These donations are intended to build the capacity of developing and least developed countries to negotiate effectively within the WTO and help implement WTO agreements and international standards. This is essential to protecting the trade interests and development needs of the world's poorest countries.

A first donation of about CHF 200,000 (DKK1 million) will be offered to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund. This contribution will be used to finance WTO technical assistance activities targeted especially at the needs of developing and least-developed countries as well as economies in transition. The aim is to better adapt their practices and laws to WTO rules and disciplines, improve the implementation of their obligations and enhance the exercise of their membership rights.

A second donation of about CHF200,000 (DKK1 million) will be given to the Internship Programme for the Mission of Selected WTO Members in Geneva. This Programme helps Missions from developing countries enhance their understanding of the multilateral trading system and trade policy in general.

A third donation of about CHF6 00,000 (DKK3 million) will be provided to the Standards and Trade Development Facility. This contribution will assist developing countries in improving their expertise and capacity to analyze and implement international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards which must be met for certain products to be exported. The objective is to enhance developing countries’ human, animal and plant health situation and their ability to gain and maintain market access.

Denmark is also the first donor to the Enhanced Integrated Framework Trust Fund and provided CHF7 million (about USD6 million or DKK33 million) to finance the first projects submitted by least developed countries to the EIF.

The aim of the EIF is to assist LDC’s in identifying their trade development needs and to integrate these needs into the countries’ national development strategies and plans to ensure that they are appropriately addressed by the country and its development partners. This in turn will allow them to take more fully advantage of the multilateral trading system.

“I welcome Denmark’s donations to the WTO trust funds. These contributions will allow developing countries to expand their markets, integrate in the global economy and take better advantage of the multilateral trading system.” declared the WTO Director General Pascal Lamy.

Danish Ambassador Marie-Louise Overvad stated “Denmark has continuously supported the WTO technical assistance programmes for developing and least-developed countries since their inception. Denmark has always been a strong supporter of the EIF and is extremely pleased to allow for the first projects to go ahead. Furthermore, more funds will be forthcoming when a good and solid monitoring and evaluation framework has been agreed by all the EIF partners so that we are able to demonstrate our results.”