New York, US - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday appealed to donors to maintain their support for 'Aid for Trade' efforts to help developing countries, especially the poorest, accelerate development and benefit from global economic growth. 'Aid for Trade' is an initiative launched by the World Trade Organization (WTO) six years ago to help developing countries, particularly the least developed, develop the necessary trade-related skills and infrastructure to carry out and benefit from WTO agreements and to expand their trade.

Ban, who spoke at the WTO’s Third Global Review of Aid for Trade, in Geneva, Switzerland, said: 'Aid for Trade reflects the international community’s commitment to help developing countries participate actively in the world economy and to ensure that these countries can also gain from world growth.'

He said that, 'Aid for Trade is a crucial building block of the global partnership for development and applauded the international community’s efforts to mobilize resources under this category.

'Today Aid for Trade accounts for as much as one-third of official development assistance (ODA).

'However, all is not well. As we all know, this is a time of economic uncertainty. Budgets are tight. But difficult fiscal conditions are no excuse for letting up our efforts; they underscore the need for collective action,' he stated.

Ban noted that, 'the annual rate of increase for Aid for Trade has slowed sharply' and urged the donor community not to fall short of the present level of Aid for Trade.

'Going forward, it is also essential to ensure that the Aid for Trade does not displace existing development assistance,” he added.

The secretary-general also stressed the need to pay attention to the unique needs of the least developed countries (LDCs) and make sure they are not left behind. He, also  emphasized the need to fully utilize the potential for Aid for Trade to advance food and nutrition security.

He further said: 'In all our efforts, let us remember that meeting our development goals is ultimately about building self-sufficiency and helping people help themselves.'

The UN chief also said: 'Together, let us advance our shared goal of ensuring that the international system works best for those who need it most.'

Ban also noted that, 'in an age of integration and interconnection, initiatives such as Aid for Trade have to be looked at along with other interlinked issues such as climate change, food crisis, global health and gender empowerment, as well as other development
objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).'

He disclosed that, next year’s UN conference on sustainable development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June, will provide an opportunity to look at those issues and challenges.

The two-day Global Review of Aid for Trade, which opened on Monday, is aimed at assessing what has been achieved since the initiative was launched in Hong Kong in 2005.

The forum brings together senior officials from the WTO, the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as well as dozens of international trade organizations, NGOs and private corporations.

Pana 20/07/2011