Press/298
21 June 2002
Switzerland contributes 1.5 million Swiss francs to the WTO Doha development agenda global trust fund

The Government of Switzerland today announced a donation of 1.5 million Swiss Francs to the WTO Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDA GTF).

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Ambassador Oscar Knapp, of the State Secretariat for the Economy of the Government of Switzerland signed today a Memorandum of Understanding with WTO Deputy Director-General, Paul-Henri Ravier.

“In the view of Switzerland, the creation of the DDA GTF is clearly in line with the mandate received in Doha, and responds to the growing needs of developing countries and specifically least-developed countries”, Amb. Knapp said.

He added, “We would like to associate ourselves with the international community in order to promote participation of developing countries in the multilateral trade system. We are putting at the disposal of the Global Trust Fund a contribution of 1.5 million Swiss Francs shared over two years and reaffirm the importance of the WTO Secretariat’s New Strategy for WTO Technical Cooperation”.

“I am particularly grateful to Switzerland for its donation to the WTO Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund”, said DDG Ravier. “This contribution is in accordance with the December 2001 decision by the WTO General Council to establish a sound and predictable basis for funding WTO Trade-Related Technical Assistance (TRTA). Switzerland’s contribution will help to build capacity for developing countries to participate in negotiations, advance their interests, conclude agreements and implement them”.