News

10 May 2022 - Irina Zodrow
The 2022 Evaluation of the EIF recognises that one of the key principles at the heart of the success of the EIF model is partnership. Here is what we have learned about partnerships:
5 May 2022 - Ratnakar Adhikari
The impact of the war in Ukraine on food and fuel prices will weaken economies already battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate-related disasters.
The partnership of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) has recently undertaken an evaluation of the initiative, from the birth of the EIF from the original Integrated Framework to late 2021.
12 October 2021
Trade is key to sustainable development and growth. This knowledge can spur action from governments and businesses, but only if the word gets out.
28 September 2021 - Helen Castell
A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report on findings from its Productive Capacities Index (PCI) h
27 July 2021 - Deanna Ramsay
In some least developed countries, COVID-19 causing a shift in tourism plans Lake Assal. The Moucha-Maskali Islands. Lake Abbé. Heard of them?
13 July 2021 - Helen Castell
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges Least Developed Countries (LDCs) face in accessing vital trade finance, as many have seen their local dollar liquidity shrink while foreign banks take a dimmer - and not always accurate - view of emerging market risk.
29 June 2021 - James Ellsmoor
For SIDS and LDCs, tapping into the remote working revolution requires internet infrastructure
18 May 2021 - Helen Castell
Expanding and diversifying productive capacities will better position least developed countries (LDCs) to tap the financing and e-trade opportunities that will underpin their Covid-19 recovery. This was a recurrent theme in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Least Developed Countries Report 2020, which cautioned however that the international community must first rally with resources, policy space and better international support measures.
11 May 2021 - Deanna Ramsay
A pandemic. Development hurdles. Structural impediments. What is there for least developed countries in Africa to improve trade?
4 May 2021 - Deanna Ramsay
Tourism, apparel and sustainable development strategies are covered in new series of policy briefs from the Enhanced Integrated Framework
27 April 2021 - Helen Castell
Least developed countries (LDCs) receive only 6% of the private finance mobilized globally through blended finance, and even then funds are concentrated in a handful of LDCs while ‘last mile’ countries, sectors and businesses miss out.
13 April 2021
Originally published by the OECD on 4th March.
25 March 2021 - Michelle Kovacevic
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted trade in the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) in a myriad of ways – from the complete collapse of tourism in some LDCs, to the rise of e-commerce opportunities in others. It’s also expected to impact donor country aid budgets for many years to come.
17 March 2021 - Helen Castell
A year into Covid-19 being declared a global pandemic, this month’s Aid for Trade stocktaking event, organized by the Development Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO), offers a timely opportunity to assess impact on developing and least developed countries’ (LDC) trade needs, discuss how to make the recovery sustainable and mobilize financing where it is needed most.
18 February 2021 - Aadesh Subedi
Originally published by Thomson Reuters Foundation, Tuesday, 9 February 2021 03:30 GMT
9 February 2021 - Simon Hess
Seeing impacts in a complicated trade landscape requires learning and adapting
4 February 2021 - Emeline Wuilbercq
Originally published by Thompson Reuters Foundation News on 22 December 2020
26 January 2021 - Deanna Ramsay
Guinea trying out south-south cooperation venture with Tunisia Trade in Guinea today centres mostly around the export of gold and bauxite, which is used to create aluminum. The country has the world’s largest deposits of the red rock, and aluminum prices are increasing.
21 October 2020 - Dr. Claudia Sobrevila
Originally published by the World Bank on 1st October 2020
14 October 2020 - Jenny Larsen
Originally published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization on 17 September 2020
9 September 2020 - Deanna Ramsay
From a focus on fisheries to WTO membership, analysis of the country’s economic situation offers ways to move forward
Women workers in global value chains have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
2 September 2020 - Toyin Abiodun
Originally published by THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION NEWS on 18 August 2020
In honor of former Enhanced Integrated Framework National Coordinator in Mali
26 August 2020 - Michelle Kovacevic
Like the Pacific, independence from colonialism is what kickstarted the development of Quality Infrastructure in the Caribbean.
26 August 2020 - Michelle Kovacevic
Trade ministers in the Pacific approve the region’s first strategic framework on quality infrastructure
17 August 2020 - UNCTAD
Partnerships with development agencies and government efforts to boost the digital economy are helping soften the economic blow of the pandemic.
15 July 2020 - UNCTAD
An uptick in business, especially in the delivery of food and essential items, is enhancing resilience in the wake of the crisis.
2 July 2020 - Candice White
New tool offers actions to tackle the barriers to trade that women face
25 June 2020 - Global Shea Alliance
Shea is critical to the income of rural communities, and a new effort across four shea-producing countries in West Africa is looking to boost those incomes
23 June 2020 - Anna Spenceley
COVID-19 has led to a steep decline in business for operators in protected areas, coupled with a substantial drop in future booking requests.
10 June 2020 - UNCTAD
Digital solutions implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19 give fresh impetus to efforts to harness the development gains of ICT and ecommerce.
