The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global programme in capacity building and technical assistance to assist developing countries in trade and SPS measures. It has been established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The strategic aim of the STDF is to assist developing countries enhance their expertise and capacity to analyze and to implement international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, improving their human, animal and plant health situation, and thus ability to gain and maintain market access. In addition to facilitating international trade, SPS capacity building, notably in the area of food safety, can result in improved health conditions for local markets and so favour economic and social development.

The STDF is both a financing and a co-ordinating mechanism. It provides grant financing for developing countries seeking to comply with international SPS standards and hence gain or maintain market access. It also provides a forum for dialogue on SPS technical assistance issues among its five partner organizations and interested donors.

The STDF website is available in English, French and Spanish.
For more info : http://www.standardsfacility.org [1]/