98-5108 ENDPRESS RELEASE
PRESS/119
17 December 1998
 BRITAIN PLEDGES TO HELP DEVELOPING WORLD BENEFIT FROM
GLOBALIZATION
Britain and the World Trade Organization today signed an agreement to assist developing
countries in participating more effectiv ely in the international trading system.
The agreement commits Britain to a contribution of £660,000 to the WTO's 1999 Programme
for Technical Cooperation.  The contribution follows Prime Minister Tony Blair's announcement in
May that Britain will contribute $10 million (£6 million) to help developing countries participate inthe multilateral trading system.  That announcement came at a WTO meeting celebrating the 50
th
anniversary of the system.
The contribution will be used to help the WTO fund training and technical seminars designed
to help developing countries better understand their rights and obligations under international tradeagreements.
Mr. John Vereker, Permanent Secretary at Britain's Department for International
Development (DFID), signed the Memorandum of  Understanding with Mr. Renato Ruggiero,
Director-General of the WTO in Geneva.