WTO Development Week 2026
LDC Trade, Partnerships, Trade for Development Initiatives Explored
in Development Week
During Development Week, held at the WTO from 6 to 9 July, members examined
opportunities for least-developed countries (LDCs) in services trade, partnerships
for trade capacity-building, progress under the Work Programme on Small Economies,
and new proposals on economic growth, industrialization and support for developing
economies.
·
WTO
members discussed how domestic
regulatory reforms
can help Least Developed Countries (LDCs) expand services exports.
·
LDC
services exports increased from USD 5.3 trillion (2020) to USD
8.9 trillion (2024).
·
LDCs
account for only 0.16%
of global digitally deliverable services exports.
·
Members
stressed the need for:
o
Better
digital infrastructure
o
Skills
development
o
Stronger
productive capacity
·
WTO
highlighted new TS4D initiatives launched in 2025:
o
Services
Trade Competitiveness Dashboard
o
Handbook
on Good Regulatory Practices
o
TS4D
Platform
·
Cambodia
and the UK emphasized the importance of good regulatory practices.
·
South
Africa and the World Economic Forum promoted the Streamlining Services Initiative.
·
Focus
areas:
o
Better
regulatory frameworks
o
Climate
finance services
o
Opportunities
under the African
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
·
Nepal
highlighted growth in:
o
Tourism
o
Digitally
delivered services
·
Senegal-based
Kwely identified key barriers:
o
Limited
market intelligence
o
Weak
packaging capability
o
Certification
requirements
o
Limited
trade finance
·
Members
emphasized:
o
Public-private
partnerships
o
Use
of emerging technologies
o
SME
support
·
Members
called for:
o
Better
services data
o
More
Aid-for-Trade support
o
Operationalization
of the LDC
Services Waiver
to improve market access.
·
Businesses
identified priorities including:
o
WTO
reform
o
Continuation
of discussions on the moratorium
on customs duties on electronic transmissions.
·
Ten-year
partnership unlocked over
USD 60 billion
in trade and supply chain activity.
·
Helped
Samoa export dried cocoa to Japan.
·
Australia
and the World Bank are helping:
o
Timor-Leste
o
Other
LDCs
·
Implement
the WTO
Trade Facilitation Agreement.
·
Partnership
with Pacific Trade Invest Europe generated:
o
AUD
11.2 million (USD 7.8 million) in sales to Europe for Pacific small businesses.
·
Members
contributed USD
20 million.
·
USD
5 million
committed for over 40
developing economies,
including LDCs.
·
Next
project funding round planned for early 2027.
·
Aid-for-Trade
disbursements:
o
Grew
8%
(2006–2015)
o
Only
1%
(2015–2024)
·
Members
stressed:
o
Infrastructure
finance
o
Energy
transition
o
Digitalization
o
Transport
corridors
o
Concessional
finance
o
Mobilizing
private investment
·
Developing
economies' share of global merchandise exports:
o
38%
(2006)
→ 48%
(2024)
·
Share
in global commercial services:
o
25% → 33%
·
LDCs
still account for only around
1% of global trade.
·
Japan: Trade as a driver of economic
growth.
·
China
(with Comoros & Benin): Integrating trade and investment for industrialization.
·
Members
reviewed implementation of S&DT provisions.
·
Updated
review to be presented at the October 2026 meeting.
·
Members
reviewed:
o
Technical
Assistance Annual Report 2025
o
Technical
Assistance Evaluations Report 2025
·
Overall
technical assistance remained resilient.
·
First
meeting after MC14
(March 2026).
·
Discussions
focused on:
o
Trade
logistics
o
Traceability
o
Digital
trade
o
Vulnerabilities
of small economies
·
WTO
Secretariat updated members on factual presentations supporting the review of:
o
Regional
Trade Agreements (RTAs)
o
Preferential
Trade Arrangements (PTAs)
·
Next
WTO Development Week will be held 26–30 October 2026.
[ABS News Service/13.07.2026]
At the
meeting of the WTO Sub-Committee on LDCs held on 6 July, members looked at the important
role domestic reforms can play in unlocking opportunities for LDCs in services trade.
According
to the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 2025 Least-Developed
Countries Report, global services exports from LDCs grew from
USD 5.3 trillion in 2020 to USD 8.9 trillion in 2024, but LDCs currently account
for only 0.16 per cent of global digitally deliverable services exports. The need
to develop the relevant skillset and strengthen productive capacity and digital
infrastructure in LDCs was underscored at the meeting.
In an
update on the implementation of the Trade in Services for Development (TS4D)
initiative, which supports the participation of developing
economies and LDCs in services trade, members were informed of the launch in 2025
of the Services Trade Competitiveness Dashboard, the
Handbook on Good Regulatory Practices
to Facilitate Trade in Services and the TS4D Platform. Reporting
on a national TS4D workshop held in Phnom Penh in June 2026, Cambodia and the United
Kingdom emphasized the importance of good regulatory practices.
