Aid For Trade 2007

Aid For Trade During 2007

Aid For Trade 2007 Chronology

2007:

13 December 2007

Presentation by the World Bank entitled Aid for Trade: Reducing Trading Costs to Promote Growth, WTO

Presentation of the World Bank’s study, Connecting to Compete: Trade Logistics in the Global Economy: Trade logistics - or the capacity to connect to international markets to ship goods - is critical for developing countries to improve their competitiveness, reap the benefits of globalisation, and fight poverty more effectively in an increasingly integrated world.

29-30 November 2007 LDC Ministerial Conference on Aid for Trade, UNIDO, Vienna

Three high level round tables on:

Integration of LDCs into the global economy and role of duty-free & quota-free market access
Productive Capacity Building for Economic Transformation
South-South Cooperation – Towards new initiatives in cotton

20 November 2007

Presentation of Norway’s Action Plan on Aid for Trade

Additional resources for AFT: fifty per cent increase from 2007 to 2008
Resources to be channelled through multilateral organisations: ITC, UNIDO, World Bank, UNCTAD, WCO as well as the enhanced Integrated Framework
Thematic priorities: “ good governance and fight against corruption”, “ regional trade” and "women and trade”

20-21 November 2007

Mobilizing Aid for Trade: A Global Review, WTO

First year review of the AFT monitoring results (global flows, donor and partner country questionnaires) and presentation of the WTO’s monitoring agenda for the coming year
Evaluation of the results of the three AFT regional reviews and preparation of regional roadmaps
WTO General Council Debate on Aid for Trade
Programme
AITIC – Report on Meeting
Minutes of Meeting: WT/GC/M/111

19 November 2007

WTO Technical Workshop on AFT on Monitoring and Evaluation and AFT Break-out Sessions, WTO

Technical level dialogue on monitoring and evaluating AFT including discussions on improving both the quantitative and the qualitative measurements of AFT
Three simultaneous AFT sessions on mainstreaming, regional approaches and public-private partnerships

16 November 2007

WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Session on Aid for Trade

Regional Development Banks will brief the Committee on Trade and Development on the results of the three regional reviews
Discussion of 2007 Aid for Trade Report
Presentation by the OECD on results of donor and recipient country surveys
Note on the Meeting: WT/COMTD/AFT/M/5

23-24 October 2007 Joint Meeting of the DAC and Working Party of the Trade Committee of the OECD on AFT Activities, Paris

Discussions on the “Aid for Trade at a glance” and “Overview of the first Survey Results” papers to be submitted to the WTO Global Review on 20-21 November 2007:
Dropping of General Budget Support as a proxy for trade-related adjustment assistance
Suggestions for improvement of the survey

Proposal for an OECD work programme on evaluating AFT

20-22 October 2007 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF, Washington, D.C.

International Monetary and Financial Committee “stressed the importance of delivering AFT commitments and encouraged ongoing initiatives by the WTO and other institutions to enhance AFT and improve its coordination and delivery”
Development Committee “stressed the need to integrate trade and competitiveness within national development strategies, while stepping up support for AFT,” as proposed by the World Bank and the IMF

15 October 2007 Adoption of the EC Aid for Trade Strategy by the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU, Brussels, Belgium

To increase the collective contributions of the European Union (EU) AFT within the ODA commitments, to raise overall EU aid gradually
To enhance the pro-poor focus and quality of EU AFT
To increase the EC and Member States’ donors capacity in line with globally agreed aid effectiveness principles
ACP-specific angle: building upon, fostering and supporting ACP regional integration processes
Supporting effective AFT monitoring and reporting.

