RESTRICTED  
  
WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
15 October 2018 
(18-6438) Page: 1/11 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Forty -Third Session on Aid for Trade    
 
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 3 JULY 2018  
Chairperson: H.E. Mr Diego Aulestia (Ecuador ) 
 
Contents  
A. ADOPTION OF THE A GENDA  ................................ ................................ .........................  1 
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF  THE 2018 -2019 AID -FOR-TRADE WORK  
PROGRAMME  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
I. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities  ................................ ......................  2 
II. Mainstreaming  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  5 
III. Regional Dimension  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 8 
IV. Private Sector  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  9 
V.  Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation and Development Effect iveness  .................. 10 
C. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 11 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA 
1. The Agenda, as circulated in WTO/AIR/ COMTD/AFT/ 11, was adopted  witho ut amendment s.  
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE  2018 -2019 AID -FOR-TRADE WORK PROGRAMME  
2. The Chair  outlined how he proposed to take forward  the implementation of the 2018 -2019 
Aid-for-Trade Work Programme (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/75 ). In particular, he suggested  working 
towards three outcomes: work in the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD)  Aid for Trade to 
advance consideration of the Work Programme areas of focu s, including through  the organization of 
workshops ; preparing the  2019 Global Review of Aid for  Trade; and agreeing on the parameters and 
then conducting a review of Aid -for-Trade Achievements.  
3. On the Committee work, he announced a total of seven workshops to organi ze in the 
2018-2019 biennium. To help manage work, similar topics would be coupled together and  workshops 
would be held back -to-back with the ne xt formal CTD Aid for Trade . He announced the topics for the 
first meetings as:  "Industrialization, Economic Diversification and Structural Transformation and, 
Economic Diversification and Empowerment  – with a focus on Youth and Women, including in rural 
areas ". For the purpose of these w orkshops,  he encouraged Members to make suggestions of 
speakers and topics to be discussed . Regular CTD Aid -for-Trade meetings would continue to monitor 
Work Programme implementation actions more broadly.  
4. The Chair stated that the  2019 Global Review of Aid for Trad e would be informed by a 
monitoring and evaluation exercise that would help inform the  Aid for Trade at a Glance publication. 
To focus it, the monitoring and evaluation work should feed into the review of Aid -for-Trade 
Achievements. He recalled that the Wo rk Programme directed the next monitoring exercise to focus 
on financing in the six categories identified in the Task Force recommendations. On how the Initiative 
should  be structured in the future, suggestions h ad been reflected in the summary report of t he WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  42nd meeting of the CTD Aid for Trade (WT/COMTD/AFT/M/42 ). Furthermore, in paragraph 3.2  of 
the document , the Work Programme  had provided for the organization of dedicated informal 
open-ended CTD Aid -for-Trade sessions. Against this background, he welco med Members' comments 
on how the Initiative should be structured in the future and whether this was a topic to consider as 
part of implementation of the Work P rogramme.  
5. The representative of South Africa , on behalf of the African Group , said that she was pleased 
that the 2018 -2019 Work Programme reflected as much as possible the priorities, constraints and 
needs of developing and least developed countries . Noting the approaches proposed by the C hair on 
the implementation of the Work Programme , includi ng the committee work and the seven 
workshops, s he stressed the importance  of the regional dimension. Regarding the Global Review of 
Aid for Trade , she stressed the need for a bottom -up approach starting with a regional review and 
based on the six categori es mentio ned in the footnote of the Work P rogramme. She stressed  that 
the regional dimension remained essen tial, crucial and a priority . She said that t he African Group 
was planning  to submit a contributio n to improve the Aid -for-Trade I nitiative  and s he was looking 
forward to advancing the proposal  towards  reaching  a CTD decision to see these changes reali zed. 
In conclusion, she thanked development partners for their valuable assistance to African countries 
and LDCs and said that the African Group  was looking  forward to working with all WTO Members for 
the appropriate implementation of the 2018 -2019 Work Programme.  
6. The representative of the United States  appreciated how the Chair had set forth the 
programme and his view s for moving forward.  
7. On the basi s of comments made, t he Chair outlined next steps. Around mid-September , the 
Chair would organize an informal open-ended consultation  at which the draft monitoring and 
evaluation formats would be examined . They  would be based on the six categories of Aid -for-Trade 
financing and offer respondents the opportunity to provide their  retrospective and prospective views 
on the Initiative. Members would also discuss the review of Aid -for-Trade achievements.  A formal 
CTD of Aid for Trade meeting would be organized  in the final quarter of  2018 and would be followed 
by back -to-back workshops.  
8. The representative of the European Union (EU)  said that she supported the way forward 
outlined by the Chair , that timelines would be helpful in  inform ing timing for contributions  and that 
the EU would be very pleased to start the implementation of the Work Programme on a constructive 
and broad basis.   
I. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities  
9. The representative of the Asian Development Bank  (AsDB)  provided an update  on the Bank's 
activities and engagement wit h the Aid -for-Trade Initiative . He made a case  for open trade as it 
provide d more inclusive and shared growth in pursuit of the Susta inable Development Goals (SDGs). 
AsDB's new corporate S trategy 2030  supported this fact . He added that in 2017 , the Bank's 
commitments, which incl uded official and commercial co -financing and technical assistance , had 
reached US $32 billion  – (+26% compared to 2016 ). The AsDB had  made important investments in 
infrastructur e for sustainable development, clean energy, water, sanitation and gender equality as 
could be seen in the AsDB’s Development Effectiveness Review .  
