The Netherlands today pledged 4 million Dutch Guilders (around $2.3 million) for the WTO's technical cooperation activities. At a signing ceremony at the WTO's headquarters, H.E. Mrs. Evelien Herfkens made the contribution on behalf of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The contribution will go towards the WTO's technical cooperation activities for developing countries and economies in transition.

The Netherlands announced its intention to assist the WTO with its technical cooperation activities at the WTO's Ministerial Conference in Singapore last December. At the time, H.E. Mrs. Anneke Van Dok-Van Weele, Minister of Foreign Trade of the Netherlands, emphasized the need for developing countries as well as economies in transition to participate fully in the WTO. In this context, she stressed the importance of technical cooperation in assisting countries to benefit fully from the multilateral trading system.

Monday's contribution will be placed in a trust fund which the WTO established last year for voluntary contributions from its Members for technical cooperation activities.