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press
releases
WTO
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Mike
Moore's speeches
Renato
Ruggiero's speeches, 1995-99
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“Funding technical assistance to help developing
countries implement their WTO obligations is in all WTO
Members’ interest and no charity”, said Mr.
Bruinsma. “Technical assistance is certainly not the
only solution to implementation problems but the least we
can do is provide a minimum and stable source of funding.
In the meantime we will work with the Director-General
and other Members towards agreement about the
Director-General’s proposal to fund these activities
from the regular WTO budget. There are no real excuses
anymore for not taking this proposal forward.”“Once
again, I am extremely grateful to the Netherlands for its
donation to the Trust Fund”, said Mike Moore.
“Only through these types of generous contributions
can the WTO respond now to an increasing demand for
technical assistance. Unfortunately, the WTO’s
regular budget for technical assistance of CHF 741,000 is
insufficient to meet all the requests from least
developed countries and developing countries, and
economies in transition.”
The
Netherlands’ new contribution to the Global Trust
Fund follows an earlier contribution in January 1997 when
the Netherlands donated 4 million Dutch guilders (around
CHF 2.9 million). The Netherlands also launched in 1998
the “Hands-on WTO work” trainee programme,
allowing developing country officials to acquire
“on-the-job” experience while working in the
WTO Secretariat for a year.
The
Director-General has called on WTO Members governments to
raise the regular budget for technical assistance. A
group of countries, including the Netherlands, has
proposed a phased increase in the regular budget of CHF
10 million earmarked for technical assistance.
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