Technical Assistance Services in Trade-Policy : A contribution to the discussion on capacity-building in the WTO

Over the last six years, bilateral donors and multilateral agencies, including the World Trade Organization, have been mobilising increasingly more, though still limited, means for technical co-operation programmes in the field of trade policy. Considering the magnitude of needs in developing countries, particularly as we move towards new trade talks, and the limited amount of resources at disposal, the effectiveness of these programmes in delivering tangible results is becoming an issue of utmost importance. This study provides a short overview of policies and procedures used by major multilateral agencies when formulating, implementing and assessing capacity building programmes in the field of trade policy. The objective is not to advocate any specific model of technical co-operation but rather to pave the way for a much-needed international debate on trade policy related technical assistance. Based on the opinions of leading experts on capacity-building, the study thus evaluates the effectiveness of current technical assistance activities, and provides options for future programmes to implement the commitments for technical cooperation, made at the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha.