More
information:
·
Previous Swedish donations:
>
Sweden
donates 7 million Swedish crowns,
28 July 2000
> Sweden
hands over CHF 1 million contribution to WTO technical
cooperation activities
, 17 March 1999
> WTO
technical cooperation
> Trust
fund details
SEE
ALSO:
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releases
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news
Mike
Moore's speeches
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The money, received on 1 November 2001, is a third
contribution from Sweden to the WTO Global Trust Fund for technical
cooperation. The first two were for SEK 5m (Swiss francs 1m) in 1999
and SEK 7m (Swiss francs 1.3m) in 2000. In all cases Sweden has set
flexible terms, only asking for priority to be given to “technical
assistance activities, both in terms of negotiation capacity and in
terms of implementing WTO agreements, where least developed countries
are prime beneficiaries”.
Expressing
his thanks, WTO Director-General Mike Moore said: “Sweden has been a
steadfast contributor to WTO technical cooperation funding. This
latest contribution is timely, not only because of the continuing
need, but because in the 14 November Ministerial Declaration in
Doha, WTO member governments included a pledge to improve assistance
to developing countries and to ensure secure and predictable funding.”
Since
the WTO’s creation in 1995, Sweden has been the fourth largest
voluntary contributor to WTO technical assistance activities. It is
the third largest so far in 2001. It is also one of the initiators of
the “Global” WTO Trust Fund set up in 1999. Voluntary
contributions of this kind help poorer countries participate actively
in the WTO and take advantage of the new opportunities in
international trade offered by the WTO agreements. The funds are
administered by the WTO Secretariat.
In
2001, the WTO Secretariat is spending a total of about Swiss francs 41m
directly and indirectly on technical cooperation and training, out of
a total budget of about Swiss francs 134m plus about Swiss francs 9m from the
trust funds created by voluntary contributions.
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