devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Refugee Employment and Skills Initiative (RESI): Linking Refugees in Kenya to Market Opportunities (Components 1 & 2) The Refugee Employment & Skills Initiative (RESI) Kenya deploys innovative ways to address livelihoods development in protracted humanitarian situations.The RESI method harnesses productive potential and works towards building market connections for the benefit of refugees and local communities for shared growth. Central to RESI's approach is its two-fold intervention; the project works promoting the development of commercially valuable skills for refugees and host communities alike while supporting Kenyan small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) - social businesses in particular - in creating value and employment in the host countries through increased national, regional and international business.In addition, the project harnesses ITC's market based approach to strengthen NRC's general vocational training and livelihood initiatives in Dadaab.The project ultimately aims at increasing employability and income generation opportunities for refugees and hence at contributing to sustainable livelihoods, self-sufficiency and increased resilience that would eventually support voluntary returns.
Afghanistan: Trade-related assistance The initiative supports laying the foundation for strengthening the country’s trade capacities and building a business-friendly environment, with a long-term goal of Afghanistan becoming a vibrant regional economic hub.

The intervention is a recognition of ongoing efforts by the Afghan government to use trade as driver of economic growth, regional cooperation and stability. Afghanistan acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in July 2016 and has placed trade and regional economic cooperation at the heart of its development strategy.

ITC is supporting government institutions strengthen their capacity to formulate and implement trade strategies and policies, improve quality standards of products to meet international standards and enhance cross border movement of goods. Through these and other trade-enabling improvements to the business environment, ITC is ultimately supporting SMEs to overcome the plethora of challenges that make it difficult for them to reach markets in the region and beyond.

