§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assistance they have provided to the poorest developing countries (a) within the African, Caribbean and Pacific group; and (b) in Asia specifically to support them during the World Trade Organisation trade negotiations in Seattle. [HL138]
§ Baroness AmosThe Government have committed over £15 million to trade-related capacity building programmes largely in relation to the next round of WTO trade negotiations.
Among countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group, the UK is supporting bilateral technical assistance programmes in Malawi (£0.25 million), South Africa (£0.1 million), Zimbabwe (£0.5 million) and the 14 CARICOM countries in the Caribbean (£ 1.1 million). In Asia, assistance has been provided to Bangladesh (£0.56 million). This technical assistance comprises advice, studies and training in trade policy and negotiating skills.
ACP and Asian countries also benefit from UK contributions to multilateral advisory and capacity building programmes managed by the WTO, UNCTAD, the World Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat. These are designed to prepare developing countries to participate in the new round of WTO trade negotiations, seminars on key issues for the WTO negotiations, training for trade policy officials and a handbook for trade negotiators from developing countries.
A full list of UK support for these activities has been placed in the Library of the House.