PRESS/39
12January 1996
WTO AND UNCTAD INCREASE JOINT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE EFFORTS
Mr. Renato Ruggiero, Director General ofthe World Trade Organization, and
Mr.Rubens Ricupero, Secretary-General oftheUNConference onTrade andDevelopment, yesterday
chaired thefirst high-level meeting aimed atenhancing cooperation between thetwoSecretariats.
Mr.J.Denis Bélisle, Executive Director oftheInternational Trade Centre, alsoparticipated.
Theoverall objective ofthisnew approach tocollaboration between trade policy andtrade
promotion experts inthethree organizations istoassist developing countries, andespecially theleast-
developed among them, tointegrate themselves effectively intothemultilateral trading system andto
draw themaximum benefit from trade andinvestment opportunities.
Anumber ofmeasures have already been agreed toimprove theworking relationships among
theorganizations andothers willbeexplored infuture joint meetings. Thiswillbeachieved, inparticular,
through improved cooperation andcoordination intechnical assistance activities.
Mr.Ruggiero, accompanied byMr.Bélisle, willbegin avisittofourAfrican countries (Tunisia,
Côted'Ivoire, Ghana andKenya) nextweek, after which thethree institutions willconsider follow-up
actions.
END
96-0115