RESTRICTED  
 
WT/COMTD/AFT/M/36  
1 March 2016  
(16-1239)  Page: 1/5  
Committee on Trade and Development 
Thirty-Sixth Session on Aid for Trade   
 
   
NOTE ON THE MEETINGS OF 11 AND 15 FEBRUARY 2016 
Chairperson: H.E. Mr. Juan Esteban Aguirre Martínez (Paraguay) 
 
A.  Adoption of the Agenda  .......................................................................................... 1  
B.  Draft Aid-for-Trade Work Programme 2016-2017  ................................................... 1  
C.  Aid-for-Trade Activities  ........................................................................................... 3  
1.  Resource Mobilization and Im plementation Activities ....................................................... 3  
2.  Mainstreaming ........................................................................................................... 3  
3.  Regional Dimension .................................................................................................... 4  
4.  Private Se ctor ........................................................................................................... 4  
5.  Monitoring and Evaluation of Implemen tation and Development Effectiveness ..................... 5  
D. Other Business  ........................................................................................................ 5  
 
A.  Adoption of the Agenda 
1.   The Agenda, as circulated in WTO/AIR/COMTD/AFT/4, was adopted. 
B.  Draft Aid-for-Trade Work Programme 2016-2017 2.   The Chairman drew attention to the revise d draft Aid-for-Trade (AfT) Work Programme 
2016-2017 issued in JOB/DEV/32/Rev.1 and provided an outline of how Members' comments, 
notably those made at the informal AfT session  of the Committee on Trade and Development 
(CTD) held on 22 January as well as those submi tted by Members in writing, had been taken into 
account in the revised document. 
3.   The representatives of Canada; Cameroon on behalf of the ACP Group; Colombia; Republic 
of Korea; Paraguay also on behalf of the LLDCs; Hong Kong, China; the United States (US); the 
European Union (EU); Peru; India; Chinese Taipei ; Norway; Japan; Nepal; Australia; Bangladesh; 
and Benin also on behalf of the LDC Group; t ook the floor. Members expressed support for the 
revised draft work programme and its organizing theme of "Promoting Connectivity", including 
with a focus on services trade. Members welcomed the focus on services trade, together with the 
emphasis given to: gender and women's empowermen t (Canada, Republic of Korea, Paraguay, US, 
Chinese Taipei, Norway, Australia); e-commerce and digital trade (Cameroon on behalf of the ACP 
Group, EU); micro, small, and medium enterpri ses (MSMEs) (EU); and to trade facilitation 
(Canada; Hong Kong, China; EU; Norway; Australia). 
4.   The representatives of Canada, the EU, and Beni n on behalf of the LDC Group, felt that the 
Work Programme could benefit from additional cont ext and stronger textual reference in terms of 
the link between Aid for Trade and the 2030 Deve lopment Agenda and Sustainable Development 
Goals (SDGs). Canada, echoed by Australia, believed that, to ensure a sustainable impact of AfT 
support and to avoid duplication, it was crucial to have a coordinated and coherent approach to 
assistance, including with regard to support to  the implementation of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement (TFA) and to the TFA Facility. WT/COMTD/AFT/M/36 
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  5.   The representative of Cameroon, on behalf of  the ACP Group, highlighted the importance of 
promoting connectivity for small economies, including landlocked and least developed countries, 
many of whom still faced supply-side capacity constraints and infrastructure and financial resource challenges which resulted in low productive capacity and higher trade costs. Addressing issues 
such as e-commerce and digital trade was also important for ACP members since many had 
technological limitations that hampered their potential to increase and fully benefit from their services trade. He highlighted the importance of promoting connectivity at regional level and 
suggested that this be considered in the context of the next monitoring and evaluation exercise.  
6.   The representative of Colombia suggested inclusion in the Work Programme of a specific 
reference to the problem of the costs arising from the control of illicit trade which, he said, could 
represent between 3 and 5% of global GDP. The representative of India noted his delegation's 
support of the Work Programme as contained in th e revised draft, but indicated that India could 
not support Colombia's request. 
7.   The representative of the Republic of Korea referred to the issue of e-commerce and 
informed of its support to partner countries' efforts to build ICT infrastructure such as 
e-government and e-procurement systems. He note d the Republic of Korea's continued support to 
the Aid-for-Trade Initiative and recalled its financial contribution to the EIF as announced at the 
EIF Pledging Conference held in the margins of  MC10. The representative of Chinese Taipei 
suggested including in the Work Programme a reference to hi-technology which was important for 
promoting trade and connectivity in developing countries and LDCs. 
8.   The representatives of Paraguay on behalf of the LLDCs, and Nepal noted that promoting 
connectivity was particularly challenging for LDCs and LLDCs and, as such, requested that more 
emphasis be given in the Work Programme to th e contribution it could make to the effective 
implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action  for Landlocked Developing Countries. Paraguay 
referred to the Ministerial Meeting of the LLDC Group held in the margins of MC10, at which 
Ministers had stressed the importance of having a specific work programme for LLDCs by the 11
th Ministerial Conference which would address their special needs, challenges and vulnerabilities. 
He said that the LLDC work programme could include key issues such as trade facilitation, Aid for 
Trade, services, and accession.  
9.   The representative of the EU referred to the process of integrating sustainable development 
into trade policy at all levels and noted that this was reflected in its recent Trade for All policy1 
which focused on the following elements: (i) integrating sustainable development provisions into 
trade agreements and ensuring their implementation ; (ii) an updated and broadened definition of 
sustainable development to include issues such as responsible management of supply chains and 
fair and ethical trade; and (iii) efforts to align cooperation efforts to assist developing countries to 
benefit from the opportunities presented by the above. He noted that Aid for Trade was a prime example of the third element and could be used  to underpin the other aims by sharing best 
practices, case stories, studies and other technical assistance tools. 
10.   The representative of Peru noted that high  trade costs continued to prevent developing 
countries and LDCs from fully benefi ting from trade opportunities and said that this issue, as well 
as others, needed to be addressed as quickly as possible. With regard to trade connectivity, he 
highlighted the importance of effective and efficient logistics which could reduce trade costs and 
facilitate trade. One course of action Peru was pursuing in this regard was the development of an international logistics centre and observatory for logistic work through which countries could 
identify and exchange best practices on logistical issues. 
11.   The representative of Japan suggested that the key to tackling the challenges related to 
trade connectivity was to build a safe, efficient, inclusive, resilient and environmentally sustainable 
infrastructure. With this in mind, Japan was now promoting "quality infrastructure investment" to 
improve connectivity in developing countries, and especially LDCs and LLDCs, so that these 
countries could better integrate into global trade.  
12.   Echoing Japan's views on infrastructure, the re presentative of Bangladesh requested that a 
more specific reference to the infrastructure ne eds of developing countries in the context of 
                                               
