Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

                Director-General                                      

5 May 2023

Dear Ambassadors/Permanent Representatives,

I am enclosing the latest version of the Evolving Table on Cotton Development Assistance (WT/CFMC/6/Rev.34) for review by Members in advance of the next Round of the Director‑General's Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton (DGCFMC), scheduled for 17 May 2023 and starting at 9 a.m.

The enclosed Evolving Table (ET) contains updates by Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, Mozambique, Netherlands, and Thailand. In addition, the document includes updates on projects implemented by the Common Fund for Commodities.

The total number of active projects under Part I "Cotton-specific development assistance" currently stands at 31 (up from 29 in the previous revision). As regards Part II "Agriculture and Infrastructure-Related Development Assistance", there are 37 active projects.

Part III of the ET lists cotton focal points from developing country Members, with updates received from Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Mozambique.

Part IV of the ET compiles cotton-related development assistance requests submitted by developing country Members. A total of eleven project requests have been submitted by Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Mali, and the C-4 as a group, for consideration.

I also refer you to the 21^st version of the Table on Domestic Cotton Sector Reforms (WT/CFMC/21/Rev.20) which contains updates received from Burkina Faso and Mali.

The 39^th Round of the DGCFMC will be held on 17 May 2023, starting at 9 a.m. The nineteenth Dedicated Discussion of the Relevant Trade-related Developments on Cotton will take place in the morning of 16 May 2023.

The enclosed document will form the basis for the 39^th Round of Consultations of the DGCFMC.

Yours sincerely,

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala