trade liberalisation. The data gap remained a challenge, but gender 
mainstreaming and a multi stakeholder approach to policy formulation were important.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/58  
 
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  Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC) , underlined 
that empowering women meant empowering the community. Women's involvement in trade had increased and awareness had been raised in the last 15 years but there were still many barriers, especially for women operated SMEs. Many organizations had broad gender frameworks, but these 
needed to be translated into easily understood steps. An important element in policy formulation 
was inclusive dialogue coupled with awareness and understanding that we were talking about a heterogeneous group. ITC's work included mark et access tools and gender mainstreaming of 
export strategies. The importance of engaging with partners was underlined and countries were 
encouraged to inform ITC of their prioriti es in the area of trade and gender.   
 Marie Ottosson, Assistant Director Genera l, Swedish International Development 
Cooperation Agency , presented the Agency's strategy on mainstreaming gender equality in 
development cooperation. Gender analysis was always required at country and program level. Thereafter, it could be identified which of the approaches of integration of gender equality, 
targeted gender activities and gender-aware dialogue that were relevant for the specific program 
or project. Sida acknowledged that they while they were successful at gender mainstreaming in the social sector, the economic sector lagged behind. However, strategic work was being done on 
women's economic empowerment and women traders and had shown that it was important to 
address this issue in a multidimensional approach. Studies show that women reinvest more in the family and contribute to sustainable development but also that was equally important to involve men. 
 
Questions and comments  
The audience brought up questions on how there change on the ground for women traders could 
be promoted as well as the importance of workin g across different sectors, e.g. rural development 
and trade. One intervention asked for increased focus on organic farming where many African 
women are active. 
 Conclusion  
In order to reduce trade barriers for women entrepreneurs – with benefits at individual, 
community and national level – gender mainstreaming at all levels was important, as well as taking the step from a broad gender framework to  concrete action. While there had been progress 
it did not mean that we were close to where we wa nt to be. To move forward with this agenda, it 
was suggested that it would be interesting to see gender as a theme at the next Global Review of Aid for Trade. 
 
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