STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
TRADE CENTRE (ITC) FOR THE  
COMM
ITTEE ON TRADE AND 
DEVELOPMENT (CTD)  
THE 6
1ST SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE 
30 APRIL 2024 
DELIVERED BY ZEYNEP OZGEN , 
SENIOR DONOR RELATIONS AND GOVERNANCE OFFICER  
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE  
RD/COMTD/AFT/41 
- 3 -Thank you Chair, Ambassador Ram Prasad SUBEDI (Nepal) . 
Distinguished delegates, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
When we last met in Februar y, we were all in the thick of MC13 preparations, 
looking to build on the milestones reached at MC12 and send a strong signal to 
the world that the international trade community was committed to 
multilateralism, especially in these uncertain times. 
When we spoke then, I shared how  ITC is committed to working with the WTO 
and other partners  to exemplify this commitment, so that together we can deliver 
on trade -led development that leaves no one behind. 
In today’s statement, I will share with you some recent updates on how ITC is 
putting this commitment into practice . I’ll also give  a brief preview of what to 
expect over the coming months  as we keep supporting small businesses through 
trade , so they can deliver on sustainable development’s promise. 
[MC13 Debrief ] 
First, I would  like to congratulate the WTO for its 13th Ministerial  Conference. 
Your commitment there to keep fighting for the best possible outcomes, despite 
the extremely challenging global context, was exemplary. ITC stands ready to 
continue supporting the WTO as it builds on that hard work and begin s setting 
the stage for MC14 in Cameroon. 
One of the highlights at MC13 for ITC was seeing Members’ focus on inclusion 
and sustainable development, including in the context of the Abu Dhabi 
Ministerial Declaration. We especially welcome the Declaration’s recognition of 
the crucial  role of women and of MSMEs in trade . 
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 - 4 -While in Abu Dhabi , we co-hosted the WTO -ITC High -Level Event on Women 
and Trade and SheTrades Summit . That two-day gathering brought together 
policymakers, small businesses, and private sector partners to showcase the 
transformative potential of trade in advancing gender equality. We were delighted 
to see so many of you there.  
As part of that event, the WTO Director -General  and ITC  Executive Director  
launched a joint fund for W omen Exporters in the Digital Economy , also known 
as  “WEIDE .” It’s designed to support women -led businesses in adopting digital 
technologies and tools  to facilitat e their expansion into new markets. 
We are grateful for the UAE ’s initial $5 million contribution, which is an 
impressive vote of confidence in what this fund can achieve. ITC and WTO look 
forward to working with other funders to keep building on this first step, so that 
more women entrepreneurs can reap the rewards of the digital economy.  
Other milestones during the high -level event included the unveiling of a 
compendium on financ ial inclusion initiatives for women- led businesses by the 
Informal Working Group on MSMEs and the Informal Working Group on Trade 
and Gender, jointly  prepared  by the WTO and ITC. 
[GRPP at CSW ] 
We also soft-launched our global campaign with UN Women on gender -
responsive public procurement  at MC13, laying the groundwork for our official 
launch at the 68th Commission  on the Status of Women in New York in March . 
Despite  women owning one out of  thr ee firms globally , only 1% of government 
contracts go to women- owned businesses . This is a big miss ed opportunity, 
especially at a time when progress is sorely lagging on achieving SDG5 on gender 
equality . We are happy to note that several countries and international 
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 - 5 -organizations have already delivered statements  of support and made national  
pledges to the campaign. We encourage more to come on board and look forward 
to sharing our progress at the WTO Public Forum in September. We’ll also be 
briefing WTO M embers in further detail at the Committee on Government 
Procurement at their next meeting.  
[Youth Ecopreneur Programme ] 
Youth play a vital role in trade and sustainable development, and ITC is 
committed to supporting them as they change our world for the better. 
To that end, we have recently upgraded  our Youth Ecopreneurs Awards into a 
full-fledged Ye! Youth Ecopreneurs Programme, alongside the G20 Global Land 
Initiative , and with our longstanding partners WIPO, Sidley Austin, and Google . 
Our goal in scaling up this program is simple: to support visionary young 
entrepreneurs as they pioneer sustainable solutions for our planet, while making 
it possible for them to be part of a community with their peers.  Along with the 
longstanding awards event, the program will now have a g lobal bootcamp and 
accelerator phase that supports young entrepreneurs over a much longer period. 
[SIDS4 ] 
Next month, ITC will take part in the SIDS4 conference in Antigua and Barbuda , 
where we’ll focus on why MSMEs are critical for achieving resilient prosperity  
in SIDS —the conference’s theme. Expect to see us highlighting market -led 
approaches for the blue and green economies, along with how small businesses 
in SIDS  can leverag e technology and data for greater climate resilience.  
While in Antigua, we’ll be launch ing the SIDS Trade Tracker , a platform that 
will help assess SIDS -specific trade trends, challenges, and opportunities, 
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 - 6 -factoring in aspects like their remoteness and dependence on tourism. It builds on 
the success of the LDC Trade Tracker and is free and easy to use. We hope that 
this new platform  can serve both policymakers and small businesses alike, so they 
can use the best available data in making their decisions.  
We’ll also be launching a new project that will take the lessons learned from our 
longstanding work in the Caribbean —including  our work to support the 
development of Jamaica’s coconut sector —and apply them to help make the 
region’s food systems more resilient and sustainable. This new ‘Alliances for 
Caribbean Food Security’ project is in collaboration with the EU . 
[Aid for Trade Global Review  2024 ] 
In June, ITC will be participating in the WTO’s Ninth Aid for Trade Global 
Review . We will be co -hosting several sessions and making significant 
contributions to the sub-themes of ‘Mainstreaming Trade’ and ‘Digital 
Connectivity ,’ incorporating insights from our work on inclusive trade, e -
commerce, investment facilitation and other digital trade topics.  
[60th Anniversary]  
As I conclude, I want to highlight that 2024 is a big year for both the WTO and 
the ITC . We’re celebrating some major birthdays, with the WTO turning 30 years 
old and ITC marking 60 years since we opened our doors at Villa Bocage.  
Over the coming months, you’ll be hearing more from us on how we’re using the 
lessons of the past 60 years and adapting them for current needs and future goals. 
For instance, we’ll be looking to amplify the impact of ITC's global public goods, 
while strengthening our focus on supporting regional integration initiatives 
around the world. We’ll be working with partners both within the Geneva trade 
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- 7 -community and globally to find solutions to the most pressing challenges small 
businesses face, including the existential threat posed by climate change. And we 
will continue to elevate the voices of small businesses, especially those that are 
owned by women, youth and other vulnerable communities. 
You’ll be hearing much more about these plans at o ur Joint Advisory Group 
meeting on June 25 , along with at ITC’s official 60th anniversary celebration on  
June 27 on MSME Day , both taking place  at the WTO.  
We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your feedback on how we can 
keep working  together to make trade more connected, sustainable, and inclusive . 
Thank you Chair. 
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