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WTO: 2005 PRESS RELEASES

Press/412
12 July 2005
STANDARDS AND TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY

Australia donates 195,000 Swiss Francs for the Standards and Trade Development Facility

The Australian Government, on 1 July 2005, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the WTO over a contribution of Australian $200,000 (approximately CHF 195,000) to the Standards and Trade Development Facility, a programme which assists developing countries in improving their expertise and capacity to analyse and implement international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.

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“I would like to thank the Australian Government for its contribution to the Standards and Trade Development Facility,” said WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi. “Developing countries often have difficulties meeting the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements of their export markets. This new donation will help us meet developing countries’ demands for assistance in the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary standards.”

The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a joint initiative between the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. It was established with initial funding from the World Bank Development Grant Facility and the WTO’s Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund.

To date, six WTO Members have given funds to the STDF: France, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. The WTO Secretariat administers the STDF trust fund which finances the programme.