10. Aid for Trade provided by the Bank aimed at  complement ing efforts to further reduce trade 
barriers, facilit ate trade, assist domestic regulatory reforms, deepen regional cooperation , and 
enhance trade linkages between economies. In 2016, Aid-for-Trade  commitments from the AsDB 
had reached US$2.0 billion (+US$1.4 billion compared to the 2002–2005 baseline ). This account ed 
for about 73% of the AsDB's US$2.8 billion  committed in  Official Development Assistance  (ODA) . In 
the region, over  67% of the Aid for Trade provided by the AsDB targeted infrastructure, especially 
transport and storage, and communications.  
11. He then quoted the AsDB’s 2017 Aid for Trade report , launched at the 2017  Global Review, 
which analyze d how Aid for Trade could  increase the services trade . Subsequently, conferences and 
knowledge events had been organi zed in Suva (Fiji), Canberra (Australia) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) 
to discuss the report , as well as  emerging challenges faced by the region , and p ave the way forward 
for the Aid -for-Trade Initiative to boost connectivity and facilit ate trade for inclusive growth.  Then, WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  he reaffirmed the Bank's continuing contribution to WTO -led Aid -for-Trade I nitiative and expressed 
support for the theme of t he upcoming 7th Global Review .  
12. The representative of the AsDB  briefed Members on t he 51st Annual Meeting held in Man ila, 
Philippines on the theme of " Linking people and economies for inclusive development " which  took 
stock of the global and regional issues affecting deve lopment in Asia and the Pacific . He argued  for 
the increased participation of w omen as critical to achieve  better development outcomes in line with 
the SDGs. Gender equity was  one of the five drivers of change in A sDB's corporate strategy and was 
complemented by the Gender Equality and Women 's Empowerment Operational Plan 2013 –2020. 
Under Strategy 2030,  the AsDB would place an even stronger emphasis on women 's economic 
empowerment . In his view, the Aid -for-Trade Initiative could  support targeted policies that increase 
opportunities for women  and would  be further  developed in the 2019 AsDB Aid -for-Trade R eport.  
13. The representative of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation ( ITFC) provided an 
update on the Aid -for-Trade Initiative for Arab States Program (AfTIAS), a partnership of 22  Arab 
countries, five UN Agencies and seven donors  joined in a partnership to ac celerate the pace of trade 
reforms, with the aim of promoting trade within the Arab region through enhancing competitiveness 
of exporting enterprises and access to markets. A two -year programme originally  (2014 to 2016) , it 
had been  extended to December 2017.  It also had  three objectives : to enhance regional 
competitiveness through trade policy reform and trade supp ort institution efficiency; to strengthen 
trade supply side and  value chain integration; and to strengthen regiona l and sub -regional 
organizations' capacity to foster trade integration.  
14. In its current first phase,  the AfTIAS Program ha d approv ed 23 projects and was subject to 
an independent and external evaluation  to inform its second phase. The ITFC ha d recently orga nized 
a high -level meeting  in Tunis , on the sidelines of the 43rd Islamic Development  Bank ( IsDB) Group 
Annual Meeting . He invited i nternational  partners and donors to join ITFC in supporting Phase II of 
AfTIAS to enable the development of a partnership for supporting the Arab region.  
15. The representative of Benin  enquired as to how African LDCs could be integrated in Phase II. 
The representative of the ITFC responded  that the IsDB had a programme for all developing 
countries , including in Africa . An internal discussion was exploring the possibility of launching  a 
programme to support Sub -Saharan African countries and increas e their links with Arab States.   
16. The representative of Nigeria  inquired as to the criteria used by ITFC to determine countrie s 
for support . The representative of the ITFC responded that the independent assessment of the 
programme  had started a month prior and that a report would  ensue in autumn . Encouraging  results 
had emerged from  the field and would  inform Phase II.  
17. The representative of  the United Nations Industrial Development Organization  (UNIDO ) 
provided an update on its  activities on inclusive and sustainable industrialization.  UNIDO was moving 
toward s finaliz ing its joint Strategy 2030 with the AsDB . UNIDO' s Directo r General and  AsDB's 
President Nakao  had met to strengthen cooperation  and agreed t o focus on promoting innovation -led 
inclusive and sustainable industrial development along the region's major economic corridors,  on 
increasing cooperation in industrial development approaches and clean technology.  
18. UNIDO and the African Development Bank (AfDB) had signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MoU)  at the Bank's recent annual meeting in Busan, South Korea. With 
industrializa tion as one of AfDB 's five development priorities, the AfDB had  launched its 
Industrialization Strategy for Africa in 2016. The new agreement would facilitate cooperation on joint 
activities in agro -industry development, circular economy, eco -industrial pa rks, investment in 
innovation and technology, enterprise development, trade capacity building and access to finance.  
