PRESS RELEASE

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Australia Contributes Aud 4 Million To Facilitate Safe Trade In Developing Countries

Australia is contributing AUD 4 million (approximately CHF 2.1 million) through the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to help developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) access the benefits of global agriculture markets.

This contribution will play an important role in supporting the STDF to deliver initiatives under its 2025–2030 Strategy "Facilitating Safe Trade to Meet the Global Goals" which aim to strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity in developing countries, deepen their integration into open and transparent markets, and enable them to participate more fully in international trade.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: "We're grateful for Australia's ongoing support in helping farmers and small businesses to improve their capacity to meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards in export markets. This in turn creates new possibilities for sales regionally and around the world, contributing to income growth and job creation. Australia is a long-time supporter of the STDF, and this latest contribution is a welcome reaffirmation of its commitment to the important work of the STDF and its vision of promoting sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and food security."

"Australia is proud of its partnership with the STDF," said Australia’s Permanent Representative to the WTO, Ambassador James Baxter, "As an agricultural exporter and island nation, Australia is keenly aware of how important it is for countries to be able to access the WTO SPS Agreement. The SPS Agreement remains a critical global framework for balancing trade facilitation, public health and environmental protection. The STDF provides vital and trusted technical assistance and capacity- building support to developing and least-developed countries in our region and globally. I commend the STDF’s collaborative, science-based approach, which is helping beneficiary countries to curb the spread of pests and diseases and enhancing their access to international agricultural markets."

Australia’s latest contribution builds on a long-standing partnership with the STDF. Through its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia has contributed more than CHF 21,284,200 to WTO trust funds over the past 20 years, including CHF 4,230,383 to the STDF, not counting this latest disbursement.

Australia’s engagement in the STDF reinforces its commitment to building resilient, inclusive SPS systems through public-private collaboration, leveraging innovation and regional partnerships to support safe trade and sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific and globally.

In addition to shaping the STDF's strategic direction through participation in the STDF Working Group, Australia is actively involved in several STDF initiatives on the ground. This includes collaboration in ongoing projects to strengthen the apiculture industry in the Pacific, where women and youth play key roles, and to pilot innovative, scalable approaches for food safety audit and inspection that benefit regional partners and global trade systems.

Developing countries are encouraged to apply to the STDF for project and project preparation grants. Information on how to apply is available here. To date, the STDF has funded more than 260 projects benefiting developing countries, including LDCs and Small Island Developing States.

The STDF is a global, multi-stakeholder partnership that promotes safe and inclusive trade. It was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the WTO, which houses and manages the partnership.

In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the STDF responds to evolving SPS needs, drives inclusive trade and contributes to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction, food security and resilience to climate change.

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