Norway gives NOK 12mn to Help Poorer Countries Take Part in Multilateral Trade Talks

· Emphasis on Fisheries

The government of Norway is contributing NOK 12 million (approximately CHF 1.3 million) in 2019 to help developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) increase their participation in multilateral trade negotiations.

A donation of NOK 2 million (CHF 216,000) will be allocated to the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Fund, a new fund created in May 2019 to support the active participation of LDCs in the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies.

A second donation of NOK 10 million (just over CHF 1 million) to the WTO’s DDA Global Trust Fund will finance training workshops for officials in Geneva and elsewhere to help them better understand and implement WTO agreements. Over 2,700 workshops have been organized since the fund was created in 2001.

Welcoming the creation of the new fund, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: "Norway is once again showing its commitment to ensuring that poorer countries can participate actively in multilateral trade negotiations, particularly those related to fisheries subsidies. Norway's donations are a very welcome and generous contribution to guaranteeing an effective and inclusive multilateral trading system."

Norway's Ambassador to the WTO, Dagfinn Sørli, said: "Safeguarding the multilateral trading system is more important than ever. We need to ensure that all members have the opportunity to present their interests and are included in important negotiations. Norway remains a consistent partner in these efforts, and the increase in our contributions to WTO-led technical assistance will support this objective."

Overall, Norway has donated over CHF 40 million (approximately NOK 370 million) to the various WTO trust funds in nearly 20 years. Norway is one of the first WTO members to contribute to the new fisheries fund.