19. UNIDO 's partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB) focused on ACP countries  and 
was progressing well. The EIB would  dedicate its 2018 Africa Day to inclusive and sustainable 
industrialization and an event would be held  in Addis Ababa in November  2018. He concluded that 
cooperation with the AsDB, the AfDB and the EIB would be undertaken within the framework of 
UNIDO 's flagship Progra mmes for Country Partnership (PCP) , a model of active cooperation  which 
helped to accelerat e industrialization.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  20. The representative of Nigeria  expresse d support for UNIDO's programme. He asked  for an 
indication of challenges faced in fi nancing roll out prog rammes  and inquired about  the level of  
success achieved . The representative of  UNIDO  responded that since  programmes were ambitious , 
they required substantial resources. This informed  the selection process  incorporated into the PCP 
model . UNIDO  was also thinking about adding some of the ir elements into regular country 
programme s to increase capacity, mobiliz e investment and for trade -related infrastructure.  
21. An update on the work of the Standards and Trade Dev elopment Facility  (STDF ) was provided . 
The 2017 STDF's annual re port showed how, t hrough its global coordination platform and knowledge 
hub, and SPS capacity -building projects and project development, the facility  was contributing to 
several of the SDGs. As part of its knowledge hub, the STDF had c ommissioned regional research 
work in South East  Asia and Southern Africa to identify and disseminate good practices on how to 
implement SPS co ntrols in a way that facilitated  safe trade, while minimizing trade transaction costs. 
This work had included a Safe Trade Solutions  video  which showed the steps that countries in Latin 
America had taken to make goods flow faster across borders, while ensuring health protection. It 
had also stimu lated work on how to implement electronic SPS certification,  as a means to 
complement the modernizing reforms encouraged by the Trade Facilitation Agreement  (TFA) . Other 
STDF thematic work focused on Public Private Partnerships  and Good Regulatory Practice.  
22. To date, the STDF had approved 87 project grants, which helped farmers , processors, traders 
and governments to meet the international standards . In a ddition to providing support to meet 
standards, STDF projects had boosted value chain development and  encouraged collaborative 
approaches that involved partnerships across gover nment and private sector stakeholde rs and 
others, while the project aimed at expanding e xports to regional and international markets.  The 
STDF supported  project preparation grants  (PPGs) , helped to develop funding proposals, assess SPS 
capacity needs, or carry out feasibility studies. A total of 90 PPGs had been approved . Over 66% of 
STDF resources for projects and PPGs ha d benefited low-income countries . The STDF continued to 
strengthen i ts results -based management based on its monitoring and evaluation  framework.  A 
recently completed meta -evaluation of over 22 evaluated STDF projects had given  an independent 
assessment of project performance. The STDF would  use the findings to improve the  quality and 
performance of future projects. An external evaluation was scheduled for September 2018.  
23. On success stories and measuring of results, t he representative of Nigeria  underscored the 
importance of independent e valuation s with a view to improving performance. He then asked three 
questions: on overcoming  fund scarcity when attributing  project grant s; on addressing  project 
preparation capacity constraints ; and on extend ing the Safe Trade  project to  Africa. The 
representative  of STDF  responded that many countries indeed struggled with putting together 
complete project proposals . Hence, p roject preparation grants consisted in  small seed funding grants 
of up to US$50 ,000 which could  make a difference in helping with work with th e government, private 
sector a nd other s to formulate resource mobilizing projects, including from other donors.  
24. The STDF  used PIMA, an evidence -based approach to prioritize SPS investment s for market 
access . The mechanism  had already delivered good outcomes in countries and encouraged  
governments and donor s to put resources to address SPS needs for market access. With regards to 
the safe trade solution film, ST DF had not been able to extend it to  other regions . She was hoping 
that countries woul d learn from some of the examples in Latin America as featured i n the film. She 
added that i n 2019, the STDF  was planning to do additional work on Public Private Partnership s to 
support SPS capacity  which was likely to look at African public private projec ts on SPS capacity 
building.  
25. The representative of Benin  asked  about  project selection  and provision s to ensure 
sustainability of project results . The representative of the STDF  responde d that SPS project s had to 
focus on capacity building issues, opportunities, challenges that could  facilitate trade, regional or 
international markets . The STDF supported  projects t hat were collaborative,  innovative,  promoted  
partnerships across different parts of government as well as the private sector and  that could  have 
relevance or r eplicability for other countries  including at the regional level . Project applications and 
project preparation grant applications  were reviewed twice a year. T he time th ey took depended  on 
the completeness and eligibility  of application s. In terms of completed projects,  and on sustainability 
of results, t he STDF was in  touch with implement ing and beneficiary organizations and was working 
throughout the implementation period to ensure sus tainability in the long term .   WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  26. The representative of the European Union expressed support for the STDF and enquired ab out 
gender mainstreaming and women 's empowerment . The representative of the STDF  pointed ou t 
case story examples which could be  found in the STDF 2017 Annual Re port and STDF results book .  
27. The representative of the United States  reported on activities by the Standards Alliance . The 
main objectives of its programs include d increased understanding of the WTO  TBT principles ; 
implemen tation of the code of good practice for the preparation , adoption and application of 
standards ; improve d transparency in the development and modification of technical regulations ; and 
more robust and transparent en gagement of the private sector s tandards development and use. Led 
by the American National Standards Institute and the United States Agency for I nternational 
Development, th e initiative was a public -private partnership . In May the Standards  Alliance  had 
staged an activity in Mozambique that had focused  on imp lementation of good regulatory practice . 
Activities were being supported in  Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal,  focusing on best practices , 
conducting risk -based analys es and developing trade -friendly consumer  protection laws and polici es. 
