The latest Annual Report of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), issued on 20 June, marks the 20th anniversary of the STDF, tracing how it has evolved into a robust knowledge network and partnership of stakeholders from the public and private sector.
The STDF is a global multi-stakeholder partnership aimed at facilitating safe and inclusive trade, established by the WTO together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group.
The report outlines the STDF’s crucial work in helping developing countries comply with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, which continue to pose significant barriers to agricultural trade.
The lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing challenges posed by global conflicts and climate change underscore the necessity of the STDF's work in promoting inclusive and sustainable development, the report underlines.
“The STDF is a concrete example of Aid for Trade in action, in an area that is of critical importance to developing countries, and their ability to participate in the global trading system. In 2023, the STDF Trust Fund received a record amount of US$ 9.7 million in contributions from donors, showing high trust in our work,” said Melvin Spreij, Head of the STDF Secretariat.
Demand for support remains high. In 2023, the STDF received over 140 project applications and successfully implemented improved food safety, animal, and plant health measures in 34 countries, enhancing SPS policies and market access linkages.
Developing countries also benefited from new approaches to promoting public-private partnerships, applying good regulatory practices, and prioritizing SPS investments.
The STDF's work on gender mainstreaming is seen by many STDF members as highly innovative and an inspiration for other organizations working in the SPS area.
“The STDF global partnership is recognized as having strong technical competence amongst its members and, during 2023, the Working Group showed its capacity to identify and express its inner qualities as we worked through our meeting agendas,” said Gillian Mylrea, Chair of the STDF Working Group.
