Press/331
22 January 2003
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Spain to donate 75,000 Swiss francs to WTO technical assistance
The Government of Spain pledged today a contribution of 50,000 euros (CHF 75,000) to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund. The contribution will finance a WTO regional workshop on trade facilitation which is planned to take place in Costa Rica at the end of this year.
Spanish Ambassador Joaquín Pérez-Villanueva y Tovar and WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi met today to sign a Memorandum of Understanding affirming this commitment.
“This additional contribution made today by Spain is another indication of our growing commitment with the objectives and work methods of the World Trade Organization”, said Ambassador Pérez-Villanueva after signing the Memoramdum of Understanding.
Dr. Supachai said : “I welcome Spain’s contribution to the Doha Trust Fund. Technical cooperation on the Singapore issues — trade and investment, trade and competition policy, transparency in government procurement, and trade facilitation — is needed because important decisions will be taken on these questions at the Cancún Ministerial in September 2003”.
The Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund was created following the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, in November 2001 which launched a new round of negotiations. In December 2002, the General Council approved a target amount of CHF 24 milion for 2003 for the Doha Trust Fund.