During 2007 ITC increased the overall delivery of its technical
cooperation activities, including client-oriented and change
management initiatives, by 14%. It was a year of refocusing,
realignment and reform for the organization. The outcome was
greater impact in service delivery during the year, together with a
much stronger platform for sustainable growth. The more targeted
and active operations are in line with ITC's focus on "Export
Impact for Good".
ITC moved from transition to a full change management process
during the year aimed at making the organization more responsive
and impact-oriented. Change was implemented across the organization
with key reform measures initiated in the areas of human resources,
results-based management, needs assessments, corporate planning and
resource mobilization.
The ITC staff were an integral part of all of the change
initiatives, including leading the process of the consolidation of
ITC's business offer from seventeen to five business lines. ITC
will now consolidate its position within Trade-related Technical
Assistance (TRTA) in the key areas of Export Strategy, Business in
Trade Policy, Export Competitiveness, TSI Strengthening and Trade
Intelligence. Additionally ITC's service offering was aligned to
the strategic objectives and sub-objectives approved by the UN in
New York.
A major milestone for the organization was agreement from all
senior managers on the need to focus on ITC's contribution to
achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Results-based
management, involving new performance indicators, has been
introduced to measure the output and impact of our work. Key also
to achieving this objective, is the establishment of units covering
Policy, Planning and Evaluation within the Office of the Executive
Director (OED). Our attention to the MDGs is illustrated by a full
chapter in this Annual Report and a new Women in Trade Programme to
be launched in 2008.
Our flagship event, the World Export Development Forum (WEDF),
debated "Bringing Down the Barriers: Charting a Dynamic Export
Development Agenda". Keynote speakers such as Jagdish Bhagwati,
Pascal Lamy and Richard Manning addressed over 200 experts and
decision-makers from 52 countries. We will continue to evolve the
WEDF to ensure connectivity to the work of the organization and to
provide a platform for countries to share best practice in export
development.
This year's Annual Report has been structured primarily in four
parts. The first is an overview of the strategic environment in
which ITC operates and its response to challenges and
opportunities. The second part describes ITC's contribution to the
MDGs, while the third focuses on regional and country programmes
and the fourth describes our global services and initiatives. Annex
I provides detailed statistical information on the organization's
projects in 2007.
The largest portion of programme funds was spent in Africa
(39%), followed by Asia/Pacific (24%). The 50 least developed
countries continue to absorb about 40% of ITC's resources, closer
to our target level of 50% of ITC resources to LDC, Landlocked and
Small Island States.
The Aid for Trade (A4T) initiative was fully launched by WTO in
2007 with ITC facilitating the private sector voice in the three
meetings held in Peru, the Philippines and the United Republic of
Tanzania. The A4T and the One UN initiatives have provided a
platform on which to build partnerships. In this regard, ITC has
signed MOUs with the African Union, the Economic Commission for
Africa, the Exim Bank of India and has engaged with the regional
development banks. We are also an active member of the Trade
Cluster being led by UNCTAD and are working in several of the eight
pilot One UN countries.
The challenge for 2008 is to embed many of the changes initiated
in 2007 and to implement a performance-based culture in ITC.
Mainstreaming the MDGs by scaling up programmes on poverty, gender
and the environment, as recommended in our evaluations, will be a
focus.
In keeping with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, ITC
is committed to countries setting their development agenda. To
ensure the sustainability of our TRTA initiatives ITC is focused on
building capacities of trade support institutions to deliver export
development programmes at regional and national levels. With the
assistance of the World Bank, our trade intelligence tools will
become free to all developing countries in 2008 and we believe that
our new business lines will help businesses in these countries to
achieve greater export success in regional and global markets.
The ITC Annual Report 2007 highlights ITC's impact during the
year, and provides real stories of small exporters who have
directly or indirectly benefited from ITC's services. The report
does not pretend to be exhaustive in its coverage, but seeks to
give a flavour of the breadth and depth of ITC's work around the
world. This is built around concrete outcomes achieved.
The report also acknowledges the important role played by all
the UN agencies, donors and other partner institutions in making
trade work for the poor. I should like to take the opportunity to
extend my sincere thanks to all of ITC's donors and partners who
have continued to stand by ITC and contributed generously to its
programme of work. Most importantly I also wish to thank our client
countries whose commitment has been vital to the success of our
work.
In closing, I should like to thank the management and staff of
ITC for their dedicated service. I also wish to thank the
Director-General of WTO, Pascal Lamy, and the Secretary-General of
UNCTAD, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, for their ongoing support for
our work.
Patricia Francis
Executive Director
International Trade Centre