The Standards A lliance was planning a two -day training ( 19-20 July  2018)  in Zambia t o provide 
technical assistance f or national  regulators to perform regulatory impact a ssessment s. 
II. Mainstreaming  
28. Under this item , Members update d the Committee on their Aid-for-Trade activities  as captured 
in recent Trade Policy Reviews .  
29. The representative of Norway  commented about his country's integrated approach to foreign 
and development policy which was designed to promote economic development, democratiz ation, 
implementation of human rights, good governance and measures that could  lift people out of poverty 
for good. In 2017,  Norway had provided N Kr34.1 billion in development a id. Although  the Norwegian 
Government view ed trade as a  necessary  instrument of  development policy , it was insufficient  for 
achieving development, employment and growth. An equitable distribution of resources help ed to 
ensure that business development and trade benefit ed everyone . In line with SDG 17, Norway' s 
primary trade policy ob jective wa s to support and strengthen the multilateral trading system. The 
open a nd rules -based trade regime helped to develop the economies of developing Members.  
30. He added that t he multilateral t rading system was a global public  good, and that it wa s of 
particular im portance to assist the poorest M embers to benefit from it.  Implementing WTO 
commitments could  contribute to good governance, predictability and transparency, thus facilitating 
investments and economic growth.  Protectionism and new barriers we re not the best path for poor 
countries that want ed to participate in global value chains.  Developing countries we re a highly 
diverse group, and their potential for benefiting from international trade differed. This made  it 
necessary to differentiate in trade policy , including for  special and differential treatment.  
31. The Norwegian Aid -for-Trade approach aim ed to ensure  that developing countries, and 
especially LDCs, achieve d sustainable economic growth, higher employment, poverty reduction and 
an improved quality of life.  In this, N orway g ave priority to Sub -Saharan Africa and the LDCs. The 
latter  needed a mix of technical assistance and capacity building to tackle supply -side constraints 
and make use of market access opportunities. Norway had  a comprehensive generalized system of 
preferences for imports from developing countries  and offered duty-free and quota -free market 
access to least developed and low -income c ountries. No rway had  also offered  preferential treatment 
available to services and services suppliers from LDC.  
32. Norway work ed to ensure that women 's rights and gender equality were integrated into all 
Aid-for-Trade activities.  Furthermore, the international trade regime and Aid for Trade play a role in 
facilitating more environmentally sound and clima te-friendly development. A "green shift"  could  be 
promoted by increased trade in environmental goods and services and by reducing unnecessary 
barriers to such trade.  
33. On Aid-for-Trade channels of delivery, Norway cooperat ed with multilateral organiz ations on 
programmes classed as "trade policy and regulations ". Their choice of cooperation partners was 
based on each partner' s demonstration of core competencies and their a bility to report on results.  
Their main cooperation partners we re the Enhanced Integrated Framework, the Doha Development 
Agenda Global Trust Fund, the Standards and Trade Development Facility, the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Facility, the Advisory Centre  on WTO Law and  the International Trade Centre . Norway WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  also work ed with the World Bank and UNIDO . Norway was a donor to two of the World Bank 
programmes on trade, namely the u mbrella Facility for the Trade Multi -Donor Trust Fund and the 
Trade Facilitation  Support Programme. In line with their focus on LDCs, Norway ha d provided 
NKr150 million to Phase I of the Enhanced Integ rated Framework (EIF) for Trade -related Technical 
Assistance to LDCs, and had  committed the same amount to Phase II of the programme.  
34. The representative of Montenegro  provided an update o n the country's  recent Trade Policy 
Review . Since  Montenegro  had beco me a full -fledged Member of the WTO , it had  undertaken many 
activities in order to promote and support trade and to make it more inclusive. Challenges were 
numerous but Montenegro's G overnment wa s trying to overcome them with coordinated actions and 
activities. The Government  had adopted the Economic Reform Programme  which was  targeted at 
reaching sustainable and inclusive gro wth. Trade facilitation had been placed at the center of that 
agenda. The recently -adopted Strategy on Trade Facilitation  set to reduce the time to import, export 
and transit goods by 50% and accompanying costs by 20%  by 2022 . Transport infrastructure was 
under continuous  improvement . There wa s a large number of projects underway in road 
infrastructure, energy  and digital technologies . Montenegro had created a legislative framework for 
electronic communications  in order  to provide a stable business investment environment and 2014 
amendments to the Foreign Investments Law provided national treatment . 
35. To create a more favorable business environment for the development of women 
entrep reneurship , the Government  of Montenegro had  adopted the Women's Entre preneurship 
Development Strategy 2015 -2020. In addition, the s trategy for the development of Micro, Small and 
Medium -Sized Enterprises ( MSMEs ) aimed, among other things,  to internationaliz e MSMEs and 
increase  their share in the country's  total exports . Projects we re numerous and would  contribute to 
the development of Montenegro,  particularly in the context of  EU integration.  
36. The representative of Colombia  recalled that Colombia had conducted its fifth T rade Policy 
Review on 12 and 14 June 2018.  During the review,  Colombia had received 370 questions from 
26 Members . Over  40 delegations had made interventions and comments, demonstrating great 
interest for the country's  trade -related policies. This review  was also a particularly important 
scenario for reaffirm ing that a strong multilateral system was needed to provide certainty to 
economic operators. Trade liberalization and the elimination of distortions help ed economic growth, 
employment generation and greater participation in value chains, which  would enable  the country  
to consolidate the benefits derived from the signing and implem entation of the Peace Agreement. 
