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WTO: 2005 PRESS RELEASES

Press/408
25 May 2005
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Netherlands to donate over CHF 4 million to WTO technical assistance

The Dutch government yesterday (24 May 2005) pledged a contribution of CHF 4.186 million to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund for 2005 to 2007. The Netherlands’ donation will be used for technical assistance and training programmes, as well as to undertake additional trade policy reviews of the WTO’s poorest and most vulnerable members. It will also be used to partially fund the external evaluation of WTO technical assistance in the years 2002-2004.

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“I very much welcome the Netherlands’ generous contribution to the Doha Trust Fund,” said Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi. “This donation will play an important role towards enhancing developing countries’ participation in the Doha round of negotiations and in the regular work of the WTO. Technical assistance is an essential tool to enhance institutional and human capacity in developing countries and demand for it is high. This multi-year commitment of the Netherlands ensures more predictability in the financial support for WTO’s technical assistance programmes.”

The Netherlands Minister for Development Co-operation, Mrs Agnes van Ardenne stated: “Realising the development dimension of the Doha Development Agenda is of utmost importance and technical assistance is a vital instrument to achieve that objective.”

The Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund finances activities which aim to enhance developing countries’ participation in the WTO negotiations. From 2001 to the end of 2004, the Netherlands contributed over CHF 4 million to the Doha Trust Fund.