INT/WTO Trade-related Technical Assistance

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The World Trade Centre (WTO) is the most important intergovernmental organization that regulates multilateral trade. Trade-related technical assistance is WTO's core function. Its main purpose is to enhance the human and institutional capacities of the beneficiary developing countries to participate in and take full advantage of the rules-based multilateral trading system. Finland's support is channeled to two WTO Trust Funds: (1) Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) that builds the developing countries' capacity to negotiate, implement and make full use of the multilateral trading system; meet their obligations on WTO rules and disciplines and trade agreements as well as enforce their rights as members; and deal with emerging trade-related challenges, such as e-commerce, trade and environment, and trade and health. (2) Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) that strengthens the developing countries' capacity in sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) and helps to improve the safety and quality of the exports from the developing countries. Finland's support to the WTO technical assistance funds amounts to 1.0 million euros in 2021-2022 so that 500,000 euros will be allocated to the DDAGTF and 500,000 euros to STDF. Finland's funding helps the developing countries to benefit from the opportunites of international trade in order to develop their economies, create employment, reduce poverty and advance broad-based inclusive sustainable developoment. The funding helps the developing countries, incl. the poorest LDCs, to increase the share of their foreign trade in world trade. The primary beneficiaries include authorities responsible for trade, industrial and economic policies. The secondary beneficiaries include the academic organizations, researchers and civil society organizations who partner with the primary beneficiaries. The beneficiaries of the STDF include authorities and research institutes responsible for animal, plant and food safety as well as farmers, processors, traders and export companies. The improved trading opportunities benefit eventually the business sector at large. The DDAGTF activities of the project will be implemented by WTO/ITTC together with academic and training institutions. The STDF activities of the project will be implemented by both WTO together with academic and training institutions, and UN and other international organizations as well as national authorities at the country level.