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WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
5 October 2021  
(21-7462) Page: 1/10 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Fifty-Second Session on Aid for Trade    
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 11 JUNE 2021  
Chairperson:  H.E. Dr Muhammad Mujtaba P iracha (Pakistan)  
 
Contents  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. MONITORING AND EVALUATION EXERCISE FOR THE AID -FOR-TRADE GLOBAL 
REVIEW (2022) – STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .....................  1 
C. IMPLEMENTATION OF AID -FOR-TRADE WORK ACTIVITIES  ................................ ..... 2 
I. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities  ................................ .....................  2 
II. Mainstreaming  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  6 
III. Regional Dimension  ................................ ................................ ................................ . 10 
IV. Private Sector  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  10 
V. Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation and Development Effectiveness  ..................  10 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 10 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Agenda, as circulated in WTO/AIR/COMTD/AFT/ 20, was adopted  without amendments . 
B. MONITORING AND EVALUATION EXERCISE FOR THE AID-FOR-TRADE GLOBAL 
REVIEW (2022) – STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
2. The Chairperson  opened the meeting by introducing plans for the monitoring and evaluation 
(M&E) exercise that would underpin the 2022 Global Review of Aid for Trade.  He recalled the title  
and focus  of the 2020 -2022 Aid-for-Trade W ork Programme , "Empowering Connected Sustainable 
Trade"  (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/81/Rev.1 ). He then highlighted the workshop that had taken place 
immediately prior to the meeting on the topic of "Circular economy, economic diversification and 
Aid for Trade " and the  issues paper  that had been prepared for the event  (JOB/DEV/64). He further 
pointed to the Stocktaking Event  that had taken place in March 2021 as a first attempt at survey ing 
the impac t of COVID -19. With the pandemic continuing, it was  clear that this perspective also needed 
to be integrate d in the self-assessment questionnaires.   
3. On timelines , he suggested  that a dedicated informal Committee on Trade and Development 
(CTD) Aid for Trade  be scheduled  on 6 July 2021  to discuss the M&E exercise . After that meeting, 
he would ask the Secretariat to circulate draft monitoring formats. Members would  then have the 
summer to consider these formats  before a  further informal  meeting  in September  to address 
comments re ceived . The Chairperson 's aim was to launch the M&E exercise in early October  2021 
and give respondents until the end of the year to send in their replies.   
4. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the least developed countries (LDCs ) shared the 
Chairperson's viewpoint that the M&E exercise  would contribute to strengthening and improving 
Aid-for-Trade work. Recalling the workshop  on the circular economy , he underscored the importance  
of Aid for Trade to help LDCs face challenges such as the current account deficit  which  had worsened, WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  moving from USD 40 billion in 2019 to USD 61 billion in 2020 . On account of their vulnerability, 
topics covered in the Work Programme on the green economy and digital connectivity were topical 
and importan t. From a sustainability point of view, a question posed by Aid for Green Trade was 
knowing the extent to which one could act within the WTO framework and enjoy a trade that is 
respectful of the environment. It was also a matter of seeing what synergies we re possible in terms 
of sources of funding for development whilst focusing on the different pillars of the green economy.  
5. The representative of Australia  considered  the Chair's approach effective and efficient. The 
challenges outlined by Chad were the raison d'être  behind WTO's monitoring and evaluation  efforts . 
He called for  increased  monitoring and evaluation as well as for  the promot ion of  women's economic 
empowerment  in accordance with the Buenos Aires Declaration  on Trade and Women 's Economic 
Empowerm ent. Australia  continued to integrate gender equality into its Aid -for-Trade investments 
and was happy to share experiences  as well as  practical ways of developing a more robust evidence 
base to support efforts towards gender equality and inclusiveness. Australia shed light on the impacts 
of Aid for Trade on women's economic empowerment  which  would add value to the aims of  the 
Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender  and 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.  
6. The representative of Canada  appreciated the approach, timeline and sequencing presented 
by the Chairperson. She was  looking forward to feed ing into the various tasks leading up to the 
Global Review. She echoed Australia's support to enhancing da ta collection, best practices and 
experience gathering with regards to Trade and Gender and women's economic empowerment. 
Canada believed that this fitted into the theme of the Global Review and the various elements that 
underpinned it. Canada  echoed Austr alia's view about including  women's economic empowerment.  
7. The representative of the Russian Federation  stressed the importance of both the 2022 Global 
Review and M&E exercise. Russia was an active participant in global official development assistance 
efforts. Russia had found the workshop on circular economy informative and would continue to work 
with the Chairperson in devising the questionnaires  within the timelines suggested.  
8. The representative of Chad added a further point in relation to the analysis on  digital 
connectivity and green growth. The LDC Group felt it necessary to not only look at environmental 
transformation, but also, at economic recovery. This was absolutely vital to the LDCs as they had 
suffered greatly due to  the pandemic.  
