On October 1, 2004, GMF’s Trade & Development program, together with the Dutch government, held a high-level workshop on policy coherence, bringing together over 50 senior officials from industrial and developing countries, the major multilateral and international organizations, and leading foundations and non-governmental organizations.

Convening at GMF's Washington headquarters, the purpose of this meeting was to examine the policy coherence for development agenda (PCD) within the specific context of agriculture and migration, two topics that are of great importance to most developing nations. The broader context for the meeting was provided by a number of promising international developments, including the May 2004 meeting on PCD sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the July Framework agreement reached by the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the ongoing work of the United Nations with respect to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Participants examined the requirements of PCD in the context of both agriculture and migration, two topics that are of major importance to most developing nations. The German Marshall Fund will continue to sponsor similar events and to work to move policy coherence to the foreground in transatlantic policy circles.