Colombia was also conducting  reforms so as to  become a member  of the OECD .  
37. During the TPR,  Members had acknowledged progress in various social ind icators, and the 
prudent macroeconomic management that allowed the country to ove rcome the difficulties of a 
low-growth international context due to the fall in the prices of oil and some commodities. Questions 
had been  raised regarding the need for greate r export diversification and the strengthening of 
productivity and competitiveness, in line with the actions the country had  already implemented in 
these areas. This TPR had also presented the country's progress and challenges in simplifying 
administrative procedures related to foreign trade and the regulatory regime in areas directly related 
to international trade, such as investment and intellectual property.  
38. On Aid for Tra de, Colombia ha d participated in the monitoring and evaluation exercise and 
had been a beneficiary of various programmes, as evidenced in Aid -for-Trade publications . The main 
areas in which the country ha d received technical assistance was competitiveness,  trade policy, trade 
facilita tion and e -commerce . In the area of e -commerce and connectivity, she highlight ed the 
analysis and information presented on Colombia in "Aid for Trade at a Glance " Pocket Edition  2017. 
Colombia was grateful to donors for their w ork and support, which ha d contributed significantly to 
the implementation of institutional improvements and to the country's positive economic 
performance  in challenging times . In the short and medium term, A id for Trade would  also play a 
fundamental role  in the new peace scenario of the country , be fundamental to the full implementation 
of their obligations in the WTO , and to achieving the objectives of Agenda 2030.  
39. The representative o f the Philippines  described  how high trade costs and structural constraints  
prevent ed many  developing countries from fully exploiting the opportunities offered by the global 
market, such as increased access to consumer markets, participation in production  networks, and 
greater opportuni ties for business expansion.  This was exactly where Aid for Trade step ped in . Over 
the years, it had  equipped developing countries with the tools they need ed to succeed in the global 
trading system, through predictable flows of financing targeted at addres sing trade -related and WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  productive capacity constraints. Developing Asia was home to some of the fastest growing economies 
in the  world, and Aid  for Trade continue d to play a major role in helping developing Asian economies  
make better use of greater access  to international markets to sustain their growth  rates. 
40. As a developing Asian economy, the Philippines has benefitted from Aid for Trade , and its 
participation i n the I nitiative had  borne  fruit – as evident  in the Philippines'  GDP high growth rat e. 
With structural and revenue reforms on track, and job  creation numbers stable, the Philippines  hoped 
to sustain its economic performance. By strengthening their engagement in  the global economy 
through Aid  for Trade, the Philippines  hoped  not only to exceed the  current growth rate , but also to 
create the economic conditions necessary to  eradicate poverty. While the Philippines recognize d the 
important role of  economic liberalization and the global trading system in modernizing national 
economies through  market forces, Aid  for Trade ha d proven necessary in  helping vulnerable 
countries respond  to challenges that often compound ed the negative impacts of globalization.  
41. Under the Philippine Development Plan s for 2011 -2016 and 2017 -2022,  the country had  
underscored the need to invest in trade -related infrastructure, research and  development, and 
human capital . Among st other areas, the Philippines needed  to build on recent economic gains and 
leverage its  development priorities to prepare for emerging chal lenges posed by the demands of the  
21st century global economy. New areas of commerce such as digital trade, global value chains, and  
other emerging developments, could not  be addressed through macro - and micro - economic policies  
alone. External assistance  from international organizations such as the WTO -led Aid-for-Trade 
agenda could  still be vital to developing countries.  
42. The Philippines appreciate d the strong commitment of the WTO  in implementing Aid for Trade.  
The Philippines'  participation in the Aid-for-Trade s elf-assessment  exercise  in November 2016  had 
allowed reporting of Aid for Trade and  transport infrastructure, network and/or  transport 
infrastructure of a cross -border nature, international competitiveness, services  development, and 
trade facilitation. While beneficiary countries like the Philippines continue d to prioritize trade -related 
assistance, the Philippines  looked forward to the scaling -up of trade -related official  development 
assistance, including through more integrated, coordinat ed, and specialized  interventions.  Aid for 
Trade could  develop stronger partnerships with the private sector and enhance the capacity of 
developing country MSMEs engaging  in inter national trade.  Aid for Trade could  be tailor ed to the 
specific trade and pro ductive  capacity -related needs of MSMEs and support the necessary reforms 
to enable them to participate more fully in global trade.  
43. The representative of Guinea  welcomed the  2018-2019 Aid-for-Trade  Work P rogramme, the 
2019 R eview and e nsuing  workshops . Guinea  had participated in all the Review s since the inception  
of the Initiative.  Guinea's  TPR had been held with Mauritania on 29-30 May 2018. It had discussed 
how, d espite the country's huge potential , many  citizen s faced significan t difficulties with regards to  
their living conditions.  In 2017, Guinea had held  a major meeting in Paris with the participation of 
all bilateral and multilateral  partners where a programme for Guinea's economic development 
between 2016-2020 had been adopted . Trade played a major r ole in the social and economic 
development of the country and Guinea  was convinced that trade could  assist its people and 
eradicate  poverty.  Guinea gave priority  to the EIF . Measures including  the implementation of a Single 
Window  had been taken including measure s relating to women and youth.  At this stage,  she 
highlighted ef forts by the Government t o improving the  economic situation and trade environment .  
