State of Palestine

Euromed: Providing trade and market intelligence for better informed decisions (TIFM 2)
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First name
Elodie
Last name
Robin
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Increasing exports in the Mediterranean

ITC EuroMed project aims at increasing trade opportunities in the region.

The EuroMed countries of Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Turkey form one of the least economically integrated regions in the world, with their 2020 share of exports representing less than 4% of all exported goods in the world.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, those exports fell by 15% compared to 2019, and dropped by almost 40% in April and May 2020.  However, ITC data shows the potential for trade in goods in the region could reach $25 billion by 2025.

In 2017, ITC’s EuroMed Trade and Investment Facilitation Mechanism launched the EuroMed Trade Helpdesk online platform to provide trade in goods data at both product and market levels, market access conditions, trade statistics, business, institutional contacts, and to allow businesses to address their questions to relevant authorities.

Enhanced EuroMed Trade Helpdesk

In 2022, the Enhanced Euromed Trade Helpdesk launch will provide a wider national network to address user’s questions and cover trade in services and investment related statistics. New features will include export potential indicators, rules of origin at product level, and official Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) notifications to the WTO.

We will also conduct small and medium sized businesses surveys to identify obstacles faced by companies and allow entrepreneurs to share with policymakers their import-export concerns, and hold trainings on market analysis and on the EuroMed Trade Helpdesk.

ITC’s EuroMed Trade and Investment Facilitation Mechanism project responds to these countries’ needs to build stronger trade ties.
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15 July 2022

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p>The Euromed Trade and Investment Facilitation Mechanism project (TIFM) phase II builds on the success of phase I, implemented by ITC between Jan. 2014 and Jun. 2017. &nbsp;</p><p>On 30<sup>th</sup> June 2017, ITC launched the Euromed Trade Helpdesk, an online tool and problem-solving network enhancing regional trade transparency. In March 2018, Trade Ministers from the Mediterranean region endorsed the Helpdesk as a pioneering tool for comprehensive regional trade intelligence. During the first 3 years of its existence, the Helpdesk attracted more than 34,000 users who accessed transparent and reliable market information.&nbsp;</p><p>Following positive feedback and requests for more information and engagement, ITC designed TIFM II to include more data, covering investment and trade in services, to deepen the understanding of trade obstacles in the region, and to strengthen the sustainability and ownership of the initiative.</p><p>ITC will implement this new phase in collaboration with public and private sectors in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia, providing support by fostering regional trade integration, reducing risks within global value chains, and addressing COVID-19 challenges.</p>

Type
Project
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Date
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External ID
A340
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State of Palestine: Enhancing self-employment of refugees and youth in Gaza through digital channels
Contact
First name
Eman
Last name
Beseiso
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Go Digital: opening doors for young Gazans 

A young woman attending a Go Digital training is writing on a board
A young woman attending a Go Digital training is writing on a board
Go Digital

Digital technologies offer Gazan youth, women, and displaced people new work opportunities, opening the door to international markets and needed income.  

Organizations and companies across the world are powering up their digital capabilities. ITC’s project is helping Gazans take advantage of this growing marketplace. 

This is a crucial step for a population that has experienced multiple cycles of violence as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in more poverty, less food security and increased economic vulnerability. 

In previous project phases, 125 youth, including 84 women, managed online transactions and sales, sold high-quality services through digital marketplaces, secured sales of almost $80,000, and formed two freelance agencies. 

Our current phase III will improve the technical and digital skills of youth, boost the ability of educational services to produce online curricula, and bolster the digital capacity of entrepreneurs. 

Visit Go Digital's website.

Project phases III

The project provides technical training on translation, SEO, bookkeeping, mobile app development (react.Js), web development (WordPress), and UI/UX (Flutter).

The project provides technical training and incubation support for entrepreneurs as well as business linkages with potential business partners across the globe. 

The project will also build the capacity of graduates of schools of education to develop and deliver quality professional online learning courses by integrating modern pedagogy and web-based technology. 

Our clients

We are building the capacity of institutions to make an impact on the local and global innovation ecosystems. This includes vocational training programmes, connecting members to commercial opportunities and reaching out to and integrating entrepreneurs in their networks.  

We are providing targeted business support services such as ITC’s Trade Accelerator model, which is a framework to support entrepreneurs in partnership with local partners to improve the performance and growth of new businesses. 

