The work of the International Trade Centre (ITC) in promoting
international trade in 2009 was rated more important than ever by its members
as they struggled to deal with the global financial crisis and adjust to new
realities of climate change, food security and changing markets, according to
the organization’s annual report, launched today.
ITC Executive Director Patricia R. Francis said in her introduction to
the report: “As the world emerges from the recession, recovery is likely to be
uneven and protracted, and countries’ ability to recover depends on the
strength of their economies and their international competitiveness.”
She said that expansion of trade and exports needed to be embedded in
national development strategies, and warned: “Improved market access through
trade liberalization does not guarantee export success. Supply-side constraints
prevent many developing countries from expanding their trade.”
The report details ITC’s strategy to promote international trade within
the framework of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Aid for Trade agenda. ITC
focuses in particular on building the capacity of small and medium-sized private
sector enterprises to integrate with the world trading system and on improving
the performance of the trade support institutions that support them.
It also works with policy-makers in developing countries, arguing the
case for building export strategies on a foundation of public-private
partnerships while developing a conducive business environment and facilitating
access to global markets.
The report gives
details of ITC’s finances,
showing that total expenditure in 2009 amounted
to US$ 67.5 million an increase from the previous year. It was composed of
US$ 32.9 million from the regular budget provided by WTO and the United Nations
(UN), and US$ 34.6 million in extra budgetary funding through voluntary
contributions from a range of sources. The upward trend in expenditure was
expected to continue in coming years.
The increase in funding has been matched by an increase in the delivery
of services and a change in emphasis to larger, multi-country and
multi-stakeholder programmes and projects, such as
the Programme for Building African Capacity
for Trade (PACT II) and the Enhancing Arab Capacity for Trade (EnACT).
At the same time, ITC
is committed to giving top priority to
the world’s poorest countries, its total
extrabugetary expenditure was US$ 34.6 million, of that US$ 15.2 million was
spent on least developed countries (LDCs), land-locked developing countries
(LLDCs), small island developing states (SIDS) and sub-Saharan Africa
.
The structure of the annual report has been refined in 2009 to give
greater clarity on the status of projects within the planning and delivery
cycle, and the link between programme delivery and the objectives of the
Strategic Framework and Strategic Plan. Performance indicators quantify the
organization’s success in delivering its programme against its three strategic
objectives.
The report details the results of the 2009 ITC Client Survey, which
generated a record 2,472 responses. The overall approval rating for the
organization reached 56%, compared to 43% in 2008 and 38% in 2007. The services
gaining the highest approval rating were ITC’s market-analysis tools, its
capacity-building programmes in both market analysis and trade information and
its work with countries on export strategies.
The report also describes a range of initiatives taken by the
organization to upgrade its financial and human resource management, to develop
its processes for monitoring the impact of its work and to improve its
communications and information architecture.
Ms Francis said: “
There is no doubt
that the crisis has changed the way world trade operates and all countries need
to adjust to the new realities. The trading world will not be the same again
and our task is to support the poorest countries in coming to terms with the
changed landscape”.
“We must provide them with the tools and the
knowledge to ensure that they are able to seize the opportunities that arise as
the recovery takes hold and world trade gathers momentum again. I believe we
are now in a better position than ever to do so.”
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