Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director-General of the WTO, said: “I thank Germany for this donation to the Doha Fund. Germany’s contribution for the Trade Policy Review will help developing countries to enhance understanding of the WTO Agreements, to enable better compliance and integration in the multilateral trading system. In addition, the review highlights their infrastructural constraints and technical assistance needs. As from 2004, the Doha Fund finances the poorest and most vulnerable developing countries, with special attention to least-developed countries?

Germany has contributed a total of CHF 4.1 million to WTO technical assistance fund since 2000, the eighth biggest voluntary contribution to the Doha Fund which was set up following the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha in November 2001. Germany is one of the donors who pledged its contribution over several years, thus offering better predictability to the availability of WTO resources for technical assistance and training.