WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/660 
2 November 2006 
 (06-5265) 
 Original:   French 
  
 
DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S CONSULTATIVE FRAMEWORK: 
COTTON DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE 
 
Communication from Mali
 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 4 October 2006 , is being circulated, at the request of the 
delegation of Mali, to participants in the open- ended consultations on cotton development assistance. 
  
  WT/L/660 
Page 2  
 
  COMMENTS BY THE REPUBLIC OF MALI ON THE WORKING TABLE OF 
TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS TO 
STRENGTHEN THE COTTON SECTOR PRESENTED BY 
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
ON 12 JUNE 2006 AT OUAGADOUGOU 
 
 
1. The delegation of Mali thanks the WTO Secretariat for its presentation to WTO Members of 
the working table on technical and financial assi stance to strengthen the cotton sector in African 
countries. 
2. The delegation of Mali has examined the doc ument and wishes to make the following 
comments on the assistance (loans or grants) provide d to Mali for direct or indirect support of cotton 
sector and other reforms. 
I. EUROPEAN UNION 
- Programme to provide budgetary support for the cotton sector. 
Value:  €15,000,000 
Period:  2006-2008 Comments
:  This programme will start in 2007 (first non- earmarked instalment of €5 million in 2007 
and the remainder in 2008, dependi ng on developments in the restructuring of the cotton sector). 
 - Regional Integration Support Programme. 
Amount:  $3,000,000 
Period:  2001-2005 Comments
:  Not related to cotton. 
 - Global Index Insurance Facility. 
Amount:  €25,000,000 
Period:  2007-2009 Comments
:  Non operational. 
 
II. FRANCE 
- Project:  Fair trade labelling system for cotton products. 
Amount:  €1,100,000 
Period:  2007 Comments
:  CMDT/COPACO trade initiative, financing not confirmed. 
 - Project:  Quality classification of cotton fibre categories and capacity-building of producers. 
Amount:  €2,000,000 
Period:  2006-2009 Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 - Project:  Value chain in support of the cotton sector. Amount:  €6,800,000 
Period:  2007 
Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 - Project:  Strengthening of the competiti veness of cotton and cotton by-products. 
Amount:  €10,000,000 
Period:  In progress 
Comments
:  Awaiting decision by donors.  WT/L/660 
 Page 3 
 
 
  - Project:  Improvement of the quality of cotton and the production system. 
Amount:  €3,000,000 Period:  - Comments
:  Awaiting preparation. 
 III. NETHERLANDS 
- Project:  Improving regional market inputs. 
Amount:  €7,000,000 Period:  In progress Comments
:  Implementation in progress at African subregional level. 
 
- Project:  Treatment of pests. Amount:  Unspecified Period:  2005 Comments
:  African subregional project. 
 
- Project:  Regional advisor for cotton (C4). Amount:  Unspecified Period:  2005 Comments
:  Currently being implemented at  subregional level (C4 countries). 
 
- Project:  Support for ROPPA (farmers' organization) 
Amount:  Unspecified Period:  2005 Comments
:  Subregional project.  Does not concern cotton. 
 
- Project:  Privatization of the CMDT. 
Amount:  Unspecified Period:  2005 Comments
:  In 2003, when the Government of Mali was negotiating with the IFC, sounded out to play 
the role of investment bank in the privatiza tion of the CMDT, the Netherlands and the AFD 
announced that they were each ready to assume, in the form of a subsidy, a portion of the intervention 
costs of the investment bank.  The amount menti oned was €500,000 for each of the two partners, i.e. a 
total of 1 million Euros.  The negotiations with th e IFC were interrupted in 2004.  A new reform 
programme was adopted by the Government on 28 December 2005 with a revised timetable for the 
reform of the cotton sector.  The budget for the impl ementation of the revised timetable was submitted 
to the technical and financial partners for financing in January 2006.  On that occasion, neither of the 
two partners reiterated the availability of the € 500,000 initially announced as a contribution to the 
intervention costs of the investment bank. Conclusion:  the financing announced in the WTO document is not available.  
IV. DENMARK, FRANCE, GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN AND THE 
UNITED KINGDOM 
- Project:  Support for the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton in the WTO negotiations. 
Amount:  €1,700,000 Period:  In progress Comments
:  Support to the C4 through the IDEAS Centre. 
 WT/L/660 
Page 4  
 
  V. USA 
- Project:  Initiative in favour of the co mbat against hunger in Africa (CADDP). 
Amount:  US$200,000,000 Period:  2005 Comments
:  Project currently being implemented in several countries.  Concerns horticultural 
products above all, but not specifically cotton. 
 - Programme:  Global Competitiveness Initiative. Amount:  US$200,000,000 Period:  2005-2010 
Comments
:  Programme being drawn up, financing not yet obtained. 
 - Programme:  Support for ECOWAS. Amount:  US$9,500,000 Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Programme does not benefit Mali directly. 
 - Programme:  Foreign private investment company in contact with the City Bank to improve investment facilitation and guarantees. Amount:  US$125,000,000 Period:  2005 
Comments
:  The purpose of this programme is to stimulate investments between African and 
American private operators.  It does not concern cotton specifically.  - Programme:  Training session for Ministers in the area of biodiversity and biosecurity. 
Amount:  US$520,000 
Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Programme completed.  The Ministers met twice, one in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in 
2004 and the other in Bamako (Mali) in 2005.  - Programme:  Foreign private investment co mpany for the African Infrastructure Fund. 
Amount:  US$100,000,000 
Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Currently being implemented at the s ubregional level.  Concerns energy and 
transportation, but not specifically cotton.  - Programme:  West African Programme for the Improvement of Cotton. 
Amount:  US$27,000,000 
Period:  2005-2008 Comments
:  The programme is currently being drawn up. 
 - Programme:  Exchange visits of C4 Ministers. Amount:  US$167,000 
Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Already completed.  The Ministers travelled to the United States on an exchange trip in 
2005.  - Programme:  Capacity-building programme on th e classification of cotton, soil management ... 
Amount:  US$183,000 
Period:  2005 Comments
:  Component of the West African development programme. 
  WT/L/660 
 Page 5 
 
 
  - Project:  Support project for animal and phyto sanitary inspection with a view to facilitating the 
export of West African products. 
Amount:  US$1,500,000 Period:  2005 Comments
:  The project has not yet been launched in Mali. 
 