C. IMPLEMENTATION  OF AID -FOR-TRADE WORK ACTIVITIES  
I. Resource Mobilization and Implementation Activities  
9. The representative of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), member of 
the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group  provide d an update on the Aid -for-Trade Initiative for 
the Arab States Program  (AfTIAS).  Since its establishment in 2008 , the ITFC had been  delivering on 
priorities expressed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries, by providing 
trade finance a nd trade -related technical  assistance. The ITFC's mandate was aligned with that of 
the Aid-for-Trade Initiative  in terms of strengthen ing the capacity of  Members to participate in , and 
benefit from , international trade.  Total cumulative trade finance appro vals had reached 
USD 55 billion at the end of 2020, and total cumulative funds mobilized from partner banks and 
financial institutions reached US D 33.5 billion, reflecting ITFC 's critical role as a catalyst to attract 
funding for large -ticket trade transactions for the benefit of its members.  
10. As the COVID -19 pandemic pos ed an unprecedented challenge to the global economy, ITFC 
had swiftly repurposed its financing engagements in line with the IsDB group's Strategic 
Preparedness and Response Programme under its 3Rs approach ('Respond, Restore and Restart' ). 
Accordingly, ITFC  had made new financing available to focus on the critical needs of its members . 
ITFC's initial Rapid Response Initiative amounted to USD 300 million. These funds were being 
channelled  to eligible  Members most in need of support for critical supplies of ene rgy, healthcare, 
food security and other life support requirements. In fact, ITFC  has exceeded this amount, reaching 
total approvals of US D 604.7 million. As part of IsDB Group Strategy, ITFC ha d allocated an 
additional US D 550 million to support strategic  sectors over the upcoming  two years.  
11. ITFC updated on  the AfTIAS 2.0 Program  which  was designed to be a five -year program taking 
into consideration the massive impacts of COVID -19 on trade in the Arab region. It would  play an WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  important role  in the economic recovery plans  by increasing intra -regional trade through the removal 
of market access barriers  and increasing the role of Arab States in global value chains . The program 
would also help ensur e that the benefits of trade were shared more i nclusively across all population 
groups, including, in particular , vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and others. The targeted 
budget of the program was USD 40 million.  
12. The AfTIAS 2.0 program would  focus on five areas of work. The  first area was related to 
prevent ing fragility in the Arab region and at the same time enhanc ing the global value chain 
participation through local network connectivity. The second area would  focus on export -oriented 
trade intervention. The third area related to Arab countri es facing market access challenges , in 
particular for logistics . The fourth area was related to skills in trade and labour mobility , notably 
promoting training program s of re -skilling for workers and removing regulatory bottlenecks to ease 
labour mobility into new sectors. The final area was regional cooperation and international support 
to facilitate trade within and through the region to the rest of the world.  
13. According to the representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Aid for Trade played a vital 
role for development in developing countries and made a significant contribution to the development 
of the local, regional and global economies by developing infrastructure, helping to explore trade 
opportunities, supporting Micro , Small and Medium -Sized Enterprises ( MSMEs ) to increase their 
participation in international trade and creating jobs to improve the standard of living accordingly. 
Hence, Saudi Arabia had contributed in several Aid -for-Trade mechanisms  such as the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework. In addition, Saudi Arabia was one of the leading partners for AfTIAS which 
aimed to help the development of international trade in the region.  He commended the  support 
provided by the IsDB Group t o developing countries, particularly Arab countries , and called on 
regional and international financial organizations and donor s to further support AfTIAS . 
14. The representative of the Asian Development Bank (AsDB)  noted  that the COVID -19 pandemic 
had hit Asian economies hard, with GDP shrinking by 0.2% in 2020. A revival was underway, 
supported by a healthy global recovery and progress on vaccine  rollout . Growth in most regional 
economies had strengthened toward the end of 2020 and the regional forecast was for a 7.3% 
rebound in 2021, moderating to 5.3% in 2022. Severa l downside risks weighed on the AsDB 's 
generally positive outlook of which the  biggest risk was that resurgent COVID -19 outbreaks or delays 
to vaccine rollouts could prolong disruptions to mobility and economic activit y. 
15. Asian  regional merchandise exports had rebounded quickly. The steep fall in global trade in 
early 2020 had been partly offset by a strong recovery in the second half of the year. Asia 's goods 
exports had recovered faster than expected. After contracting by 17.5 % between December 2019 
and May 2020, they were back on a more robust annual track by January 2021, when goods exports 
exceeded the pre -pandemic level of December 2019 by 4.3%. The rebound had produced a 
bottleneck in shipping, with freight rates hitting a  historic high in February  2021. Tourism , however,  
had collapsed in all economies, dragging the most tourism -dependent ones into severe recessions. 
Between January and April 2020, international tourist arrivals had plummeted in a synchronized 
manner to alm ost zero across most of Asia and the Pacific, and they had yet to recover.  