We are offering technical and vocational training to a selected group of youth in the use of digital channels as an innovative way to connect with clients, gain jobs and access new markets.  

We are creating linkages between local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and students from the digital marketing course. Students will provide online marketing support to SMEs and start-ups.

During a Go Digital training, I was able to get online job offers from companies in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
During a Go Digital training, I was able to get online job offers from companies in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Mohammed Abu Saqr
Digital marketing trainee

Go Digital success stories

Go Digital

Go Digital 2 16 March 2022
Recipients

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p>The Gazan population continues to suffer from longstanding Israeli occupation and poor socioeconomic conditions. In the past decade, the Gaza Strip experienced three wars; these left many people internally displaced. Moreover, like elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a negative shock to Palestinian socioeconomic development, putting at risk public welfare, employment and livelihoods, leading to more poverty, no food security and social cohesion. Living conditions were already difficult in Gaza, with every second person there living below the poverty line before the Covid-19 crisis.</p><p>Through its theory of change, this project helps unlock the potential of refugees, youth, local communities and SMEs in the Gaza Strip to improve their livelihoods and economic conditions. In doing so, the project contributes to social stability and provides support in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. It does so by supporting employment and enhancing the employability of women and youth, including refugees and internally displaced people. The project focuses on freelancing skills and self-employment, as investing in this sector is an effective way to boost the Gazan economy, considering the complicated political context and the de facto lack of Gazan control over the borders and the implications of the pandemic.</p>

Type
Project
Social media
Date
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External ID
C055
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Arab States: Aid for Trade initiative
Contact
First name
Mehdi
Last name
Chaker
Body

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Type
Project
Date
-
External ID
A895
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Palestine: Linking refugees and young population in Gaza to market opportunities
Contact
First name
Eman
Last name
Beseiso
Body

Recipients

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p>After more than ten years of blockade of the Gaza Strip, about 40% of the population lives in poverty; a total of 1.1 out of 1.7 million people living in Gaza receive food assistance, and rely on services of UNRWA. The economic and poverty situation calls for an immediate action. Through its theory of change the project aims at unlocking the potential of refugees, youth, local communities and SMEs in the Gaza Strip to foster livelihoods, and improve economic conditions of beneficiaries thus contributing to social stability. It will do so by focusing on reducing barriers to entrepreneurship, supporting employment and improving employability of women and youth &nbsp;including refugees and the internally displaced persons (IDPs).</p><p>The project focuses on internet-enabled employment in ICT, as investing in this sector is a way to boost the Gazan economy considering the complicated political context, the de facto lack of Gazan control over the borders, and the siege (outsourcing). By contributing to inclusive growth, the project can have a positive spill over effect in terms of fostering peace and stability. The project is designed to bridge the gap between humanitarian assistance and development assistance on the ground.</p>

Type
Programme
Date
-
External ID
B682
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Off
State of Palestine: Enhance Employment of Refugees and Young Population in Gaza
Contact
First name
Eman
Last name
Beseiso
Body

Recipients
Implementing partners

Sustainable Development Goals

This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<p style="text-align: justify;">The Gazan population continues to suffer from longstanding Israeli occupation and poor socio-economic conditions. In the past decade, the Gaza strip experienced three wars; this has left a significant number of the population internally displaced. About 40% of the population lives in poverty, 1.1 out of 1.7 million people living in Gaza receive food assistance. The economic and poverty situation calls for an immediate action. Through its theory of change, the project aims at unlocking the potential of refugees, youth, local communities and SMEs in the Gaza Strip to foster livelihoods, and improve economic conditions of beneficiaries thus contributing to social stability. It will do so by focusing on reducing barriers to entrepreneurship, supporting employment and improving employability of women and youth including refugees and the internally displaced persons (IDPs). The project focuses on internet-enabled employment, as investing in this sector is an effective way to boost the Gazan economy considering the complicated political context and the de facto lack of Gazan control over the borders.</p>

Type
Project
Date
-
External ID
B868
Middle East and North Africa
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ITC’s work in the Middle East and North Africa regions includes encouraging the exports of textiles and clothing to promote employment and income generation throughout the value chain. This includes focusing on institutional infrastructure and policy as well as product diversification, digitalization and e-commerce,  social and environmental sustainability and gender inclusivity.

Region (for relations)
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Cyan
Import hash
-916988647
External ID
RAB