WTO news: what’s been happening in the WTO

 WTO NEWS: 1998 PRESS RELEASES

PRESS/112
16 September 1998
U.S. Government provides funding for WTO information technology project in developing countries

The United States Department of State has made a grant of US$90,000 in support of the WTO information technology initiative for least-developed and developing countries. This initiative aims, through the use of information technologies, to support the integration of some 50 least-developed and developing countries into the multilateral trading system.

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The United States grant will help provide internet connections, computer equipment (personal computers, printers, modems, etc) for the operation of WTO Trade Reference Centers in these countries. The centres enable trade ministries to keep in touch with WTO activities via the WTO internet site (www.wto.org) and the Trade and Development Centre (www.itd.org), jointly operated by the WTO and the World Bank. Through these and other trade-related internet sites, ministries can gather information from electronic trade databases which will enable governments to better utilize the multi-lateral trading system.

This U.S. contribution comes in addition to grants already provided for the same project by the governments of Norway, Hong-Kong and the Netherlands.