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17 June 2021  
(21-4966) Page: 1/1 
    
 
PRESS RELEASE  
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
Canada pledges CAD 193,000 for food, animal and plant health 
standards  
Canada is contributing CAD 193,000 (approximately CHF 111,000) to the Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF) in 2021 to help developing countries comply with international food 
safety, animal and plant health standards and access agricultural markets more easily. The 
donation will help developing countries and least -developed countries (LDCs) impr ove their 
sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity.  
 
WTO Director -General Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala thanked Canada for its continued generosity: "This 
new pledge by Canada will greatly contribute to increasing the implementation of international SPS 
standards b y developing countries, including science -based approaches to protecting plant, animal 
and human health. By improving the safety and stability of a developing country’s food supply, 
thousands of farmers can enhance their ability to gain and maintain market  access."  
 
Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, Stephen de Boer, said: "By 
confirming its contribution to the WTO’s STDF in 2021, Canada continues to support inclusive trade 
through good governance, SPS compliance and capacity build ing in developing countries and 
LDCs."  
 
Canada has contributed over CHF 13 million to WTO trust funds over the past 19 years.  
 
The STDF is a global coordination platform that connects diverse public and pr ivate sector 
organizations across agriculture, health, trade and development to share experiences, identify 
opportunities for collaboration and promote a more coherent approach to SPS capacity 
development.  
 
The STDF provides support and funding for the development and implementation of collaborative 
and innovative SPS projects that promote compliance with international standards and other SPS 
requirements. The STDF was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the 
United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Bank Group, the World 
Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO, which houses and manages the STDF partnership.  
 
 
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