Enhancing companies’ ability to trade is a key element of national development agendas. In recent years, Aid for Trade has become the main vehicle for such investment in developing economies.
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The Third Global Review of Aid for Trade was a successful exploration and examination of the successes and challenges of the six-year Aid for Trade initiative. Initiated to aid developing countries in expanding their supply-side and productive capacity...
The private sector is a key partner in fostering economic development through investments in new businesses, creating jobs and providing an innovative range of goods and services. All these activities have potential benefits for the least developed and...
Ten years ago, China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). Its membership and integration into the world economy had a huge – and hugely underestimated – positive impact on global prosperity. Consumers gained from less expensive imports and, more...
When I opened the 31st formal, and final, Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO, jubilation and excitement were in the air. It was among the most eagerly awaited events at the WTO, bringing to a close 18 years of talks between...
I met Judith, heading up her household in Monze, on a recent trip to southern Zambia to see first-hand the type of projects that the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) programme is looking to support in the dairy sector. It was both humbling and inspiring...
The potential of the private sector to reduce poverty is well recognized; however, this has not been evident in the fashion industry. Fashion is one of the most globalized sectors, providing employment to more than 60 million people, mainly women and...
Three years after the financial crisis, the global economy remains weak, and fears of another recession persist. The euro zone debt crisis, a slowdown in the United States economy and volatile food and energy prices threaten to send shockwaves around...
Women are a significant force in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a forum for 21 Pacific-rim countries and the primary vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic cooperation in the region. Despite advances made since the first APEC...
Just 100,000 people live within the Republic of Kiribati’s 3.5 million square kilometre territory in the South Pacific. Kiribati is one of the most remote countries in the world, thousands of kilometres from major ports such as Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo....
Asia’s coming of age has been the development story of the past 40 years. The reasons for this are varied, but some of the more significant factors have been knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and increased economic integration and cooperation...
In the 1960s and 1970s, the informal economy was widely expected to shrink with economic growth. Yet in spite of strong global growth and a massive increase in international trade, informal activity appears all the more pervasive. It is now estimated...
While certain proponents of global free trade may disagree, regional trade blocs offer a compelling model for economic development. By removing barriers to trade within a region – harmonizing regulation to enable the free flow of goods, services and...
Measuring the impact of Aid for Trade (A4T) development programmes, and analysing how they might have been implemented differently to achieve better results, is fundamental. High-quality monitoring and evaluation (M&E) provides insights that can lead...
It has taken several centuries for laws to change in ways that support women’s equal right to lead countries and corporations – to the benefit of the global economy.
The story of Art Atlas Peru is proof that shrewd business and a commitment to social welfare can go hand in hand. Art Atlas Peru is an ecological and socially driven enterprise that produces sweaters and cardigans from the highest quality natural fibres,...
ITC’s Cotton Development Initiative uses South-South cooperation to make Africa a stronger competitor in the international cotton trade. It has two major focus areas: facilitating learning and collaboration with countries that have successfully built...
Cotton is one success of Zambia’s turn towards a market economy and offers a powerful tool for poverty reduction. Until recently, the industry had been dominated by the foreign-owned private sector that dictated prices and marketing arrangements for...
Introduced in the early 1900s, cotton farming in Kenya did not expand greatly until the 1970s. At that time, cotton was identified by the government as a crucial crop to fight poverty in the country, and at least 20 ginneries were established. The industry’s...
The coffee value chain, in general terms, runs along a South-North axis, extending from grower to trader to roaster to retailer to consumer. But there is one distinctly South-South aspect to the industry: the trade in coffee processing equipment.Founded...
Building the capacity to participate in global trade is becoming increasingly critical for economic growth in developing countries. This is not a task with a clear start and end; it is a process that has to be set in motion with small initiatives. One...
Despite the current economic crisis, there is growing evidence that trade continues to be one of the major factors enabling economic and social development. Trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) is thus as relevant as ever. However, the providers...
Non-tariff barriers set back trade in South Asia On October 22 and 23, the fourth edition of the South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The summit aims to advance regional integration in South Asia through dialogue on economic...