WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/656 
25 September 2006 
 
 (06-4569) 
 Original:   French 
  
 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK: 
COTTON DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE 
 
Communication from Benin
 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 12 September 2006, is being circulated, at the request of 
the delegation of Benin, to participants in the open-ended consultati ons on cotton development 
assistance. WT/L/656 
Page 2  
 
  COMMENTS BY BENIN ON THE DOCUMENT CONCERNING THE STATUS OF 
PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEVELOPMENT OF 
THE COTTON SECTOR IN AFRICA 
 
 
 In the context of the management of the cotton dossier, the development partners have 
undertaken commitments in respect of technical  and financial assistance to the African cotton-
producing countries and, in particular, to the four  countries co-sponsoring the Sectoral Initiative in 
Favour of Cotton, the C4 Group.  
 In June 2006, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reviewed the 
programmes and projects covered by these various form s of assistance.  On 18 and 19 June 2006, the 
trade and agriculture ministers of the four co-spons ors of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton 
met in Ouagadougou, on the occasion of the World Bank seminar on cotton, to take stock of the 
situation regarding technical assistance granted to the C4 countries. 
 
 Each of the Beninese departments benefiting from these programmes and projects should submit comments on the individual projects listed in  the above-mentioned consolidated document.  
Their comments should relate exclus ively to projects concerning the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of 
Cotton launched in 2003, the operational ph ase of which effectively began in 2004. 
 
 In short, it will be necessary to: 
 
• Conduct an assessment of the amounts of resources allocated to Benin under the 
development aspect of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton; 
 
• make a distinction between commitments and assistance actually provided to the 
group of four country co-sponsors of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton. 
 
