98-3550PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/112
16 September 1998
U.S. GOVERNMENT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR WTO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
PROJECT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The United States Department of State has made a grant of US$90,000 in support of the WTO
information technology initiative for least-developed and developing countries. This initiative aims,
through the use of information technologies, to support the integration of some 50 least-developed anddeveloping countries into the multilateral trading system.
The United States grant will help provide internet connections, computer equipment (personal
computers, printers, modems, etc) for the operation of WTO Trade Reference Centers in these
countries. The centres enable trade ministries to keep in touch with WTO activities via the WTO
internet site (www.wto.org) and the Trade and Development Centre (www.itd.org), jointly operated
by the WTO and the World Bank.  Through these and other trade-related internet sites, ministries cangather information from electronic trade databases which will enable governments to better  utilize the
multi-lateral trading system.
This U.S. contribution comes in addition to grants already provided for the same project by
the governments of Norway, Hong-Kong and the Netherlands.
END