http://www.intracen.org/feed/about/least-developed-countries/Least developed countries are persistently marginalized in world trade and remain vulnerable.  The lack of success in development, according to FERDI (the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development), is due to a multitude of factors, one of which is a difficulty to take fully advantage of the potential benefits associated with least developed country status.  This was the basis for a panel discussion hosted by FERDI at UNCTAD XIII on 25 April in which ITC Deputy Executive Director Mr. Jean-Marie Paugam participated…http://www.intracen.org/moving-ldcs-out-the-trap/4/26/2012 6:31:11 AMThe financial crisis has dramatically changed the business environment for firms, entrepreneurs and senior executives. ITC Executive Director, Ms Patricia Francis, today took part in a panel discussion at the IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, which...http://www.intracen.org/itc-executive-director-new-business-opportunities-in-global-economy-at-iese/4/20/2012 9:53:33 AMThe principal goal of Turkey’s foreign policy is to secure and nurture a peaceful, prosperous, stable and cooperative environment that is conducive to human development both locally and globally. To this end, and in support of global efforts aimed at.../Fair-and-sustainable-development---aid-for-least-developed-countries/3/30/2012 4:59:19 AM<p><span>Ethiopia has a better chance of becoming a member of the World Trade Organization than any other least-developed country, WTO Director-General <span class="Name"><span>Pascal Lamy</span></span> said. This is largely due to Ethiopia's status as the second-most populous African nation, with more than 82 million inhabitants, even though other LDCs have bigger economies, Lamy told <span class="Name"><span>Mulu Solomon</span></span>, president of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, on January 30 in Addis Ababa</span>...</p>http://www.intracen.org/ethiopia-has-edge-over-other-ldcs-to-join-wto-Lamy-says/9/2/2012 7:43:44 AMAustralia has announced that it is donating AUD 3 million to the International Trade Centre (ITC) to assist least developed countries build technical skills needed to benefit from global trade.ITC’s Executive Director, Patricia R. Francis, thanked Australia...http://www.intracen.org/Australia-to-donate-AUD-3-Million-to-ITC/12/19/2011 10:26:17 AMThe World Trade Organization (WTO)’s Eighth Ministerial Conference is highlighting Russia's accession anda ground-breaking deal that opens up government-procurement contracts worth as much as $100 billion to more foreign competition, as two significant...http://www.intracen.org/wto-eighth-ministerial-conference-opens/12/16/2011 9:09:18 AMSao Tome and Principe will strengthen its cooperation with ITC following an integrated framework programme that enabled Africa's second-smallest nation to create a trade and investment promotion agency and improve its business environment over the last...http://www.intracen.org/sao-tome-and-principe-to-strengthen-ties-with-itc/12/15/2011 4:25:39 PMInnovative ways of thinking are necessary in order to respond to the ever-changing global economy, according to Patricia R. Francis, Executive Director of ITC. In her speech during the opening session of the <span lang="EN-CA">WTO MC8, Ms. Francis emphasized that ITC is reinventing itself to keep up with the changing environment in order to provide state of the art value to the poorest countries... </span>http://www.intracen.org/Responding-to-global-trade-challenges-necessitates-a-rethink-in-approaches/12/15/2011 1:49:13 PMLeast Developed Countries need to become more active in WTO negotiations to reap the full benefits of accession, need to improve the business environment for small and medium size enterprises and show results to donors, said tradeministers from LDCs...http://www.intracen.org/ldc-trade-ministers-discuss/12/15/2011 10:49:46 AMITC is bringing together high-level experts from around the world to lay the groundwork for building the capacity for women business owners to win at least five percent of contract bids from government agencies. The meeting, the Inaugural Roundtable on Government Procurement on Sourcing from Women Vendors, is being held in cooperation with WTO on 17 December 2011 in Geneva...http://www.intracen.org/ITC-promotes-increased-government-procurement-from-women-vendors/12/15/2011 5:42:54 AMThe WTO General Council acknowledged several ITC accomplishments in its report adopted at its annual meeting on 30 November in Geneva. It highlighted ITC’s assistance to Least Developed Countries in their WTO accession process, the