Delivering growth through Aid for Trade

The World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in 2005, an initiative was launched that sought to place the spotlight on the important role trade-related technical assistance and capacity building can play in supporting economic growth in developing countries. It would also provide a forum in which issues related to trade and development could be addressed. What eventually became the Aid for Trade initiative was born out of the collective recognition that market-access opportunities would be made more effective if developing countries, particularly the poorest, could build the supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure necessary to benefit from these trading opportunities. Over the past seven and a half years, the Aid for Trade agenda has claimed a very visible spot in the trade landscape. The challenge is now to ensure that it adjusts to the changes in the overall trade and aid context.