1 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/october/tradoc_153846.pdf . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/36 
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  promoting connectivity should be made in the Work Programme and that this should also be a 
focus of the 6th Global Review of Aid for Trade. 
13.   The representative of Benin said that it was important to ensure that connectivity linked 
different countries' and regions' goods and services  markets and that it increased competitiveness. 
He stressed that activities carried out under the Work Programme should focus both on the 
development of physical infrastructure and skills th rough training involving both public and private 
partners. In order to evaluate results, he suggested the elaboration of an action matrix to track 
progress, implementation methods, and challenges . In this connection, Benin recommended that 
structured and synergized exchanges of experien ces and best practices be organized so that 
results could be shared with other regions. In addition to focusing on promoting connectivity, 
Benin said that work should also continue on other issues and projects emerging from the 
5th Global Review of  Aid for Trade.  
14.   The Chairman said that the revised draft Work Programme would be updated to take 
account of the comments and suggestions made at the present meeting. He would then reconvene 
the CTD-AfT in formal session with the aim of finalizing the Work Programme. 
15.   At the resumed meeting of 15 February 2016, the Chairman introduced the second revision 
of the draft Aid-for-Trade Work Programme 2016-2017 (JOB/DEV/32/Rev.2) which had been 
prepared to take account of comments made by members at the CTD-AfT meeting on 11 February.  
16.   At the request of the representative of Nepal,  the Chairman agreed to add a reference to the 
Istanbul and Vienna Programmes of Action as well as to the Samoa Pathway.   
17.   In the absence of further comments from Memb ers, the Chairman confirmed that, in keeping 
with past practice, he would issue the updated Aid-for-Trade Work Programme 
(WT/COMTD/AFT/W/60) under his own responsibility and forward it to the General Council for it to take note at its meeting on 24 February. 
18.   The meeting was adjourned. 
C.  Aid-for-Trade Activities 
1.  Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities 
19.   The representative of the World Bank Grou p (WBG) provided an update on the Bank's 
AfT-related work and activities. This included on : the World Bank Group/African Development Bank 
(AfDB)/Inter-American Development Bank Inno vative Framework Agre ement established in 
December 2015 to provide the three Banks with gr eater options to offer Aid for Trade and other 
development finance in a wider range of contexts2; the IDA-17 replenishment of US$52.1 billion 
for fiscal years 2014-2017 and the launch of the process for the next replenishment round; the Bank's Trade Facilitation Support Program
3, that currently totalled US$36 million in commitments, 
through which it was working with approximately 50 countries to implement the TFA and which 
was helping to pave the way for large-scale WBG trade facilitation projects amounting to more than US$8.5 billion; and a project recently starte d by the Bank that was focusing on how LDCs 
could take advantage of services preferences. He also announced the organization in June 2016 of 
a joint WBG-WTO event on the role of trade in  ending poverty which would look at country 
experiences, the role of Aid for Trade and the data agenda for how the poverty impact of Aid for Trade could be deepened.  
2.  Mainstreaming 
20.   The representative of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) reported on the EIF's trade 
mainstreaming activities noting that, under Phas e One of the EIF, 44 DTISs and DTIS Updates had 
been completed which, based on robust evidence-based analysis and prioritization, had helped 
LDCs identify and address their main constraints to trade. Recalling the EIF Phase Two Pledging 
Conference held in the margins of MC10 at  which donors had pledged approximately 
                                               
