Sri Lanka

<p>AIM for Results is an intervention approach that strengthens the performance, efficiency and effectiveness of TISIs and builds their capacity to provide more effective support to the internationalisation needs of their clients, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).</p><p>AIM stands for Assess, Improve and Measure. It is a holistic and targeted integrated three-step-approach focusing on measurable results in order to improve the managerial, operational and service delivery performance of TSIs. The three pillars of AIM are offered either as a single module or as a complete performance improvement programme, depending on the needs of the beneficiary institutions.</p><p>&nbsp;In 2017, the project aims to improve the operational and managerial performance of 40 TISIs applying ITC&rsquo;s AIM For Results methodology.</p>

<p><a name="_Hlk155357558"><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">Business support organizations (BSOs) are critical actors in an ecosystem of business support, categorized by the formal and informal connections among service providers that recognises and takes advantage of shared objectives and complementary strengths.</span></a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">ITC has developed a unique centre of excellence in the establishment, improvement and connectedness of business support organizations. This work with BSOs is embedded as a core service area for ITCs strategy and recognises the role that BSOs play in delivering results to all stakeholders through their ability to create scale, systemic change and sustained results</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">In this strategic cycle (22-25), ITC will continue to serve a broad range of BSOs including those active in ITC&rsquo;s priority impact areas of youth entrepreneurship, green trade, digitalisation and gender, with managerial and operational solutions, but also invest more in ecosystem level interventions, and make use of digital channels for efficiency, scale and value.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">This docu<span>ment sets out a 4-year perspective (2022-20225) and 4 strategic objectives for supportive business ecosystems with, specific outputs and activities describing the year-on-year contribution of W1 funding to the strategic core service area 2.</span></span></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 style="text-align: justify;">Funded by GIZ, the project aims at enhancing the internaional trade competitiveness of Sri Lankan SMEs, especially those located in secondary growth centres, by automating the formalities related to the issuance of Certificates of Origin (CoO), automating selected trade procedures, establishing online payment solutions, simplifying export procedures as well as improving transparency requirements and access to trade-related information through increased user-friendlienss and accessibility of the Sri Lanka Trade Information Portal (SLTIP). It also aims at strengthening private sector&apos;s participation in trade facilitation reforms by developing an NTFC monitoring tool. The project will partner with policymakers, trade-support institutions and businesses in Sri Lanka to increase rural SMEs&apos; participation in international trade, thereby <span lang="EN-US">contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction in the Sri Lanka.</span></p>

<p><span lang="EN-GB">The EU - Sri Lanka Trade-Related Assistance Project aims to increase the trade competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in regional and European Union (EU) markets.&nbsp;</span>The 4 year EU-funded project, worth EUR 8 million, contributes to inclusive trade led growth and regional integration. It supports SME export competitiveness and value addition in sectors with high potential for economic growth and development. The project helps Sri Lanka integrate the policies and regulatory reforms of the World Trade Organization (WTO), allowing SMEs to make the most of the potential opportunities resulting from the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus. It also enables greater regional integration within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The project addresses compliance standards and efficiencies in cross border procedures, which are key constraints to market access, especially for SMEs. Specific attention is given to enhancing value chains in the spice, food and Information Technology/Business Process Outsourcing (IT/BPO) sectors. The project provides trade capacity building and technical assistance, with a strong focus on training and skills development. Women are heavily involved in trade and are therefore a target group when it comes to capacity building of SMEs and exporters.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>Clothing is one of the largest industries in the world economy employing 60 to 75 million people worldwide. The negative social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry have been well documented, demonstrating that these impacts mostly occur within the upstream portion of the value chain. Improving traceability is a priority in order to determine how and where parts and components in production processes have been sourced and what are the environmental, social and health risks in the value chain. The action will support enhanced transparency and traceability in garment value chains, through the development of an IT &apos;track and trace&apos; platform that offers customized and open self-assessment and data sharing solutions for value chain stakeholders. Alongside the implementation of this platform, ITC will deliver a training and continuous improvement programme and, in collaboration with private sector partners, implement in a subset of textile and garment oriented countries.</p>