16. New multilateral and regional trade initiatives such as the Comprehensive and Progressive 
Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic 
Partnership (RCEP) could cataly se further development in value chains.  Successful discussions at 
the WTO ministerial conference at the end of 2021 could  further reinvigorate confidence in the 
multilateral trading system and provide momentum to global trade. I n this context, A sDB had 
recently initiated a technical assistance project to support RCEP implementation. Research was also 
being conducted on digital services trade which had gained traction during the COVID -19 pandemic.  
17. The AsDB had responded quickly an d creatively to the rapidly escalating needs of its clients in 
tackling the pandemic challenges. In April 2020, the As DB had approved a USD 20 billion package 
to support its developing members in tackling the impacts of the pandemic and streamlined some 
procedures to deliver quicker and more flexible assistance. As of 7 June, the AsDB ha d committed 
USD 17.85 billion in loans, grants, guarantee s, debt security and technical assistance.  It has also 
ramped up its trade finance and supply chain finance programs . Between April 2020 and June 2021, 
both program s had supported 10,734 transactions worth USD 8 billion, which included almost 
USD 4.4 billion in co -financing.  As part of its Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program, the AsDB 
was also making available a USD 500 million Vaccine Import Facility to help developing member 
countries secure safe and effective vaccines, as well as the goods that support ed distribution and  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  inoculation . The AsDB had also  announc ed a USD 9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access facility  (APVAX ) 
to help its developing member countries procure and deliver safe and effective vaccines. As of 
7 June, USD 830 million ha d been committed to loans and gr ants covering Afghanistan, Mongolia, 
the Philippines, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu, including USD 321 million in co -financing.   
18. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDCs  commented that in  some countries, 
enterprises that ran into difficulties had been g iven generous support to help them meet the 
challenges caused by the pandemic. As far as the LDCs were concerned , they  did not have the 
budgetary means  to face such a situation.  He enquired about the emergency  support  provided by 
the AsDB and its interest rates , both in the short and medium term . The representative of the AsDB 
replied that  the assistance operated on several levels : emergency and longer term.  Interest rates  
were usually maintained at a strict minimum and calculated according to  income classification . 
19. The representative of the World Bank Group (WBG ) presented two  recent publications . 
First, was the World Development Report 20211 "Data for Better Lives ". The unprecedented growth 
of data and its ubiquity in people 's lives were signs that the data revolution was transforming the 
world. Such a transformation had been given a major boost by the COVID -19 pandemic in light of 
the central role that digital technologies played in mitigation and recovery efforts. Nevertheless , 
much of the value of data remained untapped. Data collected for one purpose had the potential to 
generate economic and social value in applications far beyond those originally anticipated. But  many 
barriers stood in the way, ranging from misalig ned incentives and incompatible data systems to a 
fundamental lack of trust. The report called for stepp ing up efforts to improve data governance 
domestically, as well as closer international cooperation, including in the trade realm. It also called 
for th e voice of low -income countries to be heard in the global debate on data governance. The 
report advanced a five -pronged agenda for data governance consisting of : forging a new social 
contract for data ; increasing data use and reuse to realize greater value ; creating more equitable 
access to the benefits of data ; fostering trust through safeguards that protect people from the harm 
of data misuse ; and working toward integrated national data systems.   
20. A second report by the Bank would be launched at the Septem ber WTO Public Forum : The 
Distributional Impacts of Trade2. Trade ha d been a significant driver of growth and poverty reduction 
throughout the developing world over the past decades. Countries were continuing to sign new trade 
agreements and deepen existi ng ones , in the expectation that trade,  and increased integration could  
lead to broad -based gains. However,  it was important to recognize that the distributional impacts of 
trade had been uneven and unequal. Gains and adjustment costs had been heavily concentrated in 
some sectors, types of jobs, and regions.  The World Bank was examining the links between global 
trade and poverty reduction, how changing trade patterns affec ted the poor , and how policies could  
best ensure that gains were shared more widely over the last two years. The report provide d new 
knowledge, data, and tools to inform policy responses to spread the gains from trade more widely, 
to make trade work for everyone. Amon g the most critical lessons of the report was, that maximizing 
the gains from trade require d a comprehensive and economy -wide approach. This include d 
understanding how to facilitate inter -sectoral labour mobility as well as the importance of 
complementary policies such as business environment reforms and supporting skills development. 
Developing countries could  use the analysis, data, and tools in the report to better understand 
potential distributional impacts before policies were implemented, monitor the implementation of 
trade commitments and agreements, and coordinate responses across government s. 
21. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDCs  enquired as to whether  the WBG had 
adopted a new philosophy or approach in relation to assist ing the most fra gile countries recovering 
economic health and growth . The representative of the Word Bank  replied that  the Bank had been 
influenced  by the urgency of  the sanitary crisis and ha d mobilized over USD 150 billion in funding in 
emergency assistance that was directed primarily at addressing  the health crisis. The WBG continue d 
to support countries in addressing the  consequences of that health crisis on arrested growth and 
development , sustaining,  digital uptake, helpin g MSMEs participate and integrate in value chains , 
and improving investment climates . Instead of a philosophical shift , the WBG support consisted in 
an attempt to take account of the specific ways in which the crisis ha d affected development, 
trajectories and individual countries, and weigh  as much as possible on elements of a rapid recovery.  
