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15
A critical assessment of Third
Global Review of Aid for Trade
Introduc� on
–Paras Kharel
The Aid for Trade (AfT) ini� a� ve was launched under the aegis of the
World Trade Organiza� on (WTO) in 2005 in response to the inability of
developing countries in general and least-developed countries (LDCs) in
par� cular to take advantage of increased market access opportuni� es on
account of their supply-side constraints and the ineff ec� veness of previous
trade-related technical assistance and capacity building programmes at
the mul� lateral level in helping address the core trade-related supply-side
constraints facing these countries.
Six years into the implementa� on of the AfT ini� a� ve, a robust and
comprehensive monitoring and evalua� on mechanism is yet to be in place.
Three major mul� lateral (offi cial) pla� orms/ mechanisms are being used for
the monitoring and evalua� on of AfT. First, the Organisa� on for Economic Coopera�
on and Development (OECD) and the WTO jointly publish an annual
report � tled Aid for Trade at a Glance, which analyses AfT fl ows based on
the OECD's Creditor Repor� ng System (CRS) database and broad qualita� ve
trends in AfT based on ques� onnaires fi lled out by recipient countries, and
unveil the report for wider discussions at periodic intervals. Second, on a
pilot basis, both donors and partners are including a sec� on on AfT in their
respec� ve trade policy review documents. Third, periodic discussions on AfT
issues take place at the regular sessions on Aid for Trade within the Trade
and Development Commi� ee of the WTO. Following cri� cism of the largely
Changing paradigms of aid eff ec� veness in Nepal 173