WTO News

1. Thirty years of WTO technical assistance enhancing participation in world trade

   Since its establishment in 1995, the WTO has supported the participation of developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) in the multilateral trading system through the provision of technical assistance, helping beneficiaries develop their capacity to take full advantage of global trade. Over the past 30 years, more than 320,000 government officials have benefited from this assistance.

2. WTO members review safeguard actions during latest committee meeting

   At its meeting on 28 October, the WTO Committee on Safeguards reviewed safeguard notifications submitted by 11 members since the Committee’s last meeting in April. The notifications covered 24 products. The meeting was chaired by Mr Jun Morikawa (Japan).

3. United States gives USD 180,000 to support food, animal and plant health standards

   The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is contributing USD 180,000 (approximately CHF 156,000) to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to help developing economies meet international food safety, animal and plant health standards, and facilitate safe trade. The contribution will help advance STDF work to improve access to global and regional markets for developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs). FDA has contributed between USD 180,000 and USD 200,000 USD annually, for a total of USD 2,140,000 since 2014, pledging similar support for 2025.

4. Items proposed for consideration at the next meeting of Dispute Settlement Body

   The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 28 October 2024, of the Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members and oversees legal disputes among them. The meeting notice is circulated in the form of a document officially called an “airgram”.

5. Participants in the Netherlands Trainee Programme make study visit to The Hague

   Fourteen government officials participating in the 2024 edition of the Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP) at the WTO Secretariat took part in the annual study visit to The Hague, from 21 to 25 October 2024, to learn about the work of various stakeholders in formulating trade policy in the Netherlands.