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Although the volume of aid for trade-related technical assistance
and capacity building has been increasing steadily since the launch
of the Doha Development Round, the need for further assistance has
been widely recognized by the international community. In February
2005, G-7 Ministers called on the World Bank and the IMF to develop
proposals for additional assistance to countries to ease adjustment
to trade liberalization and to increase their capacity to take
advantage of more open markets.
Subsequently, in July 2005 Heads of State at the G8 Summit at Gleneagles
agreed to increase help to developing countries to building their
physical, human and institutional capacity to trade.
In December 2005, at the 6th Ministerial Conference held in Hong
Kong, the Ministerial Declaration endorsed the enhancement of the
Integrated Framework and created a new WTO work programme on
Aid-for-Trade. WTO Members gave the Director General a mandate to (i)
create a Task Force to provide recommendations by July on how to
operationalize Aid For Trade and (ii) to consult with Members,
international organizations and development banks on mechanisms to
secure additional financial resources.
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