International Development Grant
Program Support to the World Trade Organization
Project Number: CA-3-M013274004
Status: Closed
Country/Region: Unknown
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $7,500,000.00
Start Date: March 23, 2010
End Date: March 31, 2014
Duration: 4.0 years
Project Description
This grant is Canada’s contribution to the World Trade Organization - Aid for Trade Initiative. Specifically this contribution supports the Standards and Trade Development Facility and the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund. The Standards and Trade Development Facility provides technical assistance to developing countries to help them meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards to promote trade. Sanitary and phystosanitary standards help countries to improve their food safety to improve animal and plant health and to gain access to markets for food and agricultural products. The Facility’s mandate is to increase awareness strengthen collaboration identify and disseminate good practices and provide support for the development and implementation of projects that promote compliance with international standards. The Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund provides technical assistance on trade facilitation to help developing countries participate effectively in multilateral trade negotiations. This assistance includes training to government officials in World Trade Organization rules and negotiating mechanisms to ensure that the trade interests of member countries are represented particularly in the complex Doha Round negotiations. The Aid for Trade Initiative was launched in 2005 as a result of an agreement between World Trade Organization members to help developing countries use trade as an engine for growth and poverty reduction. The Aid for Trade Initiative helps developing countries build the production capacity and trade-related infrastructure needed to implement and benefit from trade agreements and to expand their trade. It also supports the implementation of trade facilitation measures and the improvement of trade standards.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of December 2011 include: 1) Since 2004 over 60 projects and 54 project preparation grants have assisted developing countries in overcoming sanitary and phytosanitary standards constraints and gaining/maintaining market access. Over 50% of these projects and project preparation grants have benefited least-developed and other low-income countries. 2) The Facility initiated the development and application of an assessment tool to inform sanitary and phytosanitary standards decision-making and resource allocation in developing countries. The draft tool was tested in Belize Mozambique Vietnam and Zambia with Facility support. 3) A Virtual Library was developed and launched to serve as a central repository for sanitary and phytosanitary standards capacity building documentation notably needs assessments action plans cost-benefit and other economic analysis studies project documents and end reports evaluations etc. The Library will assist beneficiaries international organizations consultants etc. in the development and implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary standards related capacity-building initiatives and facilitate further dissemination of experiences and good practice. 4) A Standards and Trade Development Facility project in Costa Rica developed and implemented a traceability system for cattle to track animals from the farm to the slaughterhouse strengthening the national surveillance programme and facilitating international trade. Results achieved through the World Trade Organization - Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund in 2011 include: providing technical assistance through 266 initiatives that improved the ability of developing country governments to understand and implement trade rules. An example includes training close to 330 Government officials on the advanced Trade Negotiations Simulation Skills Course held for the various regions in seven regional and three national technical assistance activities. The tr
Key Information
Executing Agency:
WTO - World Trade Organization
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP