The EU's donation to the WTO’s Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund will finance training workshops for officials in Geneva and elsewhere to help them better understand and implement WTO agreements and to enhance their negotiating skill-set. Since the creation of the fund in 2001, over 2,500 workshops have been organized.

Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: “This donation will be important to help officials from developing and least-developed countries increase their knowledge and understanding of trade issues to help them connect to global markets. I welcome the EU's generous support.”

EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said: “All WTO members have to be able to participate in trade negotiations if we are to achieve truly global solutions to today's trade issues. We are ring-fencing part of this donation to fund efforts to support women's participation in trade in recognition of the important role that women entrepreneurs play in today's trading environment.”

The EU has donated approximately EUR 20 million (just over CHF 22 million) to WTO trust funds over the last 15 years, in addition to significant contributions made by individual EU member states.