During
the experience-sharing session, South Africa and the World Economic Forum shared
experiences in implementing the Streamlining Services Initiative, which
aims to increase services trade by improving regulatory frameworks and service-sector
competitiveness, and identified opportunities in climate finance services across
Africa. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and ensuring an enabling business environment
for services trade were highlighted as central to expanding regional opportunities
under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
A representative
from Kwely - a Senegal-based digital platform connecting Made-in-Africa brands with
international buyers - noted that limited market intelligence, inadequate packaging
capability, certification requirements and restricted access to trade finance are
among the main barriers facing African exporters. The importance of public-private
collaboration and emerging technologies in strengthening trade expertise and improving
opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises was also emphasized. The Nepal
Economic Forum highlighted Nepal's growing services economy, including the contribution
of tourism and digitally delivered services.
To further
support services-led growth in LDCs, members underscored the importance of improved
services data, services-focused Aid-for-Trade initiatives and the operationalization
of the LDC Services Waiver, which aims to facilitate preferential market access
for LDC services and service suppliers.
Reporting
on an experience-sharing session entitled "Navigating a shifting trade landscape:
opportunities for LDCs" held in April, the Chair of the LDCs
Sub-Committee, Ambassador Ib Petersen of Denmark, noted
that advancing WTO reform and advancing discussions on the moratorium on
customs duties on electronic transmissions were considered among key priorities
for businesses.
Trade for development partnerships
At the
Aid-for-Trade session of the Committee on Trade and Development held on 7 July,
members discussed partnerships for trade development.
One
of the successes highlighted was the ten-year partnership between
the Asian Development Bank and Australia, which has helped to unlock over USD 60
billion in trade and supply chain activity, including through support that enabled
Samoa to export dried cocoa to Japan.
Australia
also highlighted how it is working with the World Bank to help developing economies,
including Timor-Leste and other LDCs, implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
A total of AUD 11.2 million (about USD 7.8 million) in sales to Europe were generated
for small businesses in Pacific Island countries through a partnership with Pacific
Trade Invest Europe.
Members
also received an update on the implementation of the WTO Fish Fund. Out of USD 20 million
in members' contributions, USD 5 million has been committed to support over 40 developing
economies, including LDCs, implement the WTO's Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
The next call for proposals for project grants is planned for early 2027. Iceland
shared its experience in leveraging a sustainable fisheries management system for
Iceland's economic development. Iceland is one of the 18 members to have contributed
to the Fund and a member of the Fund's Steering Committee.
As part of the Global Review preparations, the Chair congratulated members
on putting forward over 20
success stories and 20 sessions for the Review. "One common thread across
all stories is how tailor-made, context specific, co-created interventions offer
practical solutions to trade challenges
of producers, entrepreneurs and exporters in developing economies, including LDCs,"
he noted. The stories will feature in a joint OECD-WTO "Success stories magazine"
to be published during the Review.
Members also examined preliminary findings from the OECD-WTO joint report
to be released during the Review. OECD data show that while Aid for Trade disbursements
grew by 8 per cent between 2006 and 2015, they only grew by 1 per cent between 2015
and 2024 due to competing priorities for public spending. The role of infrastructure
financing, energy transition, digitalization and transport corridors in driving
economic growth was emphasized. The importance of safeguarding concessional finance,
namely development assistance provided on preferential terms by WTO members and
development partners, was highlighted, together with the need to leverage private
finance and other resources to meet the growing needs of developing economies. Concessional
finance include grants and low-interest loans, particularly
for LDCs. In 2024, USD 66 billion was mobilized in private finance.
Discussions brought to the fore that over the past 20 years, developing
economies' share in world's merchandise exports expanded from 38 per cent in 2006
to 48 per cent in 2024, while their share of global commercial services increased
from one quarter to one third. At the same time, LDCs' share in global trade remains
around 1 per cent. It was also noted that the increased knowledge and experience
generated over the past 20 years has enabled developing economies - including LDCs
- to participate more effectively in the WTO's work.
The Chair also updated members on the experience-sharing session held on 20 April, which looked at ways of leveraging private sector
partnerships for trade. He said: "While official development assistance had
helped to set the foundations for increased partnerships, other sources of funding
and renewed partnership approaches will be necessary to address infrastructure gaps.
At the same time, concessional financing remains important for supporting trade
policy reforms and creating an enabling environment for trade and investment."
In the
WTO's Committee on Trade and Development meeting on 8 July, members discussed two
new proposals, one from Japan on trade as an engine for economic growth, and
another from China - co-sponsored by Comoros and Benin - on the integration of trade and investment for industrialization. Future
discussions on the proposals will build on members' practices and experiences and
related WTO work, such as on Aid for Trade.
Members
considered the latest reporting on special and differential (S&DT) measures
by the WTO Secretariat, which will be complemented by an update of S&DT measures
across WTO agreements and decisions at the next Committee meeting in October. Members
also discussed the WTO Technical Assistance Annual Report 2025 and
the Technical Assistance Evaluations Report 2025, highlighting
the resilience of technical assistance activities overall.
The
Dedicated Session on Small Economies met for the first time since the Work Programme
on Small Economies was considered at the 14th Ministerial Conference
(MC14) held in March. A dedicated session was organized in the Committee on Trade
Facilitation to discuss the specific vulnerabilities of small economies, such as
those related to trade logistics and traceability. Discussions on digital trade
in the context of the Work Programme were initiated.
In the
dedicated sessions on preferential trade arrangements and regional trade agreements
held on 8 July, members were updated on the status of factual presentations under
preparation by the WTO Secretariat. These presentations are used to facilitate the
consideration of regional trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements notified
by WTO members.
The
next Development Week is expected to take place from 26 to 30 October 2026.