9 June 2020 - Michelle Kovacevic
Pandemic response highlights resilience of already-fragile countries
8 June 2020 - Michelle Kovacevic
Halting of travel devastating sector that is a key driver of growth in the world’s poorest countries
2 June 2020 - Michelle Kovacevic
Supply chains are vulnerable, but there is also promise in new sectors for least developed countries
28 May 2020 - UNCTAD
UNCTAD has assessed the state of play in the two countries and identified policy actions required to harness ecommerce for development.
26 May 2020 - Deanna Ramsay
New report dives into the details of shifting treatment, export markets and more
5 May 2020 - UNCTAD
Trade ministry fast-tracks measures to ease access to essential goods and services during the pandemic.
21 April 2020 - Deanna Ramsay
A roundup of recent news on the global pandemic, covering issues facing some of the world’s poorest countries – and what they are doing
What are international institutions pledging in the wake of the pandemic?
24 March 2020 - Deanna Ramsay
A compendium of recent news on the global pandemic and what some of the world’s poorest countries are doing
Mainstreaming biodiversity across economic sectors is a key issue to be discussed at the CBD COP15 in China in 2020, where the post-2020 global biodiversity framework is due to be agreed upon.
23 January 2020 - Deanna Ramsay
Country is addressing its fragility through renewed efforts to stimulate economy
14 January 2020 - Daniel Gay
Following rapid progress, up to 12 LDCs may leave the category in coming years. The countries involved include up to a quarter of the total LDC population.
8 January 2020 - UNCTAD
UNCTAD's assessment identifies available opportunities and barriers to overcome for e-commerce to flourish in the country.
New report delves into the trade data on agriculture on the continent, finding positive trends, points of concern and suggestions for the future
30 November 2019 - Sarah McIvor Sejal Patel
Some of the key elements characterising effective adaptation and resilience to climate change are a long-term perspective, coordinated and coherent action, and a socially just and inclusive approach.
25 November 2019 - Sofie H. Flensborg
Well-managed trade in wild animals and plants can contribute to the conservation of the species.
20 November 2019 - Trudi Hartzenberg
Despite impressive progress in the negotiations, it is still not possible to trade under the AfCFTA as the negotiations of preferential tariff concessions and rules of origin have not been completed.
14 November 2019 - Rolf Traeger
Least developed countries (LDCs) have traditionally recorded persistent trade deficits.
7 November 2019 - Chidi Oguamanam
The entrepreneurial uptake of computer technology and the entrenchment of digitisation have made Africa a demonstrable source of intellectual power in the digital sphere.
The Enhanced Integrated Framework’s Trade for Development News is launching a new series of articles focusing on three major trade conversations happening today.
29 October 2019 - Michelle Kovacevic
Vanuatu became a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) back in 2012, and has made immense economic progress.
There are examples of sustainable, fair and ethical trade in products based on natural, biological resources and traditional knowledge.
Solutions, pitfalls and priorities to stimulate ecotourism, preserve wildlife and develop, sustainably
Investment mobilization and technology transfers could increase incomes, and enable value addition
9 September 2019 - Deanna Ramsay
Empowerment and markets are on this Ugandan woman’s agenda
3 September 2019 - Cécile de Gardelle Deanna Ramsay
Without action, one out of every four people living in LDCs will be offline due to the lack of digital skills
In this issue: "Tentative steps to implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in least developed countries", "Economic diversification: Why trade matters", and "Fisheries subsidies negotiations: What is at stake for least developed countries?"
1 August 2019 - UNCTAD
New report on Lesotho shows how the small, mountainous nation could unlock its digital market to diversify its economy.
27 June 2019 - Anabel González
The current trading environment is inadequately supportive to contribute to growth, boost incomes, create jobs through new market access opportunities and reduce poverty.
27 June 2019 - Karl P. Sauvant
To help meet the investment needs of the future, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows have to increase substantially.
Aid for trade can support women’s economic empowerment, which is key to sustainable development.
19 June 2019 - Dan Ciuriak Maria Ptashkina
The digital transformation provides developing economies new opportunities to leapfrog industrial age infrastructure, to draw on the vast knowledge spillovers from the internet, to take advantage of new markets offered by digital platforms and to exploit production possibilities enabled by digital technologies.
17 June 2019 - Luisa Bernal Daria Shatskova
The relative importance of trade and the degree of export concentration are higher than average in fragile least developed countries (LDCs).
Economic diversification and empowerment are essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; they also embody the rationale behind the Aid for Trade Initiative.
11 June 2019 - David Luke Heini Suominen
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will transform the way Africa trades, with intra-African trade expected to increase by 15-25 per cent, and the boost to trade in industrial goods accelerating diversification of Africa’s economies.
Economic diversification is a key element of development in which a country moves to a more diverse production structure, scaling-up resilience to external shocks and providing a path for equitable growth.
Fisheries are a crucial source of animal protein, livelihoods and export earnings for many developing countries, including several least developed countries.
