US Missions in Geneva Host Event
on Trade Capacity Building Assistance

On Wednesday, July 16, the Permanent Missions of the United States to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization hosted Geneva-based UN and WTO delegates from developing countries and representatives of multilateral organizations at an event to highlight the United States' trade capacity building efforts around the world in support of the Doha Development Agenda. The event included presentations by representatives of the U.S. Department of State, the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that provided an overview of current and future U.S. trade-related technical assistance programs and the coordination process with the donor community.

At the 4th Ministerial Conference in Doha, Member Countries of the WTO put trade capacity building for developing countries at the center of the negotiations. The United States is fully committed to the Doha mandate in helping developing countries benefit from the volume of global trade opportunities stemming from trade liberalization. Trade capacity building activities implemented by numerous U.S. Government agencies increase the participation of developing and transitional countries in global trade, along with the benefits accrued through active participation.

As the largest bilateral donor of trade-related technical assistance, the United States devotes substantial resources to trade capacity building. These funds, administered through USAID and other agencies, totaled more than $1.9 billion in funding from 1999-2002. The US Government provided $638 million in trade-related technical assistance in 2002 - up 15% from fiscal year 2001. This reflects the U.S. view that trade capacity building stands at the nexus of trade and development policy. When successful, capacity building efforts can accelerate poverty elimination and stimulate economic growth in developing countries.

For example, the multi-year Trade for African Development and Enterprise (TRADE) program will promote regional integration and regional cooperation by strengthening the ability of African countries and businesses to develop their export trade. Trading hubs located in Botswana, Kenya and Ghana will facilitate capacity building activities through linkages with African regional trade organizations and networks, in cooperation with African and U.S. educational and business networks, U.S. and African government agencies, and other donors. In Central America, a two-year USAID project related to countries' participation in the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), is providing tools, best practices, and technical support for trade capacity building and the reduction of business constraints; training modules for trade negotiations preparation; and several regional conferences and workshops on trade issues and constraints to business development.

Please see USAID's website for more information about their work on economic growth and trade opportunities, www.usaid.gov. For specific information about USAID's Trade Capacity Building Project, please go to www.tcb-project.com.