WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: “I appreciate Germany's generosity. This latest donation will help enhance the capacity of developing and least-developed countries to participate in the multilateral trading system and to reap the rewards for growth and development that this can bring.”

Germany's Ambassador, Walter Werner, said: “The implementation of food safety standards in developing countries is not only an essential prerequisite for a successful food export strategy, it also helps to establish best practice in these countries to the benefit of their domestic consumers.”

Since 2000, Germany has donated a total of EUR 22,356,403 (CHF 24,177,484) to WTO trust funds.

The STDF is a global partnership working to increase awareness, mobilize resources, strengthen collaboration, identify and disseminate good practice and provide support and funding for the development and implementation of projects that promote compliance with international SPS requirements. Established by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the WTO, the STDF is financed by voluntary contributions. The WTO provides the Secretariat and manages the STDF trust fund.