<p>The report was jointly prepared by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It was released today.<br /><br />"Asia now ranks as the second largest regional recipient, with USD 15.4 billion (38 per cent of total flows)," it said.<br /><br />However, Aid-for-Trade (AfT) flows to India declined in 2009 from a high of USD 3.4 billion in 2008.<br /><br />"So far, Vietnam has received maximum assistance under AfT, while its other leading beneficiaries include Uganda, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and China, among others," it added.<br /><br />AfT was conceived at the WTO's sixth ministerial meeting in Hong Kong with an aim to help countries facing structural and capacity-building constraints.<br /><br />"AfT is acting as a catalyst for the private sector and it remains unaffected by the global crisis," said Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza, the WTO's Deputy Director General.<br />"Private sector must play a dominant role in AfT projects in infrastructure and logistics," she added.<br /><br />Ahead of the third global AfT review at the WTO, beginning Wednesday, the report attempts to showcase the positive spin-offs arising from the growing commitments to prioritising trade-related infrastructure.<br /><br />"In 2009, Aid-for-Trade commitments reached approximately USD 40 billion, a 60 per cent increase from the 2002-05 baseline period," the report said and suggested that "other official flows (OOF) doubled, reaching USD 51 billion in 2009, a likely reflection of the donor response to the global economic crisis."<br /><br />Even as Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations remain inconclusive and Europe faces a financial crisis, it said, "Disbursements have been increasing at a constant growth rate of between 11-12 per cent for each year since 2006, reaching USD 29 billion in 2009, indicating that past commitments are being met."<br /><br />With the industrialised countries caught in grave fiscal and budgetary crises, the South-South assistance for AfT offers a window of opportunity, the WTO official said, adding that capacity building and creating new physical infrastructure is essential to realise the advantages of trade liberalisation.</p>
<p>The report was jointly prepared by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It was released today.<br /><br />"Asia now ranks as the second largest regional recipient, with USD 15.4 billion (38 per cent of total flows)," it said.<br /><br />However, Aid-for-Trade (AfT) flows to India declined in 2009 from a high of USD 3.4 billion in 2008.<br /><br />"So far, Vietnam has received maximum assistance under AfT, while its other leading beneficiaries include Uganda, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and China, among others," it added.<br /><br />AfT was conceived at the WTO's sixth ministerial meeting in Hong Kong with an aim to help countries facing structural and capacity-building constraints.<br /><br />"AfT is acting as a catalyst for the private sector and it remains unaffected by the global crisis," said Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza, the WTO's Deputy Director General.<br />"Private sector must play a dominant role in AfT projects in infrastructure and logistics," she added.<br /><br />Ahead of the third global AfT review at the WTO, beginning Wednesday, the report attempts to showcase the positive spin-offs arising from the growing commitments to prioritising trade-related infrastructure.<br /><br />"In 2009, Aid-for-Trade commitments reached approximately USD 40 billion, a 60 per cent increase from the 2002-05 baseline period," the report said and suggested that "other official flows (OOF) doubled, reaching USD 51 billion in 2009, a likely reflection of the donor response to the global economic crisis."<br /><br />Even as Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations remain inconclusive and Europe faces a financial crisis, it said, "Disbursements have been increasing at a constant growth rate of between 11-12 per cent for each year since 2006, reaching USD 29 billion in 2009, indicating that past commitments are being met."<br /><br />With the industrialised countries caught in grave fiscal and budgetary crises, the South-South assistance for AfT offers a window of opportunity, the WTO official said, adding that capacity building and creating new physical infrastructure is essential to realise the advantages of trade liberalisation.</p>