 
1 Word Development Report 2021, available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr202   
2 The Distributional Impacts of Trade, available at 
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/35552   WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  22. The Secretariat read a statement on behalf of the African Development Bank (AfDB ). A greater 
number of the Bank 's operations and interventions supported Aid for trade,  either directly or 
indirectly.  Since Africa had the largest concentration of landlocked countries in the world  (16 out 
of 55), transport infrastructure featured largely in the Bank priorities: ports development ; railroad;  
roads ; and other connectivity pro jects to link up markets, facilitate movements and bring all 
countries into a mutually profitable trade area. In this regard, in the past five years, the Bank 's 
commitments to infrastructure development, had totalled more than USD  12 billion, the bulk of 
which had gone to supporting cross -border transport, energy, finance and ICT improvements. The 
Bank had also worked closely with partners to identify and undertake infrastructure projects under 
the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, to acce lerate trade facilitation.  
23. In particular, the Bank had invested more than USD  20 million over the past five years in 
trade agreement support activities and to cross -border transport and energy soft infrastructure. 
With respect to the private sector, the Ba nk had, among others, launched the private sector 
enhancement facility  which could support up to USD  500 million investments through risk 
partic ipation agreements. Similarly, through the African Financial Markets Initiative, the Bank was 
stimulating the development of domestic bonds market, regional stock exchanges and regional 
commodities markets. Over the previous 7 years, the Bank 's trade financ e package had supported 
over 1,900 trade transactions involving 113 financial institutions in at least 32 African countries for 
a cumulative trade value in excess of USD 7 billion. Of this amount, intra -African trade accounted 
for more than USD 1.2 billion , representing 17 % of total trade supported. Approximately 60% of the 
transactions supported were attributable to SMEs.  
24. Given the critical nature and growing need for aviation services on the continent, the  Bank 
had invested over USD  1 billion in the const ruction and expansion of airport terminals as well as 
aviation safety and aircraft financing  over the last 10 years . The Bank also recognized that 
public -private partnerships was powerful levers for change and therefore stood ready to strengthen 
partnershi ps with the private sector to support education, training and skills acquisition. In this 
regard, one critical area of attention was the harnessing of ICT to find solutions to the developmental 
challenges of the continent. The Bank had partnered with Micro soft and Facebook to launch the 
first phase of coding for employment flagship initiative, with the establishment of centres of 
excellence in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Cote d 'Ivoire and Senegal, with the further objective of 
establishing a total of 130 centre s across the continent by 2025. Since 2016, the Bank had also 
invested more than USD  200 million in technology parks. Likewise,  it had supported the 
establishment of the Rwanda Innovation fund to support the innovation economy in the East African 
region.  
25. The Bank had provided USD  5 million in direct support to the African Free Trade Continental 
Area ( AfCFTA ) Secretariat and roll ed out of a number of preliminary activities to facilitate its 
establishment  process. The Bank ha d also expanded the scope of the A frica Investment Forum to 
direct attention to the AfCFTA and help mobili ze resources towards funding trade enabling 
infrastructural development and private sector investments.  It had also begun mainstream ing the 
AfCFTA into new Country Strategy Papers, the  Bank's key instrument for direct support and 
intervention at the national level . To assist its member countries to address challenges of COVID -19, 
the Bank had deployed a COVID Relief Facility  of USD 10 billion . Finally, the successful 
recapitalization of the Bank  provided greater leverage to scale up support.  
26. The representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization ( UNIDO ) 
highlighted  progress in implementing UNIDO 's model for accelerating inclusive and sustainable 
industrial development in member States : the Programme for Country Partnerships  (PCP). In 
Ethiopia, where the PCP approach had first been piloted, the programme had mobilized a total 
volume of USD 1.32 billion  in funding . Most of these resources were mobil ized for four Integrated 
Agro-Industrial Parks.  Since the beginning of 2021, three of the four planned IAIPs ha d been 
inaugurated. The IAIP initiative was expected to help drive structural transformation and support 
the country in reaching its Vision 2025 goal of becoming a light manufacturing hub in Africa.  
27. In Egypt, the UNIDO PCP document had been signed in April by UNIDO 's 
Director -General  Mr LI Yong, and Egypt's Prime Minister Mr Mostafa Madbouly. With a duration of 
five years and a total budget of EUR  172 million, the PCP Egypt would  focus on industrial policy and 
governance, investment promotion, and green industry. To date, eight technical cooperation projects 
with a total budget of EUR  23 million were being implemented supporting green MSMEs, 
eco-industrial parks, resource efficiency and circular economy, renewable energy, agro -industrial WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  value chains, and skills development . In Kenya, the Government had proactively engage d with 
development partners, p rivate sector, International Finance Institutions and the U nited Nations  
system to support the self -starter PCP. Funding discussions were ongoing with the European Union 
and the SDG Partnerships Platform.  Going forward, UNIDO would gradually expand the PCP  to 
additional countries.  
