§ 25. Dr. IddonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to enhance developing countries' capacity to trade. [14170]
§ Clare ShortWe are at the forefront of efforts to enhance developing countries' capacity to trade. In the White Paper on Globalisation we undertook to double our commitment over the next three years. We have recently pledged a £20 million package of trade related capacity 315W building which will take us towards this goal. The capacity of developing countries to trade can be enhanced through five distinct forms of support: policy research and trade strategy development, participatory policy formulation processes, co-ordination of trade policy with national development strategies, participation in international trade negotiations and implementation of trade agreements.
We are providing trade related technical assistance through three main channels. The first is institutional support—for example. the advisory centre on WTO law, which provides legal support to developing countries pursuing cases in the dispute settlement mechanism. The second is support through multilateral institutions—for example, working with the World Bank, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, United Nations Development Programme, World Trade Organisation and International Trade Centre to prioritise trade within development programmes and strategies. The third is bilateral and regional support, for example, DFID' s Africa Trade and Poverty programme which aims to help developing countries analyse the linkages between trade, poverty and sustainable economic and social development.