. /. 
 
 
    Pascal Lamy 
  Director-General 
 
 
 
15 June 2011 
 
 
  Dear Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives,   The cotton dossier remains central in the D oha Development Agenda.  It is a priority 
for those LDCs' for whom cotton is a vital mainstay in their economic activities.   
  The Development Assistance Aspect of the Doha mandate on cotton is an area where the WTO, as an Organization, has effectiv ely worked together, with common purpose and 
with tangible and positive results  in support of LDCs.  The "de liverables" have been steadily 
banked through a collective monitoring process, following the 6
th WTO Ministerial 
Conference in 2005 and the High Level M eeting on Cotton in 2007.  Developed and 
developing countries have worked together in partnership with relevant multilateral 
organisation.  Across the board, this support has been sustained even during the recent global 
financial and economic crisis.     In recognition of the steady support for LD Cs by WTO Members in this area of the 
Doha mandate, I have d ecided to convene the 15
th Round of the Consultative Framework 
Mechanism on Cotton  for 15 July 2011.  Deputy Director-General Harsha V. Singh will Chair 
this round of consultations on my behalf.  As a basis for the consultations and in accordance with our practice, I am forwarding herewith, for your review and comments, the Eleventh 
Version of the Evolving Table on Cotton Deve lopment Assistance (W T/CFMC/6/Rev.10).   
  It is evident, from the attached table, that Members have registered good progress in 
coordination with Cotton Proponents.     The Evolving Table, as you already know, is  divided into two categories: (1) Cotton 
Specific Development Assistance, and (2) Ag riculture and Infrastructure – Related 
Development Assistance.  Following the last  round of consultations in December 2010, 
inputs received have been proc essed and reflected in  the attached Eleven th version of the 
Evolving Table.    
 In Part I, on Cotton Specific Development Assistance , the number of individual 
beneficiaries remained stable at 42.   Th e total number of commitments increased 
by 3:  from 167 in the 10
th version to 170 in the current version.  There was an 
increase of 9.5% in the value of thes e commitments from US$567 million in the WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  - 2 - 
 
10th version to US$621 million in the current version.  Disbursement flows rose 
by 4.9%: from US$306 million in the 10th version to US$321 million in the 
current version.   
 
 In Part II, on Agriculture and Infrastructure-R elated Development Assistance , 
the number of individual beneficiaries st ands at 36.  The number of commitments 
increased by 19, from 101 in the previous ve rsion to 120 in the current version.  
The total value of these commitments  show an increase of 19%, from 
US$4.24 billion in the 10th version to US$5.07 billion in the current version.  I am 
pleased that disbursement flows im proved significantly by 51%, from 
US$542 million in the previous 10th version to US$817 million in the current 
version. 
    The update reflected in this version of  the Evolving Table was made possible by 
contributions from the EU and the US, our tr aditional donors, and fr om the multilateral 
institutions that have maintained steady suppor t in the implementation of the Doha mandate 
on cotton development assistance, namely, th e AfDB, CFC, FAO, ITC, IMF, UNCTAD and 
the World Bank.  Of particular significance is  the support and contri butions from Brazil, 
China and India, on the platform of South- South Co-operation.  Their support has not only 
remained steady, but in several areas has been increased and, has targeted cotton and agricultural productivity, an area of urgent need as expr essed by the beneficiaries.   
  My biannual update of this Evolving Ta ble has previously been accompanied by an 
updated version of the Domestic Cotton Sector Reform Table. Th is table is currently being 
updated and will be circulated shortly.   In conclusion, I seize this opportunity to remind the Membership of the importance of 
the two-track approach that has been pur sued on the cotton dossier: the development 
assistance track and the trade policy track.  Th e balanced and gradual implementation of both 
tracks would enable LDCs to use trade for growth  and poverty reduction and as such be a test  
for the WTO's ability to foster the development dimension of international trade.