11 October 2007 WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Session on Aid for Trade

Presentations from representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on the issue of building productive capacity
Presentations from representatives of the ITC and the IMF on assistance for adjustment, trade diversification and competitiveness: in the area of financing for adjustment, the IMF addresses the needs of its member countries through the trade integration mechanism (TIM) and the exogenous shocks facility (ESF)
Note on the meeting: WT/COMTD/AFT/M/4

1-2 October 2007

WTO Regional Aid for Trade Review
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Focus Africa
Report and recommendations
STDF Workshop on 30 September 2007
OECD Workshop on 2 October 2007
Regional review on aid for trade sees solid and substantial increase in EU trade assistance to Africa and reaffirms support for regional integration
ADB Press Release

25 September 2007 Stockholm Pledging Conference for Enhanced IF, Stockholm, Sweden

Participating at the Conference were 34 donors countries, 5 LDCs, and 11 international organisations and financial institutions
Raised USD 170 million for the EIF Trust Fund amounting to 70 per cent of the projected needs for the first five years

25 September 2007

WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Session on Aid for Trade

Session on “Building Productive Capacity”
Session on “Adjustment and Trade Diversification”

19-20 September 2007

WTO Regional Aid for Trade Review
Manila, Philippines

Focus Asia and the Pacific http://www.aric.adb.org/aft_asia.php
Report and recommendations
STDF Workshop on 18 September 2007 discussing the role of the private sector in AFT
OECD Workshop on 20 September 2007
Regional Review seeks to improve the delivery of Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific

13-14 September 2007

WTO Regional Aid for Trade Review
Lima, Peru

Focus Latin America and Carribean http://www.iadb.org/
Report and recommendations
STDF Workshop on 12 September 2007 discussing SPS measures and AFT
OECD Workshop on 14 September 2007

9-10 August 2007

WTO – AITIC Trade Policy Review Seminar for OECS WTO Members
Castries, Saint Lucia

Discussion of the WTO Secretariat Report project in view of the 5-7 November TPR of the OECS
Discussion on OECS members views on AFT
Presentation of AITIC’s proposal for an OECS infrastructure and maritime transportation project in the framework of AFT

17-18 July 2007

AITIC- ITC National Workshop: Trade Policy Opportunities and Development Challenges
Vientiane, Lao PDR

The enhanced IF and the Lessons learned from the IF Process in Cambodia
The Progress, the Challenges and the way forward for the IF process in Lao PDR
The State of Play in AFT

11 July 2007

UNDP-UNCTAD Brainstorming on Capacity Development in Trade-Related Assistance: Concepts and Practical Experiences

Capacity-building and capacity development in trade-related assistance: conceptual and operational differences
Best practices and critical areas of trade capacity development

10-12 July 2007

AITIC- ITC National Workshop: Trade Policy Opportunities and Development Challenges
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The State of Play in AFT
The New Structure of the enhanced IF
Cambodia ’s Experience with the IF
Cambodia ’s Revised DTIS and Action Matrix: Steps Forward
Priority Sectors for enhanced IF Assistance:
Rice, Fruits and Cashews
Tourism

9 July 2007

WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Session on Aid for Trade

Session on “Trends in Trade-related Infrastructure Investments” with presentations by the World Bank, the OECD, the European Communities and Japan
Update of the “Calendar of Events” on AFT
Note on the meeting: WT/COMTD/AFT/M/3

21 June 2007

WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Informal Session on Aid for Trade

Discussion of the “Calendar of Events (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/2/Rev.2)” on AFT
Presentations by the IADB, the ADB, and the AfDB on the planned “Regional Reviews”
Presentation by the OECD on the donor and recipient country questionnaires

20 June 2007 Joint Letter from WTO and OECD sent to donors and recipient countries for AFT self-assessments

Donor and Recipient AFT questionnaires
Presentation of possible AFT proxies within the CRS nomenclature

19 June 2007

WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Session on Aid for Trade

Panel on “Capacity-Building to Facilitate Trade” with the World Bank, the World Customs Organisation, the OECD and the WTO
Panel on “Capacity-Building to Meet SPS Standards” with the WTO, the FAO, the World Organization for Animal Health and the WHO referring to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (SDTF)
Tabling of Egypt’s paper on AFT (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/3)
Note by the Secretariat giving an overview of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/4)
Note on the meeting: WT/COMTD/AFT/M/2