28. The representative of the European Union (EU ) recalled that the Aid-for-Trade Stocktaking 
Event had provided a useful picture of Aid -for-Trade related needs raised by  the COVID -19 
pandemic, and what needed to be done to support developing countries and LDCs in building back 
better. There was  great potential in making better use of and supporting the emergence of circular 
economy for the benefit of sustainable development and sus tainable trade. The EU  fully support ed 
further efforts and would  feature them in its future  assistance. This area aligned with  the key priority 
for the EU Aid for Trade, as highlighted in a session organi zed at the Stocktaking  Event together 
with Canada and the ITC : support ing a green and inclusive pandemic recovery.  
29. The EU, with its member States, remained  the world 's largest provider of Aid for Trade with 
around EUR 13.5 billion in 2018. Its support was built on its Aid-for-Trade Strategy from 2017, which 
put a strong emphasis on social and environmental sustainability, as well as increased attention to 
LDCs, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ). The EU  publish ed annual 
Aid-for-Trade progress reports, which took stock of how well it was delivering on its commitments, 
including numerous case studies and lessons learnt.  Looking ahead , the EU  was launching the 
Neighbourhood, Development  and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), or Global Europe, 
amounting to EUR 79.5 billion over the next 7 -year financial framework. This included t he European 
Green Deal  which  aimed to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, halt 
biodiversity loss and cut pollution. Under the NDICI -Global Europe instrument, the EU ha d a 30% 
spending target for climate -related action and the requirement to contribute to the overall 
biodiversity target of 7.5 % from 2024 and up to 10 % from 2026 onwards . Also, the EU had  recently 
published its Third Gender Action Plan, which include d a target to promote gender equality through 
trade policy, including through work on Aid for Trade.  
II. Mainstreaming  
30. The representative of Myanmar  briefed Members about the Aid -for-Trade work highlighted in 
its Trade Policy Review (TPR) held on 15 and 17 February 2021. Myanmar had implemented a series 
of trade policy reforms within the Country 's Development Agenda.  Myanmar  had formulated the 
National Export Strategy in 2015, comp leted its Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) in 2016, 
carried out  a Medium -Term Programme to link the DTIS Action Matrix and other national trade 
development plans in 2017 , and in 2018 approved all -inclusive Myanmar Sustainable Development 
Plan for 2018-2030.  A first TPR had been  held in 2014 and a second TPR in 2021. Over the years, 
Myanmar ha d implemented regulatory reforms in multiple services sectors, its investment regime, 
industrial policy, competition policy, consumer protection and intell ectual property. Myanmar had 
achieved  remarkable progress on economic growth with an average real GDP growth rate of 6.6% 
from 2015 to 2019. As digitalization and electronic commerce were at the  top of Myanmar's trade 
agenda, Myanmar was now drafting an e-commerce strategy based on the Myanmar Rapid e -trade 
Readiness Assessment. Myanmar had updated its National Export Strategy (2020 -2025) and 
initiated the analysis of post -COVID economic recovery in 2020 to mitigate the effects of COVID -19 
on Myanmar 's exports. 
31. The representative of Viet Nam briefed Members on  its Trade Policy Review held on 27 and  
29 April 2021. As a Member of the WTO since 2007, WTO Membership played a central role in its 
international integration strategy. At its TPR, Members had apprecia ted Viet Nam's contribution to 
the multilateral trading system and welcomed its ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in 
2015 and the amendment to the TRIPS Agreement in 2017. Viet Nam's economy had demonstrated 
strength and resilience with an a verage growth rate of 6.6% per annum between 2014 and 2018 
and reached a 10 -year high of 7.1% in 2018. In 2020, despite being strongly affected by the 
COVID -19 pandemic, Viet Nam's economic growth rate had still reached 2.9%. Viet Nam had 
emerged as an imp ortant manufacturing centr e since its accession to the WTO, in particular, for 
textiles and apparel, and for information and communication technology equipment. This growth 
performance had been underpinned by significant infrastructure development including the energy 
network, electricity, telecommunications and transportation sectors. In particular, the Vietnamese 
Government had also focused on developing and upgradi ng logistics infrastructure such as highways, 
airports, and seaports, etc., and paving the way for international trade.  WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  32. Viet Nam ha d also achieved tremendous results on sustainable development. According to the 
United Nations, Viet Nam ha d continuously cl imbed up the ranks in Sustainable Development Index, 
ranked 49th place in 2020. Economic achievements through sustained export -led growth ha d 
significantly contributed to the country 's poverty alleviation with the poverty rate decreased to less 
than 3% in 2020, which was a continuation to its structural reform initiated since 1986. Viet Nam 
had issued the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011 -2020 with the aim of raising awareness, 
narrowing the gender gap and enhancing the status of women . Viet Nam was one of the countries 
removing their gender gap the fastest over the past 20 years. Vietnamese women had consistently 
increased their involvement in every activity in society. According to the World Economic Forum, 
Viet Nam 's Global Competitiveness Index r anked 67  of 141 globally in 2019.  
