WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab
announced today that the United States intends to contribute
$940,000 for trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) to the World Trade
Organization (WTO). This latest contribution would bring total
U.S. contributions to WTO
TRTA for the Doha Development Agenda to almost $7 million since the launch of
negotiations in November 2001 and is part of the U.S. commitment
to the Aid for Trade initiative.
“At this crucial phase of the Doha negotiations, this
contribution reflects our strong commitment to provide assistance to developing
countries to help them participate in the negotiations and benefit from the
results,” said Schwab. “We can realize the full development potential of the
negotiations only through an ambitious outcome - and we will work with all WTO
Members, but particularly developing country Members, to meet this
objective.”
The WTO’s technical assistance program provides training
to help developing countries by enhancing their ability to analyze issues,
assess their interests, and participate effectively in the negotiations.
It also assists developing countries in meeting their WTO obligations and
benefiting from the results of WTO negotiations.
The U.S. contribution to the WTO was
appropriated by Congress as part of the funds it provides to the State
Department for voluntary contributions to international organizations. It
is just one part of much broader U.S. assistance efforts. The
United
States is the largest single country donor of
trade capacity building assistance. At the Hong Kong Ministerial
Conference, the United
States pledged to double trade capacity
building support to $2.7 billion by 2010. Total United States
funding for trade capacity building activities in FY2006 was approximately $1.4
billion, up from almost $640 million in FY2002.
