Australia is contributing AUD 2.9 million (approximately CHF 2 million) to help developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) deepen their integration into the world economy. The grant to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) aims to assist countries in strengthening their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacities, enabling them to access global and regional markets more easily.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “I thank Australia for its generous support of developing countries and LDCs in tackling SPS-related challenges keeping agricultural producers out of global agricultural markets. This will benefit producers along regional and global value chains, helping them raise export revenues, incomes and living standards. The STDF will continue to deliver inclusive and safe trade solutions worldwide, with Australia’s ongoing support.”
Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell, said: “Australia’s AUD 2.9 million contribution to the STDF makes us one of the Facility’s most active supporters. The Australian Government is steadfast in its commitment to open and transparent agricultural markets. We are pleased to support developing and least-developed countries in the Indo-Pacific to integrate into and benefit from access to the multi-billion-dollar global agriculture market.”
Australia is extending its long-standing partnership with the STDF by committing AUD 2.9 million from 2022 to 2024 to help developing countries meet international food safety and health standards. The STDF will use Australia’s contribution to support the development and roll-out of innovative SPS projects across various sectors, countries and regions, to promote knowledge sharing, to foster collaboration among partners and to strengthen monitoring and evaluation of results.
Overall, Australia through its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has contributed close to CHF 18 million to various WTO trust funds since 2002, including CHF 2.2 million to the STDF, not including this latest disbursement.
Developing countries, including in the Pacific and beyond, are encouraged to apply to the STDF for project and project preparation grants. The next deadline for submission of funding proposals is 12 August 2022. Information on how to apply is available here. To date, the STDF has funded more than 230 projects benefiting LDCs and other developing countries.
The contribution by Australia will also strengthen the STDF’s coordination platform, connecting diverse stakeholders across agriculture, health, trade and development to share experiences, find opportunities for collaboration and promote a more coherent approach to SPS capacity development.
The STDF is a global multi-stakeholder partnership to facilitate safe and inclusive trade, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO, which houses and manages the partnership. The STDF responds to evolving needs, drives inclusive trade and contributes to sustainable economic growth, food security and poverty reduction, in support of the United Nations’ Global Goals.
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