Press releases

ITC Head to visit India, Nepal and China - Trip to promote SME development

5 March 2014
ITC News

The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Executive Director Arancha González will visit Asia to highlight the important role of South-South partnerships to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote growth and development.

The first leg of her journey is to New Delhi, India, on 9 March, where she will address the 10th CII EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership. In the Indian capital, Ms. González will discuss closer co-operation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and launch the partnership between ITC and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to support India’s co-operation with Africa.

Ms. González will also visit Kathmandu, Nepal, from 10-11 March to launch a project aimed at boosting the country’s SME exports in the Pashmina sector under the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for least developed countries (LDCs). She will have a series of meetings with government officials and business associations on ways the ITC can support the landlocked developing country.

Speaking ahead of her trip to Asia, Ms. González said there is tremendous opportunity for Nepal to export agricultural, agri-food and forestry products, textiles and handicrafts, including within the region.

‘Increasing the competitiveness of goods and services produced in South Asia for the global market is vital for these economies,’ said Ms. González. ‘There is great potential for SMEs to sell their goods and services across borders both within the region and beyond. To achieve this, we need to look at improving production processes, including design, packaging, branding and marketing. This is an area in which the ITC has expertise to share with the private sector. The availability of rich natural resources and human resources to produce goods that are unique to the region for export worldwide offers good prospects for commerce. We can help make this happen by building capacity and providing assistance in trade facilitation.’

ITC’s Executive Director will be in Beijing, China, from 13-14 March to meet government officials and the business community. She will also deliver a speech at the University of Beijing, which will focus on the role of emerging economies in the post-2015 architecture, including looking at the challenges and opportunities for women and youth.

‘China continues to be one of the most important markets for global commerce, particularly for developing countries,’ said Ms. González. ‘China is a growth leader and it can play a crucial role in helping developing countries and their SMEs to innovate and gain niche entries into regional and global value chains.’

Note to Editor

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid for Trade agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.

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