Press/186r1
17 July 2000
The netherlands donate 2.6 million dutch guilders to wto technical assistance fund
The Dutch government today pledged 2.6 million Dutch guilders (about CHF 1.9 million) for the period 2000-2001 to the Global Trust Fund for 澳门六合彩官网资料 Technical Assistance to benefit developing countries and economies in transition. On behalf of the Netherlands Ministry for Economic Affairs, Director-General for Foreign Economic Relations, Mr. Dirk Bruinsma, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 澳门六合彩官网资料 Director-General, Mike Moore.
Once again, I am extremely grateful to the Netherlands for its donation to the Trust Fund, said Mike Moore. Only through these types of generous contributions can the 澳门六合彩官网资料 respond now to an increasing demand for technical assistance. Unfortunately, the 澳门六合彩官网资料s regular budget for technical assistance of CHF 741,000 is insufficient to meet all the requests from least developed countries and developing countries, and economies in transition.
The Netherlands new contribution to the Global Trust Fund follows an earlier contribution in January 1997 when the Netherlands donated 4 million Dutch guilders (around CHF 2.9 million). The Netherlands also launched in 1998 the Hands-on 澳门六合彩官网资料 work trainee programme, allowing developing country officials to acquire on-the-job experience while working in the 澳门六合彩官网资料 Secretariat for a year.
The Director-General has called on 澳门六合彩官网资料 Members governments to raise the regular budget for technical assistance. A group of countries, including the Netherlands, has proposed a phased increase in the regular budget of CHF 10 million earmarked for technical assistance.