2 http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/12/22/development-banks-optimize-balance-
sheets . 
3 http://www.TradeFacilitationSupportProgram.org . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/36 
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  US$90 million, she said that the Programme Framework for Phase Two envisaged the completion 
of up to 33 DTISs and Updates and would allow for a strengthened approach to aligning these with national development planning cycles to ensure the diagnostic for mainstreaming trade priorities 
into the next national development plans. Bhutan  and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were 
expected to benefit from this strengthened approach later in the year. Additional mainstreaming 
support, provided through a "mainstreaming" window established in 2014, would continue on a demand-driven basis, subject to available funding.  The Gambia and Burkina Faso were the latest 
to benefit from support provided through this window and a request had been received from 
Guinea. The EIF was also strengthening its collaboration efforts with various organizations including the FAO, the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, UNESCAP, the COMESA Secretariat, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secret ariat, with the aim of increasing synergies, 
including in the context of linking up trade with other sectors and supporting regional trade 
initiatives, which involve LDCs.
4 
21.   The representative of Chinese Taipei provided  information on the support its International 
Cooperation Development Fund5 was providing to AfT-related projects in developing countries and 
particularly LDCs. Of the 162 projects, covering  agriculture, aqua-fishery, training and SMEs, 
79 had been completed and 83 were under implementation. 
22.   The representative of Benin, on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed appreciation for the 
current EIF donors' continued support and urged othe r donors to provide on-going support to meet 
the target for funding under Phase Two of the EIF.  
23.   The representative of China recognized the impo rtance of Aid for Trade as a tool to assist 
developing countries to explore and enhance their trade potential. He recalled the recently-signed 
China-WTO MOU regarding the 5th China-LDC Accession Programme which aimed to facilitate the 
accession of developing countries, especially LDCs, and support their integration into the 
multilateral trading system. 
3.  Regional Dimension 24.   The representative of UNCTAD reported on a Transparency-in-Trade Initiative that it was 
operating in collaboration with the WBG, the ITC and the AfDB. The aim of the Initiative was to 
collect data and information on non-tariff measures (NTMs) existing in regional trade agreements among developing countries so as to increase transparency in trade, particularly with respect to regulatory measures. The data and information coll ected also contributed to substantiate policy 
research and analysis, with a view to increasing synergies between regional trade integration and 
inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Data collected so far included for ASEAN, ALADI, and ECOWAS member countries and future data co llection included for SADC, COMESA and EAC 
member countries.
6 
25.   The representative of Benin, on behalf of th e LDC Group, said that the issue of NTMs was 
important for LDCs as they limited these countries' access to markets. He therefore welcomed 
UNCTAD's work in this area and requested that the results of the Initiative's findings be published 
as widely, and as soon as possible, perhaps through a dedicated event such as a technical workshop or seminar. 
4.  Private Sector 
26.   The representative of the ITC reported on ITC's AfT-related work and activities. On Trade 
Facilitation, ITC was providing assistance in respect to TFA implementation, the strengthening of 
National Trade Facilitation Committees, the establishment of e-facilitation tools in Tajikistan, 
Sri Lanka and Paraguay, the development of spec ific product export development management 
guides for Lao PDR, Myanmar and Nepal, and to pr ojects in Tanzania and Zambia to rationalize 
and simplify trade documentation and procedures. In the area of e-commerce, ITC had recently 
launched a paper on "International E-Commerce in Africa – The Way Forward"7 which explored the 
e-commerce potential throughout Africa and the challenges involved in increasing digital literacy. A 
                                               
