Press releases

ITC participation at WTO’s Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade

8 July 2013
ITC News

Innovation, sustainability and inclusive export growth are the overarching themes for the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) participation at next week’s Fourth Global Review of Aid for Trade. The six events ITC participates in will showcase the organization’s innovative approaches in linking small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries into global value chains.

This year’s Global Review will be held on 8-10 July at World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, under the theme of ‘Connecting to value chains’. It will examine the use of development assistance to connect developing countries to global value chains, all within the context of the post-2015 development agenda. The goal is to improve the trade prospects of beneficiary countries by building their supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure.

ITC’s main focus will be on ensuring that the business sector’s viewpoint on the effectiveness of the Aid for Trade initiative is reflected in the public-private dialogue, and will on Tuesday 9 July host two side events.

Mr. Jean-Marie Paugam, Acting Executive Director of ITC, will moderate a panel at 13:00 on ‘Incorporating Developing Country SMEs into Value Chains: Implications for Aid for Trade (Side Event 22). The discussion will focus on market-led approaches to facilitate the integration of SMEs into value chains. The panel will explore the roles of policymakers, trade support institutions and multinationals in the integration process, as well as implications for the Aid for Trade initiative. Panellists include Ms. Valentine Sendanyoye Rugwabiza, Deputy Director-General of the WTO; Mr. Stefano Arganese, Chief Executive Officer, DHL Freight Central Eastern Southern Europe and Americas, Middle East, Africa; and Mr. Joseph Nkole, National Coordinator, Cotton Association of Zambia.

ITC’s Ethical Fashion Initiative will host a 18:00 panel discussion called, Connecting Artisans with Global Fashion Value Chains (Side Event 29), to explore business models that integrate marginalized communities into the global fashion industry, resulting in higher incomes and improved livelihoods for workers and their families. The panellists are H.E. Mr. Harunah Iddrisu, Minister of Trade and Industry, Ghana; Mr. Hans-Peter Egler, Head of Trade Promotion, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland; Mr. Yannick Aellen, Director, Mode Suisse, Switzerland; Ms. Sabine Portenier and Ms. Evelyne Roth, Designers, PortenierRoth, Switzerland; and Ms. Stella Jean, Designer, Stella Jean, Italy. The panel will be followed by a fashion show showcasing the work of artisans participating in the initiative.

At another side event, co-hosted by ITC, panellists will explore how environmental and sustainability consideration can be mainstreamed into Aid for Trade, leading to increased competitiveness and new green economy opportunities for export. This event, Mainstreaming Environment into Aid for Trade: Improving Sustainability of Global Value Chains (Side Event 21), is organized in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the Canadian International Development Agency, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Council on Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD).

ITC will also participate in three other events at the Global Review: Aid for Trade, Services and Global Value Chains – Opportunities for Least Developed Countries (Session 17); Agricultural Value Chains and Food Security in Transition Economies: Testimonials from the Field (Side Event 16); and Geographic Indications and their Impact on Development and Integration into Value Chains (Side Event 23).

The goal of the biennial Global Review, which started in 2007, is to monitor the progress of Aid for Trade and to strengthen WTO evaluation of the initiative. Aid for Trade is aimed at mobilizing resources to address the trade-related constraints identified by developing and least-developed countries.

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

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Contact: Jarle Hetland
ITC
Media Officer
P: +41 22 730 0145
E: hetland [at] intracen.org