21 May 2019 - Fabrice Lehmann
Agreement provides least developed countries with novel provisions, with consultation needs taking centre stage
14 May 2019 - Lisa Cornish
See what lies ahead at the biennial Aid for Trade event in July 2019
23 April 2019 - Daria Shatskova Deanna Ramsay
Digital system set to streamline procedures for trade from LDCs to the EU
8 March 2019 - Deanna Ramsay
Addressing trade in its many forms, EIF partnership creating sustainable impacts
20 February 2019 - Deanna Ramsay
Aligned with the Global Goals, plan has elevated efforts and new targets
The results of the Enhanced Integrated Framework in 2017
26 October 2018 - Sainabou Taal
WTO’s Aid for Trade programme putting a spotlight on LDCs
3 October 2018 - Deanna Ramsay
ePing platform helping countries keep track of assorted requirements, transforming communication and comment
Funding for aid for trade in LDCs is increasing – find out how much, from who, and where investments are going
17 September 2018 - Deanna Ramsay
Strategic alliances and alignments are key to making trade in agriculture work, for all
A multimedia collection from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)
In some of the most impoverished countries in the world, agriculture is the backbone of the economy
8 August 2018 - Justine Namara Deanna Ramsay
Geographical barriers, including isolation from main markets, have resulted in issues for Vanuatu to access international networks and grow its businesses
6 August 2018
What do a mountainous landlocked country, a post-war African nation, and three small island developing states have in common?
The Government has shown a strong interest in adopting economic and social policies that can facilitate the development of the Internet economy, of which e-commerce is one segment. Unlocking its potential will also reduce distance to markets, reduce “sealockedness” and enable Vanuatu to leapfrog certain barriers associated with physical trade
The current low use of ecommerce in Solomon Islands belies significant potential for the sector to grow swiftly and make economic and socioeconomic contributions to the country
A study published two years ago — the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) update — has helped to push forward the Islamic Republic of Mauritania’s reform agenda, by providing a roadmap for how the small African and Arab country can strategically diversify its exports to grow its wealth and reduce poverty
In this issue: "Samoa's coconuts go global," "Taking female-led businesses from local to global," and "Women at the helm of Senegal's mango industry"
14 May 2018 - Elena Immambocus
A new book on sanitary and phytosanitary gaps from the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) highlights ways to support farmers, processors, traders and governments in developing countries to access global markets
25 April 2018 - WTO
Those countries granting preferences to LDC imports often condition the benefits on the imports meeting minimum "LDC content" as set out under their rules of origin schemes
18 April 2018 - Deanna Ramsay
New tech uses present challenges – and a host of opportunities – for the world’s poorest countries 
9 April 2018 - Lynsey Grosfield
Forty-four African countries have signed on to an African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), twenty-eight of which are among the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
9 March 2018 - Deanna Ramsay
Just-launched facility offers state-of-the-art services, and promises to boost business
8 March 2018 - Stacy Corneau
Working in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—informal mining activities carried out using minimal technology or machinery—provides livelihoods for millions of people
3 March 2018 - Michelle Kovacevic
A new study for Tanzania — the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) update — highlights opportunities for developing and improving trade opportunities for Tanzanian businesses and investors.
21 February 2018 - Sainabou Taal
The WTO's Trade Policy Review of The Gambia, taking place within the first year of the new administration, was an opportune time to reflect on the state of the economy and deliberate on the type of policies and actions that could help the country better participate in global trade
Download the first print edition of Trade for Development News!
13 February 2018 - Michelle Kovacevic
Burkina Faso's cashew sector has been re-made, as a matter of national priority.
24 January 2018 - UNCTAD
Two dozen Beninese women making a unique type of garri flour sign up to a new code of practice to better market their product and boost incomes
23 January 2018
Project strengthens value chains of vanilla, clove and ylang ylang in the Union of the Comoros Originally posted at ITC News
19 January 2018 - Michelle Kovacevic
On 29 May 2012 Willie Luen was preparing to emcee one of the most important meetings of his life. He remembers that the room — a hotel conference room in Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu — was so packed with people that the windows were starting to fog up.
10 November 2017 - UNCTAD
The Pacific Island nation of Samoa has made considerable progress in recent years in getting businesses and consumers online but still faces challenges before being fully ready to benefit from e-commerce, an UNCTAD and EIF assessment of the country says.
Meet a young woman from Cambodia who received silk production training through an EIF project
2 December 2016 - Sorasak Pan Ratnakar Adhikari
This blog was co-signed with Ratnakar Adhikari and originally published on Monday 24 October 2016 in the World Economic Forum Agenda
Representatives of the government, public and private institutions, donors and international organizations met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 23 to 24 February 2016
Developing eco-friendly business solutions for rural households
Contributing to the reconstruction of communities after a natural disaster
Oumar is one of the 370,500 people in Mali producing gum arabic, among which 80% (296,400) are women.
Chandra and her 25 colleagues from her women's association take a break from the day's farming business to hold a meeting on their ginger business prospects and the stiff market competition they face with India's value-added ginger.
In his opening remarks at the "Twenty years of supporting the integration of least developed countries into the multilateral trading system" event, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo reminded WTO members of the importance that the EIF Pledging Conference for Phase Two of the EIF be a success.
New UNCTAD-EIF study of the fisheries sector in The Gambia shows trade policies have to be inclusive if they are to reduce poverty