PRESS RELEASE 
 
PRESS/547 
22 December 2008 
 
(08-6268) 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
Denmark gives CHF7 million to the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework Trust Fund and donates CHF1 million  to three WTO 
development programmes 
Denmark has donated a total of CHF8 million (about DKK38 million) to the Doha Development 
Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF), the Internship Programme for the Mission of 
Selected WTO Members in Geneva , the Standards and Trade Development Facility  (STDF) 
and to the Enhanced integrated Framework (EIF).  
 
These donations are intended to build the capacity of developing and least developed countries to 
negotiate effectively within the WTO and help implement WTO agreements and international standards. This is essential to protecting the tr ade interests and development needs of the world’s 
poorest countries. 
 A first donation of about  CHF200,000  (DKK1 million) will be offered to the Doha Development 
Agenda Global Trust Fund . This contribution will be used to finance WTO technical assistance 
activities targeted especially at the needs of developing and least-developed countries as well as economies in transition. The aim is to better adapt their practices and laws to WTO rules and 
disciplines, improve the implementation of their obligations and enhance the exercise of their 
membership rights.  
A second donation of about CHF200,000 (DKK1 million) will be given to the Internship 
Programme for the Mission of Selected WTO Members in Geneva . This Programme helps 
Missions from developing countries enhance their understanding of the multilateral trading system 
and trade policy in general.  
 A third donation of about CHF600,000  (DKK3 million) will be provided to the Standards and 
Trade Development Facility . This contribution will assist developing countries in improving their 
expertise and capacity to analyze and implement international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) 
standards which must be met for certain products  to be exported. The objective is to enhance 
developing countries’ human, animal and plant health situation and their ability to gain and 
maintain market access.   
Denmark is also the first donor to the Enhanced Integrated Framework Trust Fund  and 
provided CHF7 million  (about USD6 million or DKK33 million) to finance the first projects 
submitted by least developed countries to the EIF.  
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 The aim of the EIF is to assist LDC’s in identifying their trade development needs and to 
integrate these needs into the countries’ national development strategies and plans to ensure that 
they are appropriately addressed by the country an d its development partners. This in turn will 
allow them to take more fully advantage of the multilateral trading system.  
 
“ I welcome Denmark’s donations to the WTO trust funds. These contributions will allow developing countries to expand their markets, integrate in the global economy and take better advantage of 
the multilateral trading system. “ declared the WTO Director General Pascal Lamy  
 Danish Ambassador Marie-Louise Overvad stated “ Denmark has continuously supported the WTO 
technical assistance programmes for developing and least-developed countries since their 
inception. Denmark has always been a strong supporter of the EIF and is extremely pleased to allow for the first projects to go ahead. Furtherm ore, more funds will be forthcoming when a good 
and solid monitoring and evaluation framework has been agreed by all the EIF partners so that we 
are able to demonstrate our results.”   
 
END