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15 December 2020 
(20-9095) Page: 1/1 
    
 
PRESS RELEASE  
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
Ireland gives EUR 350,000 to help developing countries 
strengthen trading skill -set 
The government of Ireland has donated  EUR 350,000 (approximately CHF 380,000)  in 2020  to 
help developing countries and least -developed countries (LDCs ) build their expertise across 
various trade -related areas. The objective is to ramp up their participation in international trade.  
 
A total of EUR 150,000 (CHF 160,000) has been earmarked for t he Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF ) to support developing countries and LDCs in c omply ing with 
international food safety, animal and plant health standards, with the aim of increasing their 
access  to agricultural markets.  
 
The internship programme sponsored by France and Ireland  has been allocated EUR 200,000 
(CHF 210,000) to finance internships for government officials at  the permanent missions of 
developing countries  and LDCs  in Geneva.  
 
WTO Deputy Director -General Alan Wolff, who oversees agricultural matters in the WTO, said: 
"Ireland's latest donations will help to increase trade know -how in deve loping economies, allowing 
them to integrate more fully into the global trading system. I welcome Ireland's continuing 
generosity."  
 
Ireland 's Ambassador to the WTO, Michael G affey, said: "Our renewed contributions demonstrate 
Ireland’s ongoing commitment  to enhance the trading capacities of developing countries and their 
participation in trade negotiations. Support for the trading activities of these countries is more 
important than ever in our global efforts to recover from the COVID -19 pandemic and to a chieve 
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."  
 
Overall, Ireland has donated  over CHF 13 million (EUR 12 million) to the various WTO trust funds 
over nearly twenty  years.  
 
 
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