South Korea Contributes CHF 271,000 to Boost WTO Capacity-Building

The contribution underscores South Korea’s continued commitment to fostering inclusive participation in the multilateral trading system.

The Republic of Korea has contributed CHF 271,000 to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2025 to strengthen trade-related capacity in developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs).

The funding includes:

• CHF 145,000 to the WTO’s Global Trust Fund

• CHF 126,000 to support the WTO Chairs Programme

The contribution underscores South Korea’s continued commitment to fostering inclusive participation in the multilateral trading system.

Supporting Developing Economies Through the Global Trust Fund

Established in December 2001, the Global Trust Fund finances WTO technical cooperation activities using voluntary, unearmarked donations from member states.

The fund supports training, workshops and advisory services aimed at helping developing economies and LDCs strengthen their ability to engage effectively in trade negotiations and implement WTO agreements.

WTO Director-General welcomed the contribution, stating:

“The Republic of Korea's contributions to the Global Trust Fund and the WTO Chairs Programme are an important investment in knowledge, capacity-building and inclusiveness.”

The Director-General added that the support helps ensure developing economies can participate more effectively in the multilateral trading system.

Strengthening Academic and Policy Expertise

Part of the funding will also support the WTO Chairs Programme, which assists academic institutions in developing economies to conduct trade-related research and deliver training courses for policymakers and other stakeholders.

The programme aims to build long-term domestic expertise in trade policy and strengthen links between academia and government decision-making.

Sung-yo Choi, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, said:

“These contributions reflect our strong commitment to strengthening trade-related capacity in developing economies and least-developed countries, and to promoting informed, inclusive participation in the multilateral trading system.”

Two Decades of Support

Over the past 20 years, the Republic of Korea has contributed more than CHF 8 million to WTO Trust Funds, demonstrating sustained engagement in supporting WTO technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives.

The latest contribution continues that long-standing partnership as developing countries face increasing complexity in global trade governance and negotiations.