33. Since its previous review, Viet Nam ha d continued to implement the National Program me on 
Trade Promotion with a view to supporting trade promotion activities; this ha d been conducted 
mainly through the Viet Nam Trade Prom otion Agency (Vietrade).  Viet Nam ha d made full use of the 
technical assistance provided by partners to improve the capacity for macroeconomic management, 
create a stable and transparent business environment to attract foreign investment, and provide 
busin ess opportunities for enterprises.  Viet Nam would  continue to promote its trade policies in a 
more comprehensive and synchronous manner, towards the larger goal of economic development 
associated with sustainable growth, improving people's lives and contri buting to the common 
prosperity of the region and the world.  
34. The Chairperson  listed the TPRs of Argentina and Singapore that would be conducted before 
the next CTD Aid -for-Trade meeting. An opportunity would be given to the representatives of these 
Members  to make a statement at the next meeting.  
35. The representative of China  updated the Committee on its Aid-for-Trade activities which she 
described as even more critical than ever before  due to the pandemic. As a  staunch supporter of the 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative , China had  been one of the most open markets to  LDCs and applied zero 
tariffs to 97% of the tariff lines for 41 LDCs with diplomatic ties with China. The gradual 
implementation of zero t ariff treatment ha d greatly enhanced export s from LDCs to China since 
2008. China ha d become the largest export destination for LDCs .  
36. Despite its own  huge population and tight vaccine supply , China ha d honoured its commitment 
to make the COVID -19 vaccine a global public goo d. It had provided over 350 million doses of 
vaccines to the international community, including free vaccine assistance to over 80 countries and 
vaccine exports to over 40 countries. In addition, China ha d also carried out production cooperation 
with a num ber of developing countries to promote large -scale production of vaccines.  China had  
rapidly  provided USD 2 billion  in assistance for COVID -19 response and economic and social recovery 
in developing countries. China  had also sent medical supplies to over 50 countries and 
13 international organizations , and provid ed more than 280 million masks.  
37. The representative of India highlighted some of its recent work in Aid for Trade. India stood 
committed to assisting the LDCs for their enhanced participatio n and integration in international 
trade. In this regard, India had further simplified its market access for LDCs by re -working its 
Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme. It now provided LDCs duty -free market access on 96 % of tariff 
lines. India was the fourt h biggest export destination for LDCs. It had also notified preferential 
treatment to services and service suppliers of LDCs, wherein, it provides  technical assistance, 
capacity building and market access. India had a dedicated Centre for WTO Studies that undertook 
various technical assistance and capacity -building initiatives for the LDCs. On 26-28 April 2021 , the 
Centre of WTO Studies organized a capacity -building programme for provisions of South Asian Free 
Trade Agreement  conducted under the Indian Tech nical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) 
Programme. India continu ed its capacity -building efforts by shifting to digital platform s. For instance, 
India had shared its expertise through webinar -based e -ITEC modules focusing on COVID -19 
responses. A total of 14  courses had provide d training to 1 ,200 professionals across 47 countries . 
38. The representative of the Republic of  Korea  commented that, d espite the fiscal pressures 
associated with the response to the COVID -19 pandemic, Korea ha d increased its total 
official  development assistance ( ODA) budget for 2021 by 8.3% compared to 2020, to approximately 
USD 3.5 billion. And as the workshop on Aid for Trade had helped to highlight , a sustainable and 
circular economy would  be an increasingly  important facet of Aid-for-Trade economy. In line with 
that trend, Korea was also seeking to expand the share of greening  and climate change -related and 
digital -related aspects within the context of its Aid for Trade. Disbursements of Aid  for Trade WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  accoun ted for more than 20% of its total ODA. According to the OECD, Korea was the sixth largest 
Aid-for-Trade donor among OECD countries in 2017.  Korea's Aid for Trade primarily supported 
economic infrastructure and productive capacity building across Asia and Africa. Korea also provided 
93.3% duty -free quota -free access to goods, from LDC markets and 99.7% of LDC manufacturers 
exports entered Korea duty -free. Korea was looking to significantly scale up its voluntarily funding 
for ITC to support women farmer s and entrepreneurs in West Africa through the SheTrades 
Programme . Korea planned to expand the partnership to support small business owners and youth 
entrepreneurs in African countries. Lastly, Kor ea also supported mainstreaming gender into the 
Aid-for-Trade Initiative . 
39. The representative of the United States (US ) highlighted initiatives funded by the US Agency 
of International Development (USAID) in partnership with industry on natural resources 
management, green growth, and curbing illegal logging and fi shing trade practices, sound 
stewardship of environmental and natural resources was critical to self -reliance and self -resilience. 
