Trade strategies

<p>This National Export and Investment Strategy (NEIS) will help foster trade and investment in South Sudan through a combination of effective strategic planning, improved national and subnational government technical support and private sector leadership capacity. This will be achieved by boosting priority sectors (to be identified and selected as part of the strategy design process), developing value chains, and building the implementation, management and analytical capacity of relevant public and private sector stakeholders, notably trade and investment agencies, to mobilize resources and lead the implementation of the actions defined in the strategy. An additional key objective of the NEIS is to support South Sudan&rsquo;s integration at the global level through WTO accession process, and at the pan-African through the AfCFTA. To this end, priority sectors and investment potential will be assessed partially based on the opportunities foreseen with the integration of the African regional market.</p>

<p>The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a fifth largest producer of coconuts in the Pacific region. However, FSM is the smallest exporter of coconut products in the Pacific with negligible volumes of coconut oil being exported. Based on this situation analysis, the project aims to increase coconut exports through the design of a coconut export strategy that is endorsed, coherent, and comprehensive. &nbsp;Additionally, the project will support the establishment of a &quot;strategic coconut partnership&quot; building consensus between public and private stakeholders to grow the industry. Finally, the project will provide advisory support to selected stakeholders in strategy management techniques.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The core business of the Trade Development Strategies Programme is to lead and support the design and implementation management of national, sectoral, regional or functional (cross-sector topics) trade strategies, facilitated through public-private sector dialogue. This process mainstreams trade into national development plans, and addresses poverty-reduction, gender equity, youth, employment, the environment and regional integration. Trade strategies serve both as effective policy instruments and as action-oriented roadmaps, designed to boost export performance, stimulate growth and achieve development impact.</p><p>This project supports the Trade Development Strategies Programme at ITC, now in its 16th year, by enabling innovation and refinement of methodologies used in the design and implementation strategy solutions. It builds awareness among stakeholders on trade support needs and highlights potential opportunities. It enables Global Public Goods such as Trade Strategy Map as well as communications and outreach throughout the year.&nbsp;</p><p>As such, this project enables the Trade Development Strategy Programme in a number of ways:</p><p>1. It is the principal source of funding for innovation, tools development and refinement, providing new solutions to country partners.</p><p>2. It allows the conduct of business development activities, generating funding for the delivery of technical assistance.</p><p>3. It makes possible the development and maintenance of global public goods such as Trade Strategy Map, keeping ITC at the forefront of trade strategy solutions.</p><p>4. It supports the delivery of specific country initiatives, technical assistance, often supplementing country-funded initiatives and/or responding to acute country demands.</p><p>In 2021, this project will continue to build on successes during the past 17 years, and lay the foundation for future growth and innovation:</p><ul><li>Piloting the trade information and trade facilitation functional strategies in NES initiatives;</li><li>Finalising the TVET functional strategy methodology;</li><li>Consolidating the SIMT for better reporting and impact measurement;</li><li>Developing a version of the SIMT for internal use for better project monitoring and management;</li><li>Upgrading and updating the Green Strategy (environmental sustainability) methodology;</li><li>Revising and updating selected communications materials;</li><li>Supporting business development activities.</li><li>Supporting the piloting of the first ever comprehensive National Tourism Export Strategy in Cura&ccedil;ao (if project is confirmed).</li></ul>

<p><span lang="FR">Le projet vise &agrave; augmenter la production, la transformation, la diversification et la croissance des exportations pour atteindre les objectifs de d&eacute;veloppement du Benin. Cet objectif sera soutenu &agrave; travers l&rsquo;&eacute;laboration et l&rsquo;accompagnement &agrave; la gestion &agrave; la mise en oeuvre d&apos;une Strat&eacute;gie Nationale d&apos;Exportation (SNE), compos&eacute;e &eacute;galement de strat&eacute;gies sectorielles et fonctionnelles. Le projet apportera en outre un appui &agrave; la mise en place de m&eacute;canismes nationaux de gestion de la SNE. &nbsp;La mise en &oelig;uvre de la SNE sera soutenue par un renforcement des capacit&eacute;s des parties prenantes nationales. Le projet sera dirig&eacute; par le Minist&egrave;re de l&apos;Industrie et du Commerce, en collaboration avec l&apos;Agence de Promotion des Investissements et des Exportations (APIEX) du B&eacute;nin, et accompagn&eacute; techniquement par le Centre du Commerce International (ITC).&nbsp;</span></p>

<p>The Strengthening the Agriculture and Agri-food Value Chain and Improving Trade Policy (SAAVI) project aims to support stabilization and governance through building the capacities of key Iraqi institutions to deliver public services, as well as sustainable job creation through the development of human capital and the enhancement of private sector&rsquo;s competitiveness. This EU-funded project focuses on the development and implementation of sector strategies for high-potential products, as well as on defining more market-oriented policies to improve predictability and efficiency in the business environment. SAAVI also provides assistance to enhance Iraq&rsquo;s trade policy and supports the country in its WTO accession process.</p><p>SAAVI is implemented under the leadership of the Government of Iraq through the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Trade.</p><p>The project forms part of the overall European Union Special measure for supporting employment creation and improving economic governance in Iraq. As such, SAAVI is fully aligned with the activities of FAO, IOM, ILO, UNESCO and GIZ in the domain of private sector engagement and agricultural development.</p>

<p>Lesotho is a Least Developed Country with a relatively small and concentrated export basket. Some of the constraints affecting its private sector include: lack of adequate infrastructure and productive capacity, difficulties to navigate the complexity of foreign market requirements, difficulties to identify the opportunities offered by existing trade agreements, limited managerial capabilities, little technological innovation, and limited access to key inputs and market intelligence. All of these constraints impact the country&rsquo;s ability to compete in global markets and hinder the government&rsquo;s priorities to create jobs with a focus on youth and women as well as economic growth through enhanced trade competitiveness. The Government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), has formulated its 2021-25 National Export Strategy (NES) Roadmap. The NES Roadmap acts as a blueprint for the Government, the private sector and development partners in their joint effort to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and to expand the trade competitiveness of the country. The NES Roadmap provides a prioritized plan of action with specific activities to support exporting MSMEs at the national level in three strategic sectors: horticulture, textiles and apparel, as well as light industry. The implementation of these activities will help Lesotho to seize existing trade opportunities. The Government of Lesotho has requested ITC to lead in the design of project(s) to support the implementation of the NES Roadmap. The bankable project proposal to be developed should take into consideration the recommendations of Lesotho&rsquo;s National Trade Policy Framework and the strategic and operational objectives of the NES Roadmap both at the national and sector levels. Indeed, such objectives will pay singular attention to post-pandemic recovery of MSMEs that were affected by the COVID19 global health crisis.</p>