By 2005 the trade community faced pressure to increase the development focus of its agenda and provide tangible benefits to developing countries. At the same time, the aid community was looking for avenues to efficiently and effectively disburse growing aid budgets and demonstrate greater long-term impacts from funded projects. Aid for trade suited the political economy in which both groups found themselves. There has been a significant and welcome step forward by the international community towards a greater understanding of the complex relationship between trade liberalisation and economic development in poorer countries.