• Aid for trade

Aid for trade

As the Aid for Trade (AFT) initiative of the World Trade Organization (WTO) gathers steam, there are some essential next steps that need to be taken. However, this article raises concerns that the report of the Task Force on AFT is generally silent on the institutional and legal architecture for administering the AFT.

Without an institutional and legal framework and a monitoring and enforcement mechanism, the article warns, it is unlikely that the commendable goals of the AFT will be realised. This framework should ensure: additionality of money; respect to recipient countries’ development priority, trade policy and negotiating positions; and transparency and predictability. Unless such a framework is developed, there is a risk that the AFT could be used to compromise on the real developmental issue of the Doha Round: the creation of a fair and balanced trading system.

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