organization’s...http://www.intracen.org/WTO-General-Council-recognizes-ITCs-contribution-to-LDC-accession-the-Cotton-Initiative-and-the-Aid-for-Trade-agenda/8/12/2011 11:39:15 AMThe 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.../Aid-for-Trade-and-the-private-sector-A-partnership-that-works/7/12/2011 10:25:50 AMOn 30 November, ITC welcomed Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, to the ITC offices in Geneva, Switzerland for discussions led by Ms. Patricia Francis, ITC Executive Director, which focused on identifying concrete opportunities in which the two organizations can work together...http://www.intracen.org/commonwealth-ITC-discuss-cooperation-opportunities/7/12/2011 4:07:58 AMThe Moroccan company agreed during the visit last week to test pineapples from Benin and Togo and, if the tests are a success, to sign a regular commercial contract with national suppliers. Further sweetening a possible deal, Royal Air Morocco and its...http://www.intracen.org/benin-togo-pineapple-trade-morocco/10/19/2011 9:45:53 AMAt LDC IV in Istanbul the SCTD was officially launched. As a result, various LDC stakeholders approached the SCTD Agencies to request assistance to better assess tourism development-related needs and to possibly benefit from Agencies’ support in preparing...http://www.intracen.org/un-steering-committee-tourism-development-first-ldcs-workshop/10/18/2011 8:43:36 AMThe 2011 World Export Development Forum explored how least developed countries can make tourism work towards poverty reduction. At the 2011 World Export Development Forum (WEDF), high-level leaders from Burundi, Cambodia and Tur­key.../Unlocking-potential-Cambodia-Burundi-Turkey/7/26/2011 11:09:26 AMIn its blueprint for new tourism, the World Travel &amp; Tourism Council promotes the importance of partnerships for sustainable tourism development.   With global travel and tourism forecast to grow at a rate of 4% per year over the next.../Blueprint-for-new-tourism-A-partnership-model/7/26/2011 10:42:56 AMLeast developed countries (LDCs) continue to play only a minor role in global tourism, receiving a mere 1% of the world’s travel exports. LDCs’ tourism earnings have risen from US$ 3 billion in 2000 to over US$ 10 billion in 2010, increasing.../Collaboration-Tourism-Tourism-development-in-least-developed-countries---economic-significance-and-policy-priorities/7/26/2011 6:09:52 AMStrategic positioning is the first thing dev­eloping countries should do when considering tourism as an economic tool. It requires the development of a carefully constructed, unique prop­osition that frames the attractions offered to tourists.../Tourism-as-an-economic-tool-Shapting-strategic-positioning-to-attract-tourists-to-least-developed-countries/7/26/2011 6:00:00 AMFollowing a difficult period that recast much of the travel &amp; tourism (T&amp;T) ind­­ustry’s landscape, the sector is slow­­ly recovering from the economic downturn, with emerging market economies leading the way and advanced economies,.../Travel-Tourism-beyond-the-downturn---a-critical-competitiveness-driver-for-developing-countries/7/25/2011 11:55:28 AMAs a US$ 3 billion a day global business, the tourism sector is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and an important driver for economic growth in least developed countries.    Since the 1950s, tourism has experienced continued.../The-Big-Picture-Tourism-and-Sustainable-Development/7/25/2011 10:44:39 AMTourism is an economic engine that has huge potential to drive sustainable growth in developing countries, especially least developed countries. Although its origins exist in the often unplanned practice of exploration and discovery,.../Tourism-and-Least-Developed-Countries/7/25/2011 10:04:58 AMAs the 100% Aid for Trade agency, ITC brings the private sector voice to trade development.  It partners with the private sector to ensure that Aid for Trade leads small and medium enterprises to global markets.  Within this framework, ITC facilitates...http://www.intracen.org/ITC-active-at-the-Third-Global-Review-of-Aid-for-Trade-July-2011/7/21/2011 3:28:03 AMThe 44th Session of ITC’s Joint Advisory Group (JAG) Meeting in December 2010 saw emphasis placed on the commitment to a partnership approach by the ITC, World Trade Organization (WTO) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).../layouts/TradeForum-three-column.aspx?pageid=55658&id=532507/20/2011 5:40:54 AMOn the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day in March 2011, ITC celebrated the successes women have made in trade. At an event co-hosted by the World Trade Organization (WTO), ITC recognized the vital contribution women make.../Empowering-Women-Powering-Trade-ITC-and-WTO-celebrate-the-100th-anniversary-of-International-Womens-Day/7/19/2011 10:55:16 AM