3-5 June 2007

ITC/ICTSD Dialogue: The Private Sector and Aid for Trade, Montreux, Switzerland

Explore strategic roles of the private sector in AFT
Case studies and success stories

June 2007
WTO: Second AFT Advisory Group Meeting

To plan the various meetings scheduled for the second half of 2007 including the regional reviews

24 May 2007

Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Meeting on Aid for Trade, London

Stocktaking of developments since the submission of the recommendations of the AFT Task Force
Private sector and AFT

4 May 2007

Working Group on the Joint WTO/OECD Trade Capacity Building Database (TCBDB)

Preparations for the AFT Annual Debate (Global Review on Aid for Trade)
Endorsement of the use of an enhanced CRS to monitor AFT flows
Past reporting (up to end 2007) in the joint WTO/OECD Trade Capacity Building Database will be integrated into the CRS
Current CRS categories i.e. an aggregate of several CRS subcategories including trade development and Economic Infrastructure will be used as proxy measures for two AFT categories - Building Productive Capacity and Trade-related Infrastructure, respectively

3 May 2007

AITIC Forum on Aid for Trade and enhanced IF

Exchange of views on outstanding issues, experiences and lessons learned for all Stakeholders
Building blocks for the implementation and monitoring of the AFT initiative and EIF

1 May 2007 IF Working Group and IF Steering Committee adopt Draft Guidelines for the Implementation of the Enhanced IF

Adoption of the Compendium of documents containing a detailed description of the enhanced IF
Outstanding questions: Trust Fund management, monitoring and evaluation
Focus on country ownership and capacity building
Postponement of the launch of the enhanced IF

27 April 2007 WTO, International Finance Corporation and Regional Development Banks Meeting

Discussion of Trade Finance Facilitation Programmes, which provide global coverage to SMEs and small banks and have a very high leverage on trade

26-27 April 2007

ACP Informal Workshop on Aid for Trade in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, UNCTAD and WTO

Discuss possible actions for key stakeholders in the AFT initiative
Exchange of views to implement the Task Force recommendations
Help the ACP Countries to establish their needs and priorities for better participation in the initiative

12 April 2007

AITIC Meeting: The Private Sector in Aid for Trade and the enhanced IF

Maximising potential benefits for the private sector in developing countries
Involving the developed country private sector

12 April 2007

AITIC Meeting: Perspectives from Bilateral and Multilateral Agencies and Regional Development Banks

What role will bilateral, multilateral and regional development institutions play?
What constraints are they facing in the implementation process?

2 April 2007

WTO Committee on Trade and Development – Session on Aid for Trade

Broad support for the monitoring architecture and tentative schedule for regional reviews in Africa, Asia and Latin America
Many donors in the process of reinforcing their own AFT strategies in light of the WTO process
Recipients in the course of identifying AFT priorities and learning about mechanisms to access available financing
Presentation by the OECD of the OECD DAC database, using the CRS, on which the monitoring at the global level will be based; definitions of AFT proxies, AFT baseline figures and future trends
Note on the meeting: WT/COMTD/AFT/M/1

21-22 March 2007 Joint Meeting of the DAC and Working Party of the Trade Committee of the OECD, Paris

Consultation with intergovernmental agencies on the work in progress of the OECD on:

Measuring additionality through CRS and use of DAC database for monitoring AFT
Update of CRS according to the Task Force Recommendations which includes a more accurate identification of needs and responses and new definitions on the scope of AFT
Global Monitoring of Aid for Trade Flows

19 March 2007

WTO: First AFT Advisory Group Meeting

Discussion of the role of the WTO in coordinating and monitoring trade-related assistance

27 February 2007

AITIC Consultative Meeting with Donor Community

Outcome of meeting with recipient countries
Donor perspectives on additionality, steps forward and aid effectiveness
The role of the WTO in AFT

22 February 2007

AITIC Consultative Meeting for Potential Recipient Countries

Outstanding matters and assistance needs
Involving non-residents
Improving private sector participation
Building trade policy and mainstreaming capacities
Establishing implementation units
Strengthening the trade and development interface
Covering AFT in the Trade Policy Review