France is donating a total of EUR 4.5 million (CHF 5 million) to finance technical assistance programmes and training activities for developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) over a period of three years (2018, 2019 and 2020). This amount will be directed to five funds housed by the WTO.
The Chairs Programme will receive each year EUR 50,000 (CHF 56,000) aimed at supporting and promoting the knowledge and understanding of the multilateral trading system through universities and research institutions in developing countries and LDCs. To date, 19 WTO chairs are undertaking curriculum development, research and outreach activities.
The Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund will benefit from EUR 400,000 (CHF 450,000) each year to finance training workshops for officials in Geneva and elsewhere to help them better understand and implement WTO agreements and to take part in multilateral trade negotiations.
A yearly amount of EUR 150,000 (CHF 170,000) will be allocated to the Standards and Trade Development to help developing countries and LDCs implement food safety, animal health and plant health standards and improve their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity.
Another annual contribution of EUR 800,000 (CHF 900,000) will be directed to the internship programme sponsored by France and Ireland and aimed at assisting the permanent missions of developing countries in Geneva.
The Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility will receive an annual contribution of EUR 100,000 (CHF 113,000) to help developing countries and LDCs implement the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and to support the objective of full implementation of the Agreement by all WTO members.
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: "France's contribution is very welcome as it will help to strengthen the trading and negotiating capacity of developing countries and LDCs over the next three years. It shows the importance that France attaches to helping poorer countries benefit fully from global trade and further integrate into the world economy."
The Permanent Representative of France, Jean-Marie Paugam, said: “Trade-related technical assistance is a crucial way of helping developing countries and least-developed countries integrate more fully into the multilateral trading system. France is pleased to be renewing its financial commitment, which has already allowed 194 interns from these countries to work in their permanent missions in Geneva and to strengthen their knowledge of global trading issues."
Since 2000, France has contributed approximately EUR 25 million (just over CHF 22 million) to WTO trust funds.
Source: World Trade Organization

Samson Ogbole is trying to solve a problem many aren't aware exists. In his native Nigeria there is a shortage of land needed to provide food for its ever-growing population of 190 million.
There are only 30 million hectares of farmland under cultivation in Nigeria annually, short of the estimated 78.5 million needed for food production, according to the International Trade Administration of the United States.
It is this significant problem that Ogbole is tackling with an unconventional method of farming that involves growing crops in the air. Aeroponics, as this method is known as, is a process of growing plants in the air without the use of soil.
Ogbole first got involved in soilless farming in 2014, and two years later founded PS Nutraceuticals, a company that "implements cutting edge agricultural technologies for efficiency in food production to ensure food security."
"Soilless growing entails removing the soil component, bringing in substitutes, and applying fertilizer to enable the plants to grow," Ogbole says.
The advantages of this innovation are manifold, according to Ogbole. "Growing without soil means you can grow [crops] any time of the year," he adds.
"With soilless farming we have been able to push for what you call urban farming, where we now have farms in cities such that we are able to cut off the middlemen and marketers," he says.
"And with soilless farming we have been able to eliminate the pathogens that exist in the soil that naturally affect these crops."
Only 46% of Nigerian soil is fertile to grow crops, according to him, and as such the country must take a step towards self-sustainability in food production, as he believes the "war of the future will be fought through agriculture."
It's therefore imperative, he says, that technology plays a more prominent role in agriculture for a variety of reasons.
"We're bringing in technology into agriculture so that the youth can actually see this as a viable option," Ogbole says.
"We also want to ensure that food production is no longer seasonal, and we're also bringing in smart sensor technologies into agriculture so that you're able to get feedback from your plants."
As a child Ogbole wanted to be a doctor, but now armed with a degree in biochemistry, a master's degree, and a PhD, he wants to lead Nigeria on the path to increased food production.
"The future of the economy is dependent on the few people who have bright ideas, that can think outside the box for us to latch on," he says. "Money does not solve problems; ideas, solve problems."
Ogbole is now involved in programs to encourage youths to engage in agriculture, based on the belief that "people will always eat."
"Food will not go out of style, so this is one sector that will always remain relevant because people must eat," he says.
Source: CNN

At a meeting of the Council for Trade in Services (CTS) on 7 December, WTO members agreed to hold a dedicated meeting in the second or third quarter of 2019 to review how WTO members are making use of the Services Waiver that allows them to grant more favourable treatment to service suppliers in least developed countries (LDCs). The CTS chair, Ambassador Alfredo Suescum of Panama, will hold informal consultations in early 2019 to discuss how the dedicated session might unfold and agree on a specific date.

