EU Contributes €1 Million to Boost WTO Trade Capacity for Developing Countries

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the contribution, saying it comes at a crucial time for sustaining training and technical support for countries with limited institutional capacity.

The European Union has pledged €1 million (around CHF 928,000) to the World Trade Organization’s Global Trust Fund (GTF) to strengthen the ability of developing economies and least developed countries (LDCs) to participate more effectively in the global trading system.

The funding will support the WTO’s technical assistance programme for 2026–2027, providing training and capacity-building initiatives for government officials in developing nations to better understand and implement WTO rules.

Supporting fair participation in global trade

The Global Trust Fund finances programmes designed to help developing economies navigate the multilateral trading system, improve policy implementation and strengthen their negotiating capabilities in international trade forums.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the contribution, saying it comes at a crucial time for sustaining training and technical support for countries with limited institutional capacity.

“The European Union’s €1 million contribution to the Global Trust Fund comes at a critical time and will help maintain valuable technical assistance activities for developing economies and least developed countries,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala added that the EU’s support could encourage other WTO members to increase contributions to capacity-building initiatives.

EU reaffirms commitment to rules-based trade

EU Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO João Aguiar Machado emphasised that strengthening developing countries’ capabilities is essential to maintaining a fair and effective global trading system.

“At a time when sustained and predictable financing for technical assistance is particularly important, this contribution reflects the European Union’s longstanding support for the Global Trust Fund and for the WTO’s technical assistance programmes,” Machado said.

He added that empowering developing economies helps ensure the multilateral trading system remains inclusive and effective.

Hundreds of training programmes each year

The WTO’s Global Trust Fund supports around 280 technical assistance activities annually, including national and regional training programmes as well as online courses.

These initiatives cover a wide range of trade-related issues, including:

• Agricultural trade policies

• Digital trade and e-commerce

• Import licensing systems

• International standards and compliance

• Trade and environmental policies

• Negotiation skills for trade agreements

The training programmes are designed to help officials from developing economies improve policy design, implement WTO commitments and participate more effectively in global trade negotiations.

Over 19,000 participants trained in 2024

Since its establishment in 2001, the Global Trust Fund has supported more than 2,800 training workshops worldwide, significantly expanding trade expertise in developing countries.

In 2024, the WTO recorded the highest number of technical assistance activities in the past decade, with over 19,000 participants trained during the year.

These programmes play a key role in helping smaller economies engage in the rules-based trading system and benefit from international trade opportunities.

EU among the largest long-term contributors

The latest pledge continues the European Union’s long-standing support for WTO capacity-building initiatives.

Over the past two decades, the EU has contributed CHF 34.5 million to various WTO trust funds, helping finance training programmes, research and institutional support for developing countries.

The EU said the new funding reaffirms its commitment to promoting a fair, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system, particularly at a time when global trade governance faces increasing geopolitical and economic challenges.