© International
Trade Centre, International Trade Forum - Issue 2/2003
TC's achievements in the last 15 months give a
taste of what is to come.
In a changing environment for trade-related technical
assistance, ITC's recent achievements in trade development helped
it crystallize its vision for the future. This vision rests on
growing in its niche specializations, providing innovative
technical assistance and working towards ever-greater impact in the
field - all the while emphasizing working partnerships with other
key players and maximizing efficiency.
Highlights from 2002
A full rundown of ITC activities during the year is contained in
the Annual Report 2002. Below are a selection. In 2002, ITC:
- began the full-scale implementation of its Export-led Poverty
Reduction Programme to support community initiatives and facilitate
the replication of success stories at the national level and in
other countries. ITC is now engaged in ten countries and eager to
be present in more;
- launched the second phase of its effective and popular
South-South Trade Promotion Programme;
- inaugurated a new technical support activity, the ITC
Competitiveness Tools Fair;
- established an E-trade Unit to coordinate e-facilitated trade
development strategy thanks to an increase in its regular
budget;
- produced the first-ever model joint venture contract for use by
small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries and
economies in transition. Fifty top lawyers from all over the world
donated their time for this purpose;
- increased its field-level support under the Integrated
Framework. It is now implementing national projects in seven of the
19 IF countries; and
- completed the pilot phase of its programme to help export
services. ITC can now rely on a solid technical foundation to
launch a broader programme, which could become a centre of growth
of technical cooperation activities.
To a large extent, ITC's performance was due to donors' positive
response and to constructive, open dialogue with beneficiaries and
donors. Credit also goes to ITC's staff, who responded to the
challenge of meeting higher delivery targets, continued to generate
new ideas and combined entrepreneurship with teamwork.
A glimpse at 2003
At its annual meeting in April, ITC reported on developments
from the start of 2003, including that it:
- helped launch the second phase of JITAP, thanks to the
Governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden,
which have already pledged half the total budget required to
implement this four-year programme. The number of beneficiary
countries will double to 16 under the initial phase of JITAP
II;
- initiated "Business for Cancún" to reinforce public-private
sector partnerships in preparation for the September 2003 WTO
Ministerial Conference. With the involvement of WTO and UNCTAD
specialists, ITC held regional workshops in Asia, southern Africa,
Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and West
Africa, prior to the Cancún Ministerial Conference;
- launched the pilot phase of a new multi-million dollar
programme, "Building African Capacity for Trade". Initially
covering four African countries, and eventually up to ten more,
this 'joint venture' with the Trade Facilitation Office of Canada
supports the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
Market Access Initiative, with proven trade promotion tools, and
complements IF and JITAP efforts admirably well;
- began a programme of national export strategy development in
partnership with public-private sector strategy design teams in
Jamaica, Kenya, St. Lucia and Sri Lanka;
- introduced the financial applications of the UN-developed
Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). Designed to
maximize efficiency and transparency and to ensure accountability,
IMIS is the only reporting system now used throughout ITC. The
system calls for comprehensive changes in workflows and was
successfully adopted by ITC staff; and
- completed the initial stage of revamping its web site, to make
it more accessible. ITC is strengthening the site to make it more
useful to French- and Spanish-speaking clientele. It is committed
to ensuring that ITC technical assistance is effectively delivered
through 'cyber-collaboration' everywhere appropriate.
Staying on target
To maintain its target of 20% average annual growth in delivery
in 2003 and 2004, ITC needs to work on clear assumptions and take
concrete steps. It has to assume that extra-budgetary resources and
regular budget will grow consequently and in a timely manner, and
it needs to have specific ideas on the activities it proposes to
undertake.
ITC has a 'shopping list' that includes national and regional
projects, the expansion of some programmes in higher demand and
some special undertakings.
For instance, it seeks to enlarge its World Tr@de Net Programme,
adapt the companion Business for Cancún initiative on the basis of
the Cancún Ministerial Conference results and combine them with the
popular TradeMaps series and quality management programmes in a
Competitiveness Package for SMEs.
ITC will fulfil, and, hopefully, exceed its commitments under
the second phase of JITAP and the IF.
It wishes to exploit the full potential of its nascent
programmes on national export strategy, export of services and
export-led poverty reduction.
It wants to better understand the contribution it could make to
the marketing of tourism in developing and transition economies
which are selecting that route to compensate for their limited
supply of goods for exports. ITC is studying this potential with
the World Tourism Organization.
In addition, it is working on large initiatives which will
unfold in the months ahead:
- With the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
(seco) of Switzerland and Bancomext of Mexico, ITC
is preparing for the next Executive Forum which, exceptionally,
will move from Montreux, Switzerland to Cancún and be held under
the theme of "Business for Development" in the three days
immediately preceding the WTO Ministerial Conference.
- In association with InfoDev of the World Bank and
seco, ITC is working on a practical contribution
to the World Summit on the Information Society meeting to be held
in Geneva in December 2003.
- With the Malta External Trade Corporation, ITC will co-host the
fifth World Conference of Trade Promotion Organizations in Malta in
October 2004.
Towards ITC's 40th anniversary
Finally, ITC is sketching out ideas to celebrate its 40th
anniversary next year. It would like to use the occasion to thank
those who have helped to build ITC and, looking to the future, to
put in place a lasting contribution to trade development.
In this context, ITC is looking into launching a Trade
Fellowship Programme for young staff members of trade support
institutions in developing and transition economies. For years, ITC
has run a popular internship programme. However, almost all interns
are from the North due to the high cost of coming to and living in
Geneva. One dream for ITC's 40th anniversary is to associate with
others to set up a programme to award short-term fellowships to
young trade leaders from developing and transition economies who
could develop homegrown solutions to their trade development
challenges. ITC invites interested parties to help realize this
dream.
ITC still has a lot to learn, but at 39 years of age, it has
matured into a lean and confident organization. It looks to its
partners to make plans, together, to add to the old adage that
"life begins at 40".
This article is adapted from J. Denis Bélisle's opening
statement at the 36th session of the Joint Advisory Group on the
International Trade Centre, on 28 April 2003.