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Rationale

The STDF grew out of a joint communiqué issued by the Heads of FAO, OIE, World Bank, WHO and WTO at the Doha Ministerial Conference in November 2001. In the communiqué, the five organizations agreed to jointly explore new technical and financial mechanisms for coordination and resource mobilization and to build alliances between standard setting bodies and the implementing and financing agencies, so as to ensure the most effective use of technical and financial resources.

The five organizations formally established the STDF in August 2002 as a partnership and a trust fund with seed funding from the World Bank and WTO. On 10 September 2004, the partners formally adopted a Business Plan explaining the organization and operation of the Facility. Membership of the STDF was further expanded in 2005 to include representatives of donors and developing countries. In 2007, observer status was granted to various organizations with SPS expertise or implementing SPS-related technical assistance projects.

Two independent evaluations of the STDF have been undertaken to date. The first one was completed in December 2005 (STDF-76) and led to the adoption of a Medium Term Strategy for the period 2007-2011. The second evaluation was completed in November 2008. It judged STDF’s overall performance "to be good and in many important areas very good" and highlighted that STDF carries out an important role that no other organization would be able to accomplish (STDF-248).

Based on the recommendations of the evaluation, in December 2008 the STDF Policy Committee agreed on a revised set of Operational Rules for the Facility. In December 2009, the Policy Committee agreed on a new Operating Plan for 2010 and 2011.

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Site Last Updated on February, 2009