Roberto Azevêdo
Director-General
8 June 2018
Dear
Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives,
I am enclosing the latest version of the
Evolving Table on Cotton Development Assistance (WT/CFMC/6/Rev.24) for review
by Members in advance of the next Round of the Director‑General's Consultative
Framework Mechanism on Cotton (DGCFMC).
The updated version of the Evolving
Table (ET) contains new contributions from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the EU, Germany,
Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States, as well as from the
CFC, ITC, UNCTAD and the World Bank. Of particular significance is the support and
contributions from Brazil, China, India and Pakistan on the platform of
South-South Co‑operation.
I am pleased to report that the
figures in the latest version of the ET show that project turnover has continued,
thus ensuring a steady level of cotton-specific development assistance. The total
number and value of projects listed in Part
I ("Cotton Specific Development Assistance") has remained stable,
while the ratio of disbursements to commitments has decreased, due to the
inclusion of three new projects and the completion of several projects. As
regards Part II ("Agriculture
and Infrastructure-Related Development Assistance"), there has been a
significant decrease in the total number and value of projects, due to the
deletion of former incorrectly notified projects and the completion of several
other projects.
The following can be highlighted with
regards to project commitments and disbursements in the latest version of the ET:
·
Part I on Active Cotton-Specific Development Assistance Projects shows
stability in both the number of African and other beneficiaries (31 in total)
and that of active projects (26 in total). The total value of
committed amounts has increased to US$204.2 million. Disbursements decreased
slightly, to US$96.7 million, with the ratio of total disbursements to
total commitments decreasing to 47%.
·
Part II on Active Agriculture and Infrastructure-Related Development Assistance
Projects registers a decrease in the total number of projects (down to 48
from 63 previously). Consequently, the total value of commitments decreased
to US$2.8 billion, with disbursement flows decreasing to US$976 million. These
decreases are due to (i) the completion of a several projects and (ii) the
deletion of projects which had been incorrectly notified under Part II. This
downward revision is a sign of transparency and effective monitoring.
. /.
Updates
on Part III of the Evolving Table, which
contains the coordinates of national
cotton sector focal points established by assistance beneficiaries, have been
received from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. I strongly encourage other
beneficiaries to share updates on Part III.
I am also attaching the 16th
version of the Table on Domestic Cotton Sector Reforms (WT/CFMC/21/Rev.15),
reflecting new contributions from Burkina Faso.
The 29th Round of the
DGCFMC will be held in the morning of 19 June 2018. The ninth
Dedicated Discussion of the Relevant Trade-related Developments on Cotton, chaired
by Ambassador John Ford, will take place, back-to-back with the 29th
Round, in the afternoon of the same day.
The enclosed documents will form the
basis for the 29th Round of Consultations of the Consultative
Framework Mechanism on Cotton, which will be chaired by DDG Alan Wm. Wolff on
my behalf.
Yours
sincerely,
Roberto
Azevêdo