44. The Chair announced that, at the next meeting, he would provide an opportun ity to Israel, 
China, Chinese Taipei an d Vanuatu to update Member s on the conduct of their Trade Policy Review .   
45. The representative of the Enhanced Integrated Framework  provide d a brief update on 
activities.  In her view, the 2018 -2019 Aid -for-Trade Work Programme would  go a long way in 
ensuring tangible trade benefits for the most vulnerable people in the developing world, including 
women and youth.  She recalled the E IF's commitment to supporting implementation of the 
programme  and proceeded to  updat e Members on the EIF's  new projects, results, operational and 
strategic matters. Since the last update, the EIF ha d committed over US$ 10 million with 16 new 
capacity -building projects. Diagnostic Trade Integration Study Update ( DTISU ) in Cambodia and in 
the Democratic Republic of Congo had been undertaken and demand had emerged for sectorial 
analyses . This was reflected in the new strategies for e -commerce and services development in 
Senegal, for establishing cross -border trading facilities in Benin, and in the aflatoxin mitigation 
program me in The Gambia run  in cooperation with ITFC. In addition, a regional project was 
mainstreaming SPS issues into the Comprehensive Africa Agricultu re Development Programme . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  46. In Senegal, the EIF was working to bolster metrology and contribut ing to improving access to 
international markets.  It was  strengthening the cashew and shea butter sectors in Togo,  helping 
farmers upgrade their productions in the value chain.  The impact of t he existing productive 
capacity -building efforts range d from greater access to finance, better market access, and swifter 
adoption of new technology.  All EIF investments in productive capacity require d a co-financing 
element from government, private sector or a development partner. Recent decisions adopt ed at 
the last Board meeting had helped the EIF to become even more flexible and agile , ranging from 
blending existing funding modalities to building regional capacity to new ways of working in fragile 
contexts. The EIF Strategic Plan 2019 -2022 would  be presented to the EIF Board in November 2018.   
47. On 13-14 June  the EIF had  held the Global Forum on Inclusive Trade.  Over 300 participants 
including 45 from LDCs had gathered together to foster trade action and inspire deeper 
collaborations and commitments in support of further LDC integration into global trade. Over 
60 speakers who shared their knowledge, insights, and expertise on inclusive trade and economic 
growth,  multilateral and regional trading system s, and global agricultural value chains.   
48. The representative of the IsDB informed that  in 2017,  the ITFC had signed a MoU with the EIF 
to provide a framework of cooperatio n and facilitate cooperation to wards assisting  Member countries 
in the area of trade development. In May 2018, a project in G uinea to improve agriculture export 
value chains  for the mango and cashew sectors  had started . The project was designed under 
South-South cooperation  by involving Tunis ia for knowledge transfer in this area. The second project  
relating to  aflatoxin mitigation in ground nuts would start implementation at the end of July 2018 in 
The Gambia  – a sector employing  70% of workforce  and representing 66% of agricultural export. A 
third project  was exploring the design of the Aid-for-Trade I nitiative for the Arab States (AfTIAS) 
programme to benefit the six LDCs that were also Arab states.  
III. Regional Dimension  
49. The representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  said that the AfTIAS  aimed to achieve 
inclusive economic growth with increased employment opportunities and greater competitiveness 
through trade policy reform in Arab countries as an integral part of the regional trade agenda. Saudi 
Arabia attache d great importance to helpin g the world' s poorest countries, to build up trade and 
export capacities and to enable them to increase their participation and connectivity. Saudi Arabia 
had contributed US $3 million for the implementation of AfTIAS . Saudi Arabia was also actively 
supporting the EIF by contributing US $4 million for Phase II. This was additional to the  US$3 million  
provided  for the implementation of Phase  I. 
50. The representative of Japan  recalled  the divergent views exchanged during consult ations on 
the Work Programme but believed that all Members aimed to achieve  the same goal:  helping 
developing countries, particularly LDCs, to benefit more from the multilateral trading system under 
the WTO. The implementation of the Work P rogramme, including the review of Aid -for-Trade 
achievements, ought to be  centred on this fundamental point.  Japan  expect ed various activities 
planned in the new Work P rogramme to provide a platform to exchange views and deepen mutual 
understanding on priorities , and help gain a better understand ing of Aid for Trade, and South -South 
cooperation.   
51. Concerning the future structure of the I nitiative , discussion had to  be conducted with a focus 
on how to further raise awareness among donor  recipient s on the importance and impact of Aid for 
Trade for sustainab le economic growth, and how it could  promote trade prioritiz ation in the overall 
national development strategies of countries.   
52. The representative of Japan  then shared the outcome of the Eighth Paci fic Islands Leaders 
Meeting  (PALM)  held on 18 -19 May 2018 in Iwaki City, Japan.  PALM  had been held  every three  years 
since 1997 and served as a forum for the leaders of Japan and the Pacific island countries to discuss 
the challenges faced  in their efforts towards regional  stability and prosperity.  At this year' s PALM, 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had explained Japan's " Free and Open Indo -Pacific Strategy" , and how he 
had committed to strengthen ing Japan's engagement to the P acific island countries and actively 
provide ODA assistance. Japan' s assistan ce was articulat ed on free, open, and sustainable maritime 
order based on the rule of law, including in the areas of maritime security and safety, management 
of fishery resources, and regional connectivity through develo pment of quality infrastructure;  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  resilient and susta inable development in accordance with the 2030 Agenda ; and human res ource 
development including for some 5,000 people from the Pacific I sland states in  the next three years.   
