98-2244PRESS
RELEASE
PRESS/100
18 May 1998
Switzerland Increases Funding for WTO Technical Cooperation Activities
Switzerland has made a grant of CHF 1,500,000 to the WTO for the financing of a multi-year
technical cooperation programme on behalf of developing and transition-economy countries.  These
resources are primarily to be devoted to meeting the needs of least-developed countries.
The purpose of this aid is to help beneficiary countries to overcome the difficulties they face
in implementing the WTO Agreements and to promote their integration into world trade.  The funds
provided will make it possible to finance the necessary legal expertise for establishing national
legislation in the specific WTO areas (in particular customs evaluation, technical barriers to trade and
sanitary and phytosanitary measures) as well as a large number of training activities.
This new contribution comes in addition to the annual grant of CHF 300,000 which
Switzerland has made since 1991 for the organization of training courses for Central and EasternEuropean and Central Asian countries that are candidates for accession to the WTO.
END