Ireland is donating €400,000* to help developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs) increase their trade know-how and play a bigger part in global trade.

A total of €200,000 will go in 2022 to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)1 of the WTO. This global partnership supports and finances projects in developing countries to help farmers, processors, exporters and governments comply with international standards for agricultural products and connect with global markets. The contribution to the STDF will be used for projects and programmes in line with the STDF’s Work Plan 20222.

A further €200,000 will be allocated to the French and Irish Mission Internship Programme (FIMIP)3. This programme provides support to small missions in Geneva to help them follow WTO-related work. Interns under the FIMIP are attached to their country’s mission in Geneva for a maximum duration of ten months. They are considered as a delegate of their country and can represent it in WTO meetings and committees.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: ‘The continuous generosity of Ireland will help support multilateral trade negotiations by providing developing and LDC members with the necessary tools to participate fully in the trading system. Strengthening trade-related capacity in beneficiary countries where government officials can develop their expertise on WTO activities will benefit the whole membership.’

Ambassador Michael Gaffey of Ireland said: ‘Our renewed contributions demonstrate Ireland’s ongoing commitment to enhance the trading capacities of developing countries and their participation in trade negotiations. This is especially timely after the Aid for Trade Global Review at the end of last month and the highly successful 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in June.’

Overall, Ireland has donated close to €14 million to the various World Trade Organization trust funds over the past twenty years.

*Approximately equal to Swiss Francs (CHF) 395,000.

1  https://www.standardsfacility.org/

2   https://www.standardsfacility.org/sites/default/files/STDF_Work_Plan_2022.pdf 

3  https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/train_e/fimip_e.htm