A report of the workshop, which took place on 30 May, can be found here.

The CTD discussed concerns about the alignment of priorities and support in the Aid for Trade agenda. Some African members affirmed there is a regional imbalance when it comes to Aid for Trade, and that special attention should be paid by donors to in-country connectivity in order to promote trade integration of developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs). LDCs stressed that monitoring and evaluation is critical to assessing the effectiveness of Aid for Trade and therefore should be undertaken from both the perspective of the cooperating partners and the recipients of funds in order to have a comprehensive overview of the initiative. 

Reports on Aid-for-Trade activities of Mexico, Japan and Switzerland were provided along with information on the WTO Secretariat's regional activities for Asia and the Pacific, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The Committee also updated members on preparations for the Aid for Trade Global Review 2017 that will take place at the WTO headquarters in Geneva on 11-13 July under the theme “Promoting Trade, Inclusiveness and Connectivity for Sustainable Development". In over 50 sessions, this biennial event will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to assess how Aid for Trade integrates developing countries and LDCs into the multilateral trading system and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. All participants, including those with existing WTO access, were reminded to register before the 26 June deadline.