53. The representative of the Secretariat  provided an update of  the meeting held on 27 -28 June. 
The Asian Development Bank (A sDB), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and 
the Pacific (UNESCAP) and WTO had brought together policymakers and academics from Uzbekistan 
and other Central Asian countries t o examine the topic of "Promoting connectivity for an inclusive 
Asia and the Pacific ". The conference in Tashkent  had discussed e -commerce, trade facilitation and 
Aid-for-Trade issues. A session had also been organized on WTO accession.    
54. Shahib Saifnazar ov, Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade,  had outlined the 
Government's reform agenda and some key measures already enacted as part of the resumed WTO 
accession process, including the removal of currency and export restrictions, and reduction of 
customs duties down to a current trade -weighted average of 6.4%. A session on WTO accession 
further elaborated on the issues raised by Deputy Minister Saifnazarov, and the support being offered 
by donors, notably A sDB and USAID to the Government of Uzbekist an.  
55. A new A sDB-ESCAP study on " Embracing the E -commerce Revolution in Asia and the Pacific " 
had been  launched at the conference. The study highlight ed the highly heterogeneous state of 
e-commerce development across the Asian region and identifie d various factors that need ed to be 
addressed to unleash expected productivity gains. Speakers from the reg ion highlighted the growth 
in e-commerce, and discussed what should be the best -adapted legal and taxation regimes. The 
latest edition of the A sDB-ESCA P report  entitled " Trade Facilitation and Better Connectivity for an 
Inclusive Asia and the Pacific " was also presented . The report estimate d that "full implementation of 
the WTO TFA could reduce trade costs by 9%. Implementing paperless and cross border paperless  
trade measures in addition to the WTO TFA measures would reduce trade costs by a further 7%, 
according to UNESCAP calculations.  
56. The importance of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program ( CAREC ) as a 
mechanism to reduce trade costs was also referenced. Some 182 CAREC -related projects worth 
more than US$31.5 billion have been implemented in the areas of transport, trade, energy and 
economic corridors development, allowing better connectivity and easier movement of people and 
freight throughout  the CAREC regio n. A new CAREC 2030 strategy had  also been elaborated.  A 
further session was based around  a presentation of the report, " Promoting Connectivity for Inclusive 
Development " that the A sDB had presented at the 2017 Global Review of Aid for Trade. On the 
margins of the event, WTO and A sDB were able to have a first discussion on possible inputs for the 
next Global Review in 2019.  
IV. Private Sector  
57. The representative of the International Trade Centre (ITC)  updated the committee on its 
private sector -related activities . On June 27th, the second United Nations (UN) annual MSME Day 
had taken  place. The focus of the year was on " The Youth Dimension ". ITC had taken a leading role 
promoting the day's theme by building awareness of the contributions MSMEs make to youth 
employment, skills development, and youth entrepreneurship. The ITC had hosted interactive 
sessions in both Geneva and New York with young entrepreneurs to discuss how to connect youth 
to business.  
58. In May , ITC had launched the Y outh and Trade Road Maps, and also began a conversation on 
women 's economic empowerment in The Gambia. ITC and the EIF we re partnering on SheTrades in 
The Gambia, and the expectation wa s that the two agencies would  continue to  collaborate i n the 
area. With the U nited Kingdom , ITC had launched SheTrades in the Commonwealth in April 2018. It 
was a two -year project, which aimed  to increase economic growth and job creation in Commonwealth 
countries, by enabling the incr eased participation of women -owned business in international trade.  
SheTrades Global, ITC' s flagship event on women and the economy, had taken  place in Liverpool, 
UK in June 2018 . 
59. Also in June , the National Export Strategy of Afghanistan had been  launched. The Afghanistan 
strategy was the product of a year -long consultative process with inputs from over 500 stakeholders. 
In July , ITC would be launching the National Export Strategy in Sri Lanka, and ITC continue d to be WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  engaged with Mali, Algeria, S enegal and Saint Lucia on the development and finali zation of their 
strategies.  
60. On services trade, ITC continue d to support developing countries to explore global services 
markets, particularly in e -commerce and tourism. ITC  had released a new publication in April titled 
"What sells in e -commerce: New evidence from Asian LDCs ". On tourism, ITC had expanded its 
support in Myanmar to cover more regions, and enabled tourism companies from Myanmar and Sri 
Lanka to participate in the B2B events at the China Inte rnational Fair for Trade in Services . 
61. On 24 May 2018, ITC, the Royal Government of Bhutan and the EU  had launched the 
€4 million Bhutan Trade Support Project. The project would  promote export diversification  and focus 
on improving the trade and investment regulatory framework, as well as value addition and market 
linkages in the horticulture and textile handicrafts value chains.  The East African Cou ntries (EAC) 
MARKUP project aimed  to improve market access to the  EU and the East African region and had 
officially  been launched in June in Arusha, Tanzania. ITC and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) 
had launched the Rules of Origin facilitator which would  enable MSMEs to take greater advantage of 
preferential trade  arrangements. He added that ITC's annual flagship publication, the SME 
Competitiveness Outlook 2018 , would  be launched on 20 September 2018 at the WTO.  ITC's World 
Export Development Forum (WEDF)  would  be hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and 
Industry of Zambia in Lusaka in the second week of September . ITC and the Continental Free Trade 
Area ( CFTA) would  also be producing a business guide to the CFTA. The 12th World Trade Prom otion 
Organizations Conference  on "Trade and Investment Ecosystems: Del ivering for Growth" would  take 
place on October 25th and 26th in Paris, and would be hosted by Business France in partnership with 
ITC. ITC continue d to work to support the implementation of t he Trade Facilitation Agreement .  