USAID was addressing the increasing intensity and complexity of environmental challenges in a new 
way of doing business, whic h meant collaborating with the private sector to jointly design and 
implement programs with shared risks and rewards for greater scale, sustainability and 
effectiveness . An example of innovative public private partnership was the Seafood Alliance for 
Legality and Traceability.   
40. Another USAID -recently -funded stream of work focused on the illegal timber trade . USAID 
had worked on sustainable forestry in Viet  Nam for more than 10 years under the Viet  Nam Forest 
and Delta program. The assistance ha d focused on climate change adaptation and best practices for 
disaster risk mitigation in forest deltas along the north central coast of Viet  Nam. The program ha d 
increased annual revenues from payments for environmental services by approxima tely 80% 
resulting in an annual amount of more than a USD 100 million to finance forest conservation efforts.  
Recently the USAID ha d collaborated with the Government of Viet Nam to curb illegal exports of 
timber trade. The representative hoped that these e lements would help the discussion on green 
growth and the importance of public private partnership in promoting sustainable trade.  
41. The representative of Australia  recalled that his country was an ongoing supporter of Aid for 
Trade and considered its Work Programme an essential tool in the support for the development of 
countries in the integration into the global trading system. In 2021 to 2022 , Australia's Aid-for-Trade 
investments would continue with a particular focus on the Indo -Pacific region. Australi a would aim 
to support developing country engagement in the multilateral trade system with the World Bank and 
the WTO. It would support developing countries to implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. 
Australia would also continue to support women's  economic empowerment in partnership with the 
International Labour Organization ; Australia would work to improve wages and working conditions 
in exporting diamond factories where around 75% of workers were women . In its efforts to promote 
the use of digita l technologies to make trade even more inclusive , Australia support ed e-commerce 
to make trade cheaper, more efficient, and more accessible to disadvantaged groups.  
42. The representative of the Russian Federation  noted the revised Concept of the State Policy of 
the Russian Federation in the field of International Development Assistance had been adopted in 
2014 and that there was a significant focus on  Aid for Trade.  Russia worked closely with international 
organizations to provide aid. The Framework Agreement on Partnership between the Russian 
Federation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had been signed in 2015. Under 
the Agreement the Russia -UNDP Trust Fund for Development implemented projects in the 
post-Soviet countries, in the As ia-Pacific region, and in a number of African countries. So far , over 
40 projects had been implemented , including  "Climate Window" and "Youth Window" projects . 
43. In African countries the projects aimed at creating infrastructure, ensuring economic growth, 
strengthening environmental protection, and  combating the consequences of the pandemic.  Russia 
also closely cooperate d with the World Bank. Since 2007, about USD 896 million had been allocated 
to the International Development Association. More than USD 279 m illion had been contributed to 
24 trust funds managed by the World Bank. Currently, a significant focus was on  human capital 
development, promoting macroeconomic stability and improving competitiveness.  Traditionally, 
more than half of the multilateral fun ding went to regional development banks, namely the 
Eurasian  Development Bank and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development .  
44. On vaccines , Russia had been the first country to register a vaccine  (Sputnik V ) and was 
suppl ying it worldwide. The vaccine provide d full protection against severe cases of coronavirus. WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  Sputnik V had been  approved in as many as 66 countries, and a number of countries had launched 
its local production. Recently, Sputnik Light, a one -shot vaccine, had also been approved . Ensuring 
non-discriminatory access to vaccines was one of the key challenges. Properly "tuned" trade policy 
played a central role in this. It was necessary to  work together to remove barriers to access to 
vaccines and essential medical supplies.  Russia was  ready to continue deliveries without any trade 
restriction  and intend ed to continue to contribute to international efforts to combat the pandemic. 
It was important to create an enabling environment for increasing vaccine produc tion, especially in 
developing and least developed countries. This would  significantly shorten the logistics chain "from 
production to consumer" and reduce costs. It was necessary to work on the elimination or significant 
easing of investment restrictions affecting Foreign Direct Investment flows involved in the creation 
of additional production capacity abroad, as well as improving the investment climate in recipient 
countries in general.  Russia was making a significant contribution to solving global probl ems. In 
world trade, the common task was to increase resilience to crises, and prevent the use of unjustified 
restrictions, barriers and sanctions.  
45. The representative of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF ) announced that the project 
pipeline amount ed to USD 5.79 million and included thematic and regional projects that contribute d 
to important global/regional issues such the AfCFTA , climate change, investment, gender equality, 
job creation and economic recovery in view of COVID -19. Delivery and implement ation ha d already 
commenced on some of these projects.  The EIF's strengthened M&E and learning systems continued 
to deliver increased quality of information, both in terms of monitoring results and increasing the 
amounts of information around qualitative d imensions. Notable results in 2020 include d trainings 
provided to over 9,000 people , 49% of which were women. Ongoing DTISs in eight LDCs in 2020 
were providing the evidence base for the effective integration of these countries into the global 
trading syst em. Many projects were also assisting the EIF countries to "build back better", including 
through DTIS analysis. The EIF  also continued its efforts on resource mobilization, communications 
and partnerships as well as ensuring value for money across EIF interventions. Since the last 
reporting, the EIF had  secured nearly USD 3.9 million in funding, helping to get closer to the fun ding 
target of USD  150 million.   
