WTO and Aid for Trade: Connecting to Value Chains

The WTO has announced the agenda for the Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade to be held on 8-10 July. The theme of this year’s event is “Connecting to Value Chains”. The review will focus on the development implications of the global expansion of production chains and will examine how Aid for Trade can help developing countries enter and move up value chain. 

The meeting brings together more than 15 ministers from developed and developing countries, 17 heads of international agencies and regional organizations, representatives from 15 private sector companies and associations and an array of trade and development experts.

“The Fourth Global Review will examine the economic opportunities that trade in value added offers, the constraints that firms in developing, and in particular least-developed, countries face in connecting (and moving up) value chains and will focus on how Aid for Trade can assist in this process.”

Taking place over three days, the event builds on the results of an extensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise undertaken jointly by the OECD and WTO, in collaboration with the African Union, Confederation of Indian Industry, Grow Africa, the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Trade Centre, the International Telecommunications Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Over 900 replies were submitted from more than 120 countries by business, developing country governments, regional organizations, donors and South-South partners in response to the joint OECD-WTO M&E exercise.