4 Further information on EIF activities can be found at http://www.enhancedif.org . 
5 https://www.icdf.org .tw/mp.asp?mp=2 . 
6 More information on the Initiative can be found at http://www.tntdata.org/about_tnt.html . 
7 http://www.intracen.org/publication/International-E-Commerce-in-Africa-The-Way-Forward/ . WT/COMTD/AFT/M/36 
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  web and mobile-phone application "SheTrades"8 had also recently been launched to help women 
entrepreneurs worldwide to connect to markets. In addition, ITC was also supporting countries (most recently Afghanistan, Comoros, Liberia, and Sudan) in their WTO accession process. Referring to ITC's Bl ue Number Initiative
9, which allowed farmers to better connect with global 
buyers, the representative announced that the registry for the Initiative was already on line and 
that the beta marketplace site was expected to be  launched in the second quarter of 2016. He also 
announced a number of ITC events foreseen in 2016 which included the 50th annual meeting of the 
Joint Advisory Group (5 July), the World Expo rt Development Forum (11-13 October), and the 
Trade Promotion Organization Network World Conf erence (24-25 November), and several new ITC 
publications including one on "Investing in Trade Promotion Generates Revenue"10 launched at the 
beginning of February, a soon-to-be released joint ITC-COMESA Business Council technical paper 
entitled "Services in COMESA – An Industry Pe rspective", and the next edition of the SME 
Competitiveness Outlook to be published in October.11 
27.   The representative of Benin, on behalf of the LDC Group, expressed appreciation for ITC's 
activities in support of developing countries, part icularly in light of the 2030 Development Agenda, 
and, while appreciating the work involved, sugges ted that countries' and regions' experiences be 
shared among Members. 
5.  Monitoring and Evaluation of Impl ementation and Development Effectiveness 
28.   The representative of Norway noted that th e information provided by partners on their 
various AfT-related work was particularly relevant in light of the current evaluation being 
undertaken on the WTO's trade-related technical as sistance (TRTA) activities, and highlighted the 
importance of ensuring that AfT activities be conducted in line with beneficiaries' needs. She 
informed that the findings of the TRTA evaluation  were expected to be presented at the end of 
2016. 
D. Other Business 
29.   No item was raised under "Other Business". 
30.   The meeting was adjourned. 
__________ 
                                               
8 https://www.shetrades.com/ . 
9 http://www.intracen.org/article/Blue-Number-Initiative-links-development-to-sustainability/ . 
10 http://www.intracen.org/publication/Investing-in-Trade-Promotion-Generates-Revenue/ . 
11 Further information on ITC's activities can be found at http://www.in tracen.org .