Recalling the Nairobi Waiver Decision, LDCs invited members to seize this opportunity to engage in an information sharing exercise, including on how to build awareness of how LDCs benefit from the waiver and how to increase access to LDC suppliers of services. LDCs underlined the importance of carrying out an information sharing exercise which will allow them to showcase their experiences as beneficiaries, and stressed that the dedicated discussion will not in any case replace the standing item on the CTS agenda with respect to the LDC Services Waiver.
Many of the WTO members providing preferential treatment to LDC services suppliers stressed the need for the discussion to take a broad approach, extending beyond the preferences permitted under the waiver. They said that the exchange of information should cover the full scope of trade opportunities available to LDC service suppliers. Moreover, they called for the information sharing to be flexible and in no way compulsory, based on a balanced engagement from all members, including the LDCs.
Other matters
The United States reiterated its concerns in relation to existing and proposed cybersecurity measures by China as they would allegedly restrict cross-border transfers of information and require the localization of data in China. According to the US, China’s proposed legal approach to cybersecurity requires a burdensome security assessment for transfers of any data Chinese government officials consider to be "important data". This would almost imply explicit consent by the owner of the information before any cross-border transfer can take place, said the United States.
The US pointed out the provision in China's cybersecurity framework that any "important data" or "personal information" that operators of critical information infrastructure collect or generate in China must be stored in China. All these elements combined could disrupt, deter and, in many cases, prohibit cross-border transfers of information in the ordinary course of business, according to the US. Japan, the European Union, New Zealand, Canada and Chinese Taipei echoed these concerns.
China noted that it had already supplied detailed answers in the last CTS meeting in October. However, it took the floor to state that the implementing measures of the Cybersecurity Law are still being drafted while the Chinese authorities receive suggestions from various interested parties with a view to designing their policies on this matter in a more scientific and reasonable manner and creating an orderly market environment for both domestic and foreign enterprises.
After stressing that ensuring cybersecurity was a difficult challenge that all members face, China underlined that enhanced cybersecurity measures are essential for protecting national security, public interest and the rights of citizens, legal persons and other organizations, and that these measures are in line with relevant WTO rules.
The United States and Japan also reiterated their concerns with regard to existing and proposed cybersecurity measures by Viet Nam. They underlined that service suppliers in data-intensive sectors depend on cross-border data flows and often rely on data centres that cannot economically be replicated in every market they serve; as such, they should not be subject to data localization and local presence requirements. These delegations' concerns were shared by the European Union, New Zealand, Canada and Chinese Taipei.
The Vietnamese delegate noted that the National Assembly had carefully considered all comments before passing the law at issue, which had been adopted in pursuit of the legitimate policy objective of ensuring cybersecurity and in strict adherence to Viet Nam's WTO obligations. Relevant implementing regulations were being drafted in an open and transparent manner, and had been already revised in light of the concerns raised, Viet Nam said.
Working Party on Domestic Regulation
The CTS was preceded by a meeting of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation (WPDR) on 5 December 2018, where members discussed a proposal by India to develop regulatory disciplines on measures relating to the temporary entry of natural persons, also known as "mode 4".
The proposal includes making measures relating to licensing, qualification and technical standards affecting mode 4 trade more transparent and facilitative. To this end, the proposal suggests enhanced publication requirements, streamlined procedures for licensing and qualifications, and adequate procedures to ensure that natural persons who are qualified outside a member's territory are permitted to supply services to another member.
Many members highlighted the importance of easing access to markets through mode 4 to create meaningful commercial opportunities in services. In particular, developing countries emphasized that reducing trade barriers created by such measures would help them use trade to better meet their development objectives. In addition, they underlined the need for special and differential provisions for developing members. These include, for example, adequate transitional periods, reduced administrative fees and technical assistance for services suppliers from developing countries.
In addition, Korea reported the adoption of non-binding disciplines on domestic regulation at a meeting of APEC ministers in Papua New Guinea held in November 2018.
Source: World Trade Organization