 The provisional results of this work are summarized in the following tables.  
   WT/L/656
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Document Development 
Partners Programme or 
Project Title Amount Period Beneficiaries Comments 
1 1 European 
Union EU/Africa Cotton 
Partnership €15,000,000 2007-2010 C4+All African 
Producers Not started – Information requested on programme 
launch/Beneficiary sector in Benin/Effective 
commencement 
2 1 European 
Union Support for national 
reforms in the cotton 
sector €10,000,000 2007-2010 Benin Idem 
3 1 European 
Union Repair of rural dirt 
roads in cotton producing areas €8,500,000 2002-2008 Benin Not relevant to the IFSC dossier as project started in 
2002.  Funding pre-dates the WTO Workshop on Cotton held in Cotonou on 23 and 24 March 2004 
and should not be counted in the support envisaged 
4 1 European 
Union Support for the 
Association Interprofessionnelle du 
Coton  (Inter-
Occupational Cotton Association - AIC) 
(Interest from STABEX 
1999 transfer) €45,000,000 2006 Benin Interest generated by STABEX 1999.  Benin has 
received notification that the funds have been mobilized and are availabl e and the procedures for 
using them have also been established.  Request 
supplementary information from the AIC 
5 2 France Commodity risk 
management €210,000 In progress West African 
Countries Not cotton-specific – in pr ogress.  Request forecasts 
on content/beneficiary sector in Benin/amount 
allocated to Benin 
6 2 France Trade fair on labelling 
system for cotton 
products €1,100,000 2007 West and 
Central African 
Countries Not started – Request information on project launch 
– Amount allocated to Benin – Effective start-up 
7 2 France Classification of cotton 
by categories (quality) and capacity-building of 
producer associations €2,000,000 2006-2009 West and 
Central African Countries AIC to be asked if it knows of the project - Launch - 
Beneficiary sectors - Amount allocated to Benin Effective start-up 
8 2 France Price risk management 
facility €10,000,000 Project 
under formulation West African 
Countries The project is under formulation.  Request status 
report on project formulation 
9 3 France Support for household 
production €8,000,000 Project 
under 
formulation Benin Not cotton-specific.  Project under formulation.  
Request status report, content and beneficiary 
sectors 
10 3 France Cotton sector reform €1,850,000 2002-2007 Benin Not covered by the IFSC dossier as launched in 
2002.  Funding pre-dates the WTO Workshop on 
Cotton held in Cotonou on 23 and 24 March and 
should not be counted in the support envisaged  
  WT/L/656 
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Document Development 
Partners Programme or 
Project Title Amount Period Beneficiaries Comments 
11 3 France "Cotton produced in 
Africa" Partnership, 
support for production €5,200,000 In progress African 
countries Not cotton-specific – in pr ogress.  Request forecasts 
on content – Beneficiary sector in Benin – Amount 
allocated to Benin 
12 4 Germany Study on 
competitiveness and 
ecological sustainability 
of cotton production €130,000 2005 Benin Project completed.  Request information on results 
of project from the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP) 
13 4 Germany Technical and 
organizational support 
to small-scale cotton 
farmers €2,000,000 2004-2007 Benin Request information on the amount/beneficiary 
structures/effective start-up 
14 4 Netherlands Regional cotton support To be 
determined 2005 C4 Request project details from the development 
partners.  Amount for Benin/effective start-up 
15 4 Netherlands Support to the Ministry 
of Industry, Trade and 
Employment Promotion 
(MICPE) To be 
determined 2005-2007 Benin Not cotton-specific 
16 4 Netherlands Support to the 
Communal Cotton Producers' Unions 
(UCPC) To be 
determined 2005-2006 Benin Request information on project amount and 
conditions for implementation.  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP) 
17 4 Denmark, 
France, Germany, 
Netherlands, 
Sweden and United 
Kingdom Support for the Sectoral 
Initiative in Favour of Cotton in the WTO 
negotiations €1,700,000 In progress C4 Request details concerning the period and carry out 
mid-term project assessment (IDEA-Center) 
18 5 USA Millennium Challenge 
Account US$307,000,000 2006-2011 Benin Not cotton-specific  
   WT/L/656
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Document Development 
Partners Programme or 
Project Title Amount Period Beneficiaries Comments 
19 5 USA Capacity-building at 
ministerial level for 
training in science, technology and bio-
safety (specifically 
requested by the C4 during the consultations 
on cotton) US$520,000 Completed African 
countries Request information on content, project amount for 
Benin, assessment report on  project's impact on the 
Beninese economy 
20 5 USA West African Cotton 
Improvement Programme US$7,000,000 2005 C4 + Senegal Request details on the amount granted to Benin – 
study report – An additional payment of US$20,000,000 pledged by the US has yet to be 
confirmed 
21 5 USA Cotton study tour in the 
US for trade and agriculture ministers of 
the C4 Group US$167,000 Completed C4 Study tour conducted in July 2004.  Request the 
amount allocated to Benin 
22 5 USA Project on cotton 
classing, soil fertility 
management and 
entomology capacity-building programmes US$183,000 Completed C4 + Senegal Request assessment report from the Quality Control 
Promotion Directorate (DPQC)/Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP) – 
Assessment required of project's impact on the Beninese economy 
23 6 USA Agricultural 
productivity and 
diversification, cotton, TBD US$200,000,000 In progress African 
countries Request amount allocated to Benin – Period and 
beneficiary sectors 
24 6 USA Agricultural 
productivity, markets, 
trade promotion To be 
determined 2005 Economic 
Community of 
West African States 
