The United States has announced a contribution of USD 600,000 to bolster trade expertise in developing economies and least developed countries (LDCs). This funding aims to enhance understanding of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and improve participation in trade negotiations.
María Pagán, the U.S. Ambassador to the WTO, emphasized the country's commitment: “The United States is committed to supporting capacity building activities that strengthen local communities through inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economic growth. Our longstanding commitment to the Global Trust Fund is an important element of our global effort toward supporting sustainable development. We value the work the WTO’s ITTC carries out under the Global Trust Fund and believe it is an excellent example of tangible collaboration and cooperation that supports implementation of the WTO framework of agreements.”
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed this contribution: “The longstanding and consistent support of the United States continues to play a vital role in making the WTO's technical assistance work possible. By equipping government officials from our developing members and observers better use global trade opportunities, these capacity building activities ultimately lead to better livelihoods for their citizens. We appreciate this generous donation to the Global Trust Fund.”
Since its inception, nearly 3,000 activities have been conducted under the Global Trust Fund over two decades.