Informal Meeting on Trade Capacity Building Workshops (03/12/2004)

The purpose of this informal  meeting, chaired by Eleanor Fuller, DFID, was to:

• Take stock of ongoing (donor/ multilateral agencies') initiatives to strengthen the implementation of trade capacity building;
• Assess the need for, and value added of, regional workshops as a means of mainstreaming trade into the poverty reduction strategy processes and support pro-poor growth approaches; and
• Agree on a plan for carrying them out.

Additional objectives of the meeting, based on the DAC Secretariat note, Current and Prospective Work on Trade and Development related Issues, were to (1) seek feedback and guidance from participants and DAC members on strategic directions for the DCD/DAC in this area, (2) assess the usefulness of establishing an informal donor Task Force on Trade and Development within the Secretariat and (3) make an appeal for voluntary contributions to maintain the work at current levels.