(ECOWAS) Request details of amount allocated to Benin – 
Beneficiary sectors 
25 6 USA Infrastructure needed to 
support sectors such as agribusiness To be 
determined 2005 Economic 
Community of West African 
States 
(ECOWAS) Request information from US partners on the 
amount allocated to Benin and on project implementation 
26 6 USA Cotton and agriculture US$952,000 Completed 
in 2004 Benin Information required on project implementation  
  WT/L/656 
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Document Development 
Partners Programme or 
Project Title Amount Period Beneficiaries Comments 
27 7 Japan Projects on agriculture 
and rural development 
in Africa To be 
determined To be 
determined African 
countries Information requested on project implementation 
and amount allocated to Benin 
28 8 Japan Grants US$31,299,284 Completed 
in 2004 Benin Information required on project implementation 
29 8 Japan Restoration project for 
the Gounoukouin access 
road €72,654 Completed 
in 2004 Benin Information required on project implementation 
30 14 World Bank Regional biosafety 
programme US$15,000,000 Project still 
under 
evaluation C4 + Senegal Not cotton-specific – Information required on 
project implementation 
31 14 World Bank Cotton sector reform 
support US$18,000,000 In progress Benin Information on project implementation to be 
requested from the AIC – Start-up period 
32 14 International 
Monetary 
Fund Exogenous Shocks 
Facility 25% of 
members' quota In progress, 
2006 
onwards C4 + Senegal Information on project implementation to be 
requested from the World Bank 
33 14 International 
Monetary 
Fund Multilateral Debt Relief 
Initiative (MDRI) US$52,000,000 2006 
onwards Benin Not cotton-specific.  Multilateral decision to forgive 
debt, benefiting Benin like many other least 
developed countries (LDCs) 
34 16 International 
Monetary Fund Poverty Reduction AND 
Growth Facility (PRGF) US$9,227,433 2006 
onwards Benin Not cotton-specific.  Funding granted in the context 
of macro-economic reforms 
35 18 FAO 
United 
Nations Food and 
Agriculture 
Programme 40,000 cotton producers 
targeted for full-season 
farmer field school (FFS) training €7,400,000 2006-2010 
training 
project Benin, Burkina 
Faso, Mali, 
Senegal (Guinea, 
Mauritania and 
Niger for the Global 
Environment 
Facility (GEF) project). Information to be requested from the FAO on the 
amount allocated to Benin 
36 18 UNIDO 
United 
Nations Industrial 
Development 
Organization Cotton sector 
development/Chain 
integration €20,000,000 To be 
determined Guinea-Bissau, 
C4, Cameroon, 
Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Nigeria, 
Senegal and 
Togo Information on project amount for Benin/period to 
be requested from UNIDO  
   WT/L/656
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Document Development 
Partners Programme or 
Project Title Amount Period Beneficiaries Comments 
37 19 ITC 
International 
Trade Centre EU-Africa Cotton 
Partnership – ITC 
implementation of the cotton sector strategy 
and development of new 
markets US$1,000,000 To be 
determined African 
countries Information required on conditions of access and 
level of implementation 
38 19 ITC 
International 
Trade Centre Cotton Exporters' Guide US$352,000 To be 
determined Cotton 
exporters Information to be requested on the period, the 
project amount for Benin, conditions of access and 
level of implementation 
39 19 ITC 
International Trade Centre South-South trade 
promotion for African cotton US$220,000 To be 
determined Cotton 
exporters Information to be requested on the period, the 
project amount for Benin, conditions of access and level of implementation 
40 19 ICAC 
International 
Cotton Advisory 
Committee Commercial 
standardization of 
testing instruments US$7,788,000 2006 in 
progress African 
countries Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin, and the level 
of implementation 
41 20 ICAC 
International 
Cotton 
Advisory Committee Seed quality € 1,500,000 Project 
formulation 
stage African 
countries Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report 
on project formulation to be requested 
42 20 ICAC 
International 
Cotton Advisory 
Committee Production technology € 1,000,000 Project 
formulation 
stage African 
countries Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report 
on project formulation to be requested 
43 20 ICAC 
International Cotton 
Advisory 
Committee Use of cotton by-
products for value added products US$2,347,000 Project 
formulation stage African 
countries Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report on project formulation to be requested 
44 20 ICAC 
International 
Cotton 
Advisory 
Committee Research capabilities € 1,500,000 Project 
formulation 
stage African 
countries Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report 
on project formulation to be requested  
  WT/L/656 
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Document Development 
Partners Programme or 
Project Title Amount Period Beneficiaries Comments 
45 20 ICAC 
International 
Cotton Advisory 
Committee AfriCot in Europe € 4,000,000 Project 
formulation 
stage African 
countries Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report 
on project formulation to be requested 
46 20 Common Fund 
for Commodities 
in partnership 
with the ICAC Various projects in 
partnership with the ICAC To be 
determined Project 
formulation stage Cotton 
exporters Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report on project formulation to be requested 
47 20 African 
Development 
Bank (ADB), 
FAO and West African 
Economic and 
Monetary 
Union 
(WAEMU) Multinational 
Competitiveness 
Programme US$73,000,000 To be 
determined Benin, Burkina 
Faso, Mali and 
Cote d'Ivoire Check whether Benin is a project beneficiary.  If so, 
what is the project amount for Benin.  Status report 
on project formulation to be requested 
 
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