At the meeting, WTO members approved the new monitoring and evaluation questionnaires, which will be used to gather information from developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) about their financing needs and to track how Aid for Trade aligns with these priorities. Aid-for-Trade stakeholders have until 30 November 2023 to submit their responses.

Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang emphasized the significance of this exercise. He said: “The Aid-for-Trade monitoring and evaluation exercise is a critical step to understand the trade and development priorities of developing economies and LDCs, donors, South-South partners, and regional economic communities. The evaluation underscores the WTO's commitment to making trade more inclusive.”

Ambassador José R. Sánchez-Fung (Dominican Republic), Chair of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development, said: “The monitoring and evaluation exercise is the factual foundation on which the Aid for Trade Global Review is built. Members' perspectives on their Aid-for-Trade needs, support provided and the efficacy of that assistance will help determine the future direction of trade and development needs and support.”

The WTO-led Aid-for-Trade Initiative was launched in 2006 to encourage developing economy governments and donors to harness the role that trade can play in development. The Aid-for-Trade Work Programme for 2023-2024 focuses on understanding how Aid-for-Trade stakeholders are integrating trade into their development strategies in light of the many pressing challenges faced by developing economies and LDCs on the path towards achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The purpose of the Global Review is to share key insights emerging from the monitoring and evaluation of Aid for Trade and to provide a platform for members to decide how to advance future work on this topic.

More information on Aid for Trade is available here.