The WTO, its members and key international aid and development organizations will conduct the Third Global Review of Aid for Trade on 18 and 19 July 2011 in Geneva. Aid for Trade is an initiative aimed at helping developing and least-developed countries to increase exports of goods and services, to integrate more effectively into the multilateral trading system and to benefit from liberalized trade and increased market access opportunities.

To achieve this, the initiative is aimed at assisting these countries in overcoming their supply-side constraints, build their economic infrastructure and increase their competitiveness.
 
Participants at the meeting include: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy; OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría; President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick; Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Helen Clark; heads of regional development banks, ministers, CEOs of private sector companies and officials from donor and aid recipient countries.

The focus of the Third Global Review of Aid for Trade is on showing results achieved so far. It is an opportunity to survey what has been achieved since the launch of the initiative, draw lessons about its impact and survey how best to maximize the potential of Aid for Trade in the future

The WTO and the OECD have produced a publication entitled “Aid for Trade at a glance 2011: Showing results”, which will be published on 18 July. It contains statistical data and hundreds of examples of Aid for Trade in action.

Interesting features will also be presented on the WTO Facebook page,  Twitter and Youtube.