Afghanistan

<p>The project will strengthen ICDT services on trade intelligence to support the public and private sector from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to make better informed decisions and, in the long term, to contribute to an increase of trade between OIC Member States through the embedding of Market Analysis Tools, the development of an online Trade Helpdesk and the development of trade-related studies.</p>

<p>International trade is an important driver of growth and a means to facilitate Afghanistan&apos;s path away from aid dependency. As such, the Government of Afghanistan has prioritized trade, regional cooperation and private sector development as critical elements for its economic development strategy.</p><p>The Action, therefore, aims to unlock Afghanistan&apos;s trade potential by improving quality and standards- setting, strengthening export/investment promotion capacities, facilitating cross border trade including through removing regulatory and procedural barriers, supporting specific value chains and women&rsquo;s participation in international business and trade.</p><p>In doing so, the Action is supporting the implementation of priority needs embedded in the Government of Afghanistan&rsquo;s road map for export competitiveness: the National Export Strategy (NES). The NES, endorsed by the Government and officially launched in June 2018, was the flagship document of Phase I of the AAT project (2016-2019). As such, the Action is a follow-up intervention aimed at materializing the NES strategic vision to support trade competitiveness within the region.</p><p>The project&apos;s <strong>general objective</strong> (impact) is to foster a more inclusive and exports-led economic growth.</p><p>The <strong>specific objectives</strong> (outcomes) of the project are:&nbsp;</p><ul type="square"><li><strong>Specific objective 1:</strong>Strengthened business/investment environment to support regional economic integration and connectivity;</li><li><strong>Specific objective 2:</strong> Improved competitiveness and economic, social and environmental responsibility in agri-business and manufactured products value chains;</li><li><strong>Specific objective 3:</strong> Increased engagement of Afghan women in international/regional trade.</li></ul><p>By delivering on the above specific objectives, the action will increase participation of Afghan MSMEs in international/regional trade in selected agri-business and manufacturing sector value chains.</p><p>By delivering on the above specific objectives, the Action will increase participation of Afghan MSMEs in international/regional trade in selected agri-business and manufacturing product value chains. Preliminary analysis and consultations have identified the following possible value chains for examination during the inception phase (but not limited to): 1) agribusiness (saffron, dried fruits and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, and 2) manufactured products (jewels and precious stones).</p><p>The Action will build on the results achieved within the project&apos;s Phase I.</p>

<p>The objective of this project is to enhance the functionalities and effective use of Trade Facilitation Portals by beneficiary countries with a view to create a more conducing cross-border environment for traders through improved transparency and simplified trade formalities.<span>&nbsp;This project builds upon ITC - UNCTAD longstanding partnership in the area of trade facilitation and creates opportunities for further build synergies across the agencies&apos; respective technical assistance offering.</span></p>

<p>The initiative supports laying the foundation for strengthening the country&rsquo;s trade capacities and building a business-friendly environment, with a long-term goal of Afghanistan becoming a vibrant regional economic hub.</p><p>The intervention is a recognition of ongoing efforts by the Afghan government to use trade as driver of economic growth, regional cooperation and stability. Afghanistan acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in July 2016 and has placed trade and regional economic cooperation at the heart of its development strategy.</p><p>ITC is supporting government institutions strengthen their capacity to formulate and implement trade strategies and policies, improve quality standards of products to meet international standards and enhance cross border movement of goods. Through these and other trade-enabling improvements to the business environment, ITC is ultimately supporting SMEs to overcome the plethora of challenges that make it difficult for them to reach markets in the region and beyond.</p><p>The three-year plan (2016 &ndash; 2019) is implemented by ITC in close collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.</p>