46. An independent evaluation of the EIF programme had commenced  to assess the results of the 
programme and to capture key lessons learned. A draft evaluation report was expected in 
October  2021 and a final evaluation report in  December 2021.   
47. The continued importance of the EIF in the context of the COVID -19 pandemic was 
underscored by t he representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDCs. 
48. The representative of the Standard and Trade Development Facility (STDF )3 announced the 
release of the STDF 2020 Annual Report in July  2021. How the STDF adapted to COVID -19 across 
all its workstreams play ed a central part in the report. The COVID -19 pandemic had drastically 
changed how work was done, creating efficiencies, providing for more inc lusivity. There was also 
more interest in projects focused on technology and innovation. An important upcoming event was 
the UN Food Systems Summit  to be held on the margins of U nited Nations General Assembly  on 
14-30 September in New York, USA. The STDF a nd its partners would organize an informal Global 
Dialogue on 28 June  2021 on why safe trade matters in transforming agri -food systems.  This would 
be preceded by a pre-summit organized at FAO in Rome, Italy, on 26 -28 July  2021. There, the STDF 
planned to organize a side -event with the Secretariats of Codex , World Organisation for Animal 
Health ( OIE), and the International Plant Protection Convention on the importance of meeting 
international standards for food systems. As the Committee for Sanit ary and Phytosanitary 
Standards ( SPS) would meet  in July , the STDF, together with the World Bank, would organize a 
webinar on "systems approaches". The STDF was also finalizing a practical guidance document on 
good regulatory practice  for SPS regulators in  developing countries  to be launched during the 
SPS Committee week in November 2021. 
49.  The STDF currently ha d more than 50 SPS projects globally at different stages of 
development, implementation or evaluation. In April 2021, the STDF Working Group had  approved 
two new projects benefiting Jamaica (pepper value chain) and Senegal (shellfish exports).  The 
Working Group had also approved seed funding to develop new projects benefiting countries in 
 
3 More details on the  Standards and Trade Development Facility  are available at: 
https://www.standardsfacility.org/     WT/COMTD/AFT/M/52  
 
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  Central and West Africa, and Armenia. A study on remote food ins pection practices (triggered by 
COVID) was also approved.   
50. In response to a question posed by the representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDCs , the 
representative of the STDF confirmed that the documents he presented would be made available in 
all WTO off icial languages.  The representative of Colombia called for STDF  capacity building 
initiatives to take into account the needs of Latin American countries and called for information and 
experience s in the region to be shared.  
III. Regional Dimension  
51. No point was raised under this agenda item . 
IV. Private Sector  
52. The representative of the International Trade Centre (ITC ) commented on the  challeng es 2021 
continued to present for MSMEs in developing countries. ITC 's COVID -19 Business Impact Survey 
that reached o ver 6,000 companies in 130 countries  indicated that  40% of MSMEs in developing 
countries were at risk of permanent closure. In light of this, t he demand for Aid for Trade and for 
ITC's assistance remained on the rise.   
53. In relation to its investments  in digital processes , ITC was accompanying a set of African Tech 
entrepreneurs to the VivaTech fair in Paris. ITC would announce two of the winners of the 
ITC #FastTrackTech challenge for Innovative Solutions for Affordable and Reliable Internet in Africa.  
A critical factor of resilience other than technology and a pillar towards building back better was the 
institutions and ecosystems of business support organizations. Hence, ITC had built more 
partnerships at the local level which meant it could maintain delive ry as well as build greater 
in-country capacity.  
54. He drew attention to the  "Green2Compete" (2020 -2024)  strategy for green production and 
trade aimed to better articulat e existing programmes , make the business case of green growth for 
MSMEs . ITC's flagship small and medium -sized enterprises ( SMEs) Competitiveness Outlook 2021, 
to be launched on MSME Day (27 June 2021) would also focus on making the case for a greener 
future . He also cited  ITC's publication on "Delivering on the Buenos Aires Declaration " produced 
under the auspices of the International Gender Champions Trade Impact Group in December 2020. 
ITC would also release the findings of a collaboration with  the International Standard Organizat ion 
on what constituted a wom an-owned business. The SheTrades Global 2021 would be held at the 
Dubai expo at the end of 2021.  
V. Monitoring and Evaluation of Implementation and Development Effectiveness  
55. The Secretariat  provided Members with an oral report on the webinar titled "Circular Economy, 
Economic Diversification and  Aid for Trade " held on 10 June  2021. Presentations made at the event 
and a summary report are available on the WTO website at: 
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/a4t_e/workshop_10june21_e.htm  
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
56. The meeting was adjourned . 
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