00-3999 ENDPRESS RELEASE
PRESS/192
2 October 2000
FRANCE DONATES 1 MILLION EUROS TO THE WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
FUND
Today, 2 October 2000, the French Government made a contribution of 1 million euros to the
Global Trust Fund for WTO Technical Cooperation.  The French Minister of State for Foreign Trade,
Mr. François Huwart, signed in Geneva a memorandum of understanding with the WTO Director-
General, Mr. Mike Moore.  This voluntary contri bution by France in the form of a special fund from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 1million eu ros over the period 2000-2003 (i.e. approximately
1.6 million francs per year) will benefit first and foremost the least-developed countries and the
African countries.
According to Mr. Huwart, "the French Government wanted to make an added effort to
contribute to the financing of technical assistance activities organized by the WTO on behalf of the
developing countries to help them play their full role in the multilateral trading system.  By doing so,
France hopes to ensure enhanced integration of the developing countries, in particular the poorestamong them, in the work of the World Trade Organization with a view, inter alia , to the launching of
a global round of negotiations.  In the same spirit, France will be contributing to the financing of the
Conference of African Trade Ministers to be held in Libreville from 13 to 15 November 2000."
"I am most grateful to France for its contribution to the Technical Assistance Fund", said
Mike Moore.  "It is only thanks to such genero us contributions that WTO can meet the increasing
requests for technical assistance from the least-developed countries, the developing countries and the
economies in transition.  Unfortunately, the ordinary WTO budget for technical assistance, which
amounts to only 741,000 Swiss francs, is insufficient."
The Director-General urged all Member Governments of the WTO to increase their
contributions to the ordinary budget for technical assistance.  France expressed its support for such an
increase.