62. The representative of the World Bank  Group (WBG)  informed that in April 2018, shareholders 
had endorsed a US$13 billion paid -in capital increase , adding US$7.5 billion to the International 
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The International Finance Corporation  (IFC), also 
received  a US$5.5 billion boost in capital. The IBRD had  also secured a US$52.6 billion increase in 
callable capital.  This capital increase, a first since 2010, would  allow the World Bank Group to lift its 
overall lending to nearly US$80 billion in 2019 , and US$100 billion annually  on average  through 
2030. The injection of capital would  allow the B ank to double its lending capacity, strengthen its 
ability to scale up resources, including leveraging more private capital, and deliver on its mission in 
areas that need ed the most assistance. Shareholders  had reiterated their commitment to the WBG 's 
twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boo sting shared prosperity by 2030.  
63. In autumn 2018 , the Bank  would release  the World Development Report (WDR) 2019, on "The 
Changing Nature of Work ". This document would  complement  the Bank's  recent work on "Trouble in 
the Making: The Future of Manu facturing" . It would deepen  the Bank' s exploration of the role that 
trade and investment play ed, alongside far -reaching technological change, in reshaping 
development trajectories, sources of comparative advantage and labo ur market performance. The 
report dr ew attention to the design of policies and institutions aimed at boosting the resilience of 
workers a nd societies conf ronted to ever -accelerating change. These trends, which would  prove 
challenging for economies that were lagging technologically, would  inevitably spill over into trade 
and investment governance. There was also a  possibility that the 2020 edition of the WDR  would  
revisit, for the first time since 1984, the nexus of trade and development.  
V.  Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation and Development Effectiveness  
64. The representative of the Organisation for Economic Co -Operation and Development (OECD)  
update d the committee  on Aid-for-Trade flows which are part of the f inancing for develop ment 
envelope worth  US$1.680 trillion  in 2016. Going most ly to middle -income countries, over half of 
flows originated  from the private sector and were disbursed  against market terms . Also mostly going 
to middle -income countries  and global programmes, r emittances amount ed to US$416 billion.  ODA 
and Other Official Flows ( OOF) represent ed a quarter of the envelope  and primarily  went to 
low-income  countries.  In this income group, ODA represent ed a large proportion  of government 
revenue (66 -95%), less for lower -middle income countries ( LMICs ) (65-35%), and even less  for 
upper -middle income countries  (UMICs ), (under  30%) . ODA wa s very important i n financing 
infrastructure and building productive capacity in LDCs and relatively  less important for 
middle -income c ountries . Warning Members about  the increasing weight of debt, he quoted the 
International Monetary Fund  which had concluded that low -incom e countries had no  additional space 
to take on commercial finance as their  level of  debt had increased to over  45% in 2017 . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/43  
 
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  65. He recalled  that Aid for Trade  had been identified at its inception as consisting of trade policies 
and regulations, trade -related infrastructure, buil ding productive capacity, trade -related adjustment 
and other trade -related needs. To dat e, US$342 billion  had been disbursed with  disbursements going 
to tra nsport and storage (29%), energy generation and supply (22%), agriculture fishin g and 
forestry (21%) , banking and financial  regulations  (11%) , and various other sectors (17%) . 
Thirty -five per cent had gone to LDCs, 41% to LMICs and 24% to UMICs . 
66. Since 2006, c ommitments had increased  before then decreasing in 2015, going f rom US$51 to 
US$47 billion , with the largest falls  in energy and banking.  Asia had received just under  40% of 
commitments and Africa  35%, yet in the latter t here had been an i ncrease (+159% from  the 
baseline ). Commitments to regional programmes had grown to US$ 6.8 billion in 201 6 (+236%  from 
the baseline ). The largest recipients  of Aid for Trade were India, Vietnam , Turkey, Afghanistan  and 
Egypt. The largest donors were Japan, EU,  the World Bank Group, the United States and Germa ny. 
In terms of commitments pe r capita , low-income  countries had received  a much higher share of Aid 
for Trade compared to LMICs  and UMIC s. As a region, Oceania  had also receive d more per capita 
than any other region.  Trade facilitation comm itments were  up by 14.5 % and disb ursements  down 
by 3%;  since the baseline , commitments had gone  up 440% and disb ursements  882%.  
67. More and more of the aid was provided on harder te rms with loans surpas sing grants since 
2009 in developing  countries , and 2015 in LDCs. Aid for Trade remained "additional" with  sector 
allocable ODA increasing  from 30.8 to 38.7% - this meant  an extra US$10 billion in Aid for Trade  
since the start of the Initiative, or  one-third of al l disbursements . OOF had gone significantly up and, 
primarily in middle -income countries. Very lit tle of the trade -related private finance  went to 
low-income countries.  
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
68. No item was raised under "Other Business".  
69. The meeting was adjourned . 
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