Press/359
13 September 2003
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Belgium donates 2 million euro to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ technical assistance
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“Thanks to generous donations such as Belgium's, we have been able to significantly increase the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ's technical assistance activities. This is helping developing countries participate more actively in the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ negotiations,” said °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Director-General Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi.
This contribution is in addition to several donations Belgium has made to the Doha Trust Fund. In 2003, the Belgian government contributed CHF 752,000 (500,000 euro) and the Government of Flanders – federated entity of Belgium – granted an additional CHF 231,000 (150,000 euro). In 2002, the Government of Flanders also contributed CHF 154,000 (100,000 euro).
The Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund was set up following the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Ministerial Conference in Doha in November 2001 which launched a new round of negotiations. In December 2002, the General Council approved a target amount of 24 million Swiss francs for the Doha Trust Fund for 2003.