VI. ECOWAS 
- Project:  Agricultural productivity, markets, expansion of trade. 
Amount:  €2,000,000 Period:  Declared in progress 
Comments
:  Project non existent. 
 
VII. JAPAN 
- Project:  Mali-Senegal corridor grant 
Amount:  US$65,056,670 
Period:  2004 
Comments :  Project identified.  Implementation sche duled to begin after the Bamako-Kita-Sekokoto-
Bafing-Faleme segments have materialized.  The fi nancing will then serve to build the bridges on 
those segments:  Construction of the bridge on the Faleme (310m); construction of the bridge on the 
Kombera river 2 (154 m);  construction of the bridge  on the Oulounkali river (154 m);  construction of 
the bridge on Bafing river (247 m);  construction of the bridge on the Balé river (154 m);  and 
construction of the bridge on the Ba koye river (217 m).  These segments have not yet been completed, 
which explains the delay in putting the Japanese gr ant to use.  The project has no specific link to 
cotton.  - Project:  Role of agriculture cooperatives in stimulating the rural economy. 
Amount:  US$20,671 
Period:  2005 Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 - Project:  Soil diagnosis and conversion. Amount:  US$20,671 
Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 - Project:  Capacity-building in agricultural development. 
Amount:  US$20,671 
Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 - Project:  Management and planni ng of agricultural extension. 
Amount:  US$41,522 Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 - Project:  Operation and management of canal irrigation systems Amount:  US$20,671 Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 WT/L/660 
Page 6  
 
  - Project:  Operation and management of canal irrigation systems 
Amount:  US$41,522 Period:  2004 Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 
- Project:  Capacity-building on the integr ation of women in rural development. 
Amount:  US$20,671 Period:  2005 Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 
- Project:  Non-project grants. 
Amount:  US$9,135,000 Period:  2005 Comments
:  Project currently being implemented at the Direction Nationale du Commerce et de la 
Concurrence (National Directorate for Trade and Compe tition) in the goods credit framework, and 
does not concern cotton. 
 - Project:  Aid for small producers (non-re fundable aid for disadvantaged farmers). 
Amount:  US$3,405,000 Period:  2005 Comments
:  Project currently being implemented at the Ministry of Agriculture and does not concern 
cotton. 
 
VIII.  INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) 
- Programme:  MDRI. 
Amount:  US$108,000,000 US dollars 
Period:  2006 and beyond 
Comments :  Multilateral debt forgiveness for th e 18 LDCs.  It covers all sectors. 
 - Project:  Poverty reduction  and growth facilitation. 
Amount:  US$13,908,231 Period:  2006 
Comments
:  Programme not specific to cotton 
 
IX. FAO 
- Project:  Subregional programme for the integrat ed production and management of pests in test 
fields. 
Amount:  €7,400,000 
Period:  October 2006 Comments
:  Project currently being drawn up. 
 
X. UNIDO 
- Project:  Interaction of the cotton sector development chain. 
Amount:  €20,000,000 
Period: Comments
:  UNIDO has intervened for th e financing of the HVI chain. 
  WT/L/660 
 Page 7 
 
 
  XI. UNCTAD 
- Project:  Commodity 
Amount: Comments
:  No indication 
 XII. ITC 
- Project:  EU/Africa partnership on cotton – implementation by the ITC of the cotton sector 
strategy and development of new markets. 
Amount:  US$1,000,000 Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Not identified. 
 - Project:  Cotton Exporters' Guide. Amount:  US$352,000 Period: 
Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 Project:  "South-south" trade promotion of African cotton. Amount:  US$220,000 Period: Comments
:  Project not identified. 
 
XIII.  ICAC 
- Project:  Improvement and cultivation of uncontaminated cotton. 
Amount:  US$90,000 Period:  2006 
Comments
:  Internal initiative of the Malian Textile Development Company (CMDT), not financed 
by the above-mentioned donor.  - Project:  Seed quality. Amount:  €1,500,000 Period:  Project currently being formulated 
Comments
:  Awaiting formulation. 
 - Project:  Technology production. Amount:  US$1,000,000 Period:  2005 
Comments
:  Project completed. 
 - Project:  Use of cotton by-products for value added projects. Amount:  US$2,347,000 Period:  2006 Comments
:  Project currently being drawn up. 
 
- Project:  Capacity research. Amount:  €1,500,000 Period: Comments
:  Project currently being drawn up. 
 WT/L/660 
Page 8  
 
  - Project:  AfriCot in Europe. 
Amount:  €4,000,000 Period: Comments
:  Project currently being drawn up. 
 
- Project:  Various projects in partnership with the ICAC. 
Amount: Period: Comments
:  Project currently being drawn up. 
 XIV.  ADB (FAO+WAEMU) 
- Project:  Multinational competitiveness programme. 
Amount:  €730,000,000 Period: Comments
:  Project currently being developed. 
 
XV. INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK 
- Project:  Diagnostic study including cotton analysis. 
Amount:  US$300,000 Period:  2005 Comments
:  Not identified.  For the moment, none of  the integrated frame work projects concern 
cotton. 
 
__________