Aid for trade in a changing global context

Abstract

The launch of the Aid for Trade (AFT) initiative at the 2005 WTO Ministerial conference reflected a recognition that domestic supply constraints and high trade costs confronting firms in developing countries impeded full utilization of the opportunities offered by the global trade regime. An important underlying goal of the initiative was to bolster support for an open multilateral trading system. Geopolitical tensions, recurring major economic shocks, climate change and numerous regional conflicts have increased the salience of this goal, calling for AFT to complement assistance to individual recipient countries with a greater focus on support for multilateral cooperation.