The multi year plan (2016 – 2020) is implemented by ITC in close collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
SheTrades The SheTrades project frames ITC’s projects on women and trade. The unique framework engages partners to contribute to the main al of the initiative, namely, to connect three million women entrepreneurs to markets by 2021, and provides them with tools and methodologies that expand ITC's reach. The main aim of the project is to increase the participation of women entrepreneurs in international trade. This will be achieved through:- New partnerships that offer suitable business services for our network of women entrepreneurs;- Awareness raising events demonstrating the benefits of implementing inclusive business practices and policies;- Workshops, webinars and online courses tailored to specific sectors and broad topics (e-commerce, logistics, business skills, etc.) delivered by ITC experts and partners;- Business/investment generation activities such as SheTrades Invest activities and the annual SheTrades Global event with the active participation of women entrepreneurs;- Access to the SheTrades online platform. In 2020, this project will focus on tracking the progress towards the SheTrades' target of connecting three million women entrepreneurs to markets by 2021. The project will also outline the strategy beyond the year 2021 to ensure the sustainability and growth of the initiative.
Iran: Trade-Related Technical Assistance The project “EU – Iran Trade Development: Trade-related technical assistance, capacity building, and value chain development for inclusive and sustainable trade-led growth in Iran” is part of the renewed cooperation and engagement between the EU and Iran following the conclusion of the JCPOA. Over the course of five years, the project aims at increasing and diversifying trade in goods and services. It focuses on the development of a National Export Strategy as well as sectoral export strategies, further developing selected value chains. Private sector support is at the core of the project to allow for Iranian MSMEs to increase their competitiveness and gain international market access. Furthermore, the project provides technical assistance to Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), enabling the organization to offer better services to their members. With a strong focus on youth, the project set up a youth entrepreneurship and youth trade accelerator programme. The activities and efforts under the project are closely connected to Iran’s National Development Plan 2016-2021, and in line with the European Consensus on Development and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Sénégal: Programme d'appui à la Compétitivité de l’Afrique de l’Ouest  (PACAO) The West Africa Competitiveness Support Program (WACOMP) in Senegal is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Small and Medium Enterprises of Senegal. WACOMP Senegal aims to support and strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs in regional and international markets.As the second largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) after C&ocirc;te d&apos;Ivoire, Senegal&apos;s main challenges include stabilising its trade balance, which remains in deficit, diversifying its exports, and reducing its dependence on food imports. To meet these challenges and strengthen the country&rsquo;s competitiveness, the programme will focus on three strategic sectors to create sustainable employment in Senegal. These are mango, onion and information and communication technologies (ICT). Particular emphasis will be placed on the emergence of cooperative societies governed by the OHADA Uniform Act in order to contribute to the structuration of agriculture value chains and to facilitate access to financing for operators. As such, WACOMP Senegal contributes to the creation of sustainable jobs and income-generating activities. The program began in August 2020 and will run until April 2023.&nbsp;
Systematic Mechanism for Safer Trade (SYMST) The action, funded by the EU, aims at providing support to the target countries in ASEAN (Lao PDR and Vietnam), in the area of plant health, and pesticides use and control of the F&V as well as on other plant products supply chains. The overall objective is to improve food safety through better vernance. The specific objective is to strengthen regulatory framework for control of plant health and pesticides in the fruits and vegetable sector and other plant products through the application of norms and standards and improve market access. The expected results are:- Improved awareness and knowledge of private sector and authorities on plant health and pesticides issues in fruits, vegetables and other plant products.- Improved performance of the regulatory and control institutions and improved capacity of the fruits, vegetables and other plant product supply chain actors to comply with plant health and pesticides control - Strengthened market access opportunities and facilitated business linkages of fruits, vegetables and other plant products actors from target countries to EU and regional markets. Project extension being discussed with donor.
Tanzania: Kigoma Joint Programme under UNDAP II ITC jointly with 16 UN agencies within the framework of the Kima Joint Programme, will contribute to development of Kima Region in Tanzania.There are six converging and cross-sectoral outcomes of sustainable energy and environment, youth and women’s economic empowerment, violence against women and children, agriculture with a focus on developing local markets, education with a focus on girls and adolescent girls and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). ITC is part of two Outcomes: Youth and women’s economic empowerment and Agriculture with a focus on developing local markets.The JP will focus mainly on the 3 districts of Kasulu, Kibondo and Kakonko surrounding the three existing refugee camps, but will not exclude potential support to other districts. The region of Kima is the poorest region in Tanzania according to the latest national household survey from 2012. The estimated poverty rate of Kima region is at 49%, considerably higher than even 2 and 3 on that list, Kagera (39%) and Singida (38%). It is also, together with Tanga, the only region that has experienced increased poverty rates when comparing the 2001 and 2012 household surveys, increasing from 38 to 49% (Tanga increased from 26-33%). All the other regions have experienced decreasing poverty rates. It also faces additional challenges being the largest receiver of refugees coming to Tanzania, both from Burundi and DRC and the numbers of refugees are currently increasing every day from both countries to the Kima region.There is therefore the intention of the UN Country Management Team (UNCMT) to support not only the refugee population through the humanitarian response but also to increase the long-term development support to the host communities in the closest districts, to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development, and between refugees and the host communities.
Collecting data on women in extra-EU services trade in selected EU Member States The project aims to provide EU decision makers with solid evidence base on women's participation in extra-EU trade in services, shaped to be used as input for enhanced inclusion of the gender dimension in free trade agreements. This will facilitate the adoption of trade policy instruments conducive to increasing women's engagement in trade in services. The work entails: documenting the gender-structure of EU-based firms exporting services (in terms of management/ownership/employment); and, identifying the obstacles that hinder women's engagement in extra EU-trade in services. The method developed in the framework of the project can be replicated in other countries, and it can thus play a crucial role in closing the data gap on women's participation in international trade. The main component of the project is a survey that contributes to better understand the participation of women in extra-EU trade in services (in terms of employment, management and ownership of exporting companies) and the challenges faced by women when engaging in international trade in services. The survey will provide the results of relevance at the EU level and at the sector level.
Export strategy design and management The core business Export Strategy 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.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 ods such as Trade Strategy Map as well as communications and outreach throughout the year. As such, this project enables the Trade Development Strategy Programme in a number of ways:1. It is the principal source of funding for innovation, tools development and refinement, providing new solutions to country partners.2. It allows the conduct of business development activities, generating funding for the delivery of technical assistance.3. It makes possible the development and maintenance of global public ods such as Trade Strategy Map, keeping ITC at the forefront of trade strategy solutions.4. It supports the delivery of specific country initiatives, technical assistance, often supplementing country-funded initiatives and/or responding to acute country demands.In 2021, this project will continue to build on successes during the past 18 years, and lay the foundation for future growth and innovation.
The Gambia: Localizing SDGs - Improving the livelihoods of vulnerable women and youth around the Senegambia Bridge The project aims to strengthen the economic and social rights of vulnerable groups whose livelihoods have been affected by the Senegambia Bridge. The newly constructed bridge not only has the potential to transform trade in West Africa and contribute to integrating the region by connecting Mauritania with Senegal and Nigeria but has a much wider social and economic impact on the trans-Gambia road corridor. While there are clear benefits for the macro economy of reducing the transit time of overland traffic, the bridge also has an important socio-economic impact on the communities along the transport corridor.&nbsp;The joint project is led by UNFPA and implemented in a collaboration with ITC and several national partners. The economic component led by ITC addresses the Freedom from Want by supporting income diversification and strengthen business support services in the affected communities. The activities focus on women and youth in the North Bank Region and the Lower River Region and cover skills training in hospitality and agro-processing, strengthening of productive capacities, and improving access to markets.
Libya: Trade Academy The Libyan Trade Academy project is a component of a programme called "Support Libyan Economic Integration, Diversification and Sustainable Employment" (SLEIDSE), which is a technical support program lead by Expertise France and funded by the EU. SLEIDSE activities focus on five areas: Developing a culture of entrepreneurship among Libyan youth, establishing business support centres and incubators (BSCs), strengthening the role of the national program for SMEs, improving access to finance and improving the Libyan business environment through national-level interventions. The Libyan Trade Academy (Libus) is a key component of the BSC programme pillar as it will play the role of training and practical business resource for the business support centres and incubators. A 100-hour curriculum as well as on-demand business development multimedia resources will be made available to young male and female Libyan entrepreneurs, through a modular training programme. This online training programme builds upon a successful pilot implemented in 2016.
Uganda: Export development of IT and IT-enabled services (NTF IV) The NTF IV Uganda aims at supporting the internationalization of IT &ITES SMEs, and it seeks to influence policy makers and regulators, Trade and Investment Support Institutions and private trade/business support providers, as well as international private sector market partners in creating a supportive environment for enterprises in IT and IT enabled services sector. The intermediary outcomes of NTF IV are as follow: Policy makers and regulators monitor and coordinate the implementation of the endorsed Sector Export Plan and Country Marketing Plan in the IT&ITES sector. TISIs (ATIS, ICTAU) extend and improve their export-related services for IT&ITES businesses. SME and start-up company owners/managers implement business decisions that raise their competitiveness. Beneficiary companies and supported private sector associations develop international linkages and build partnerships.
Senegal: Building Resilient Trade Competitiveness by Fast Tracking the Digital Technology Sector (NTF V) ITC and the Dutch Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) have been cooperating for decades. This cooperation led to a series of sector development programmes under the Netherlands Trust Fund NTF) since 2005. The current project is part of the NTF V programme funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands and implemented in close coordination with CBI. NTF V was approved in July 2021 and will run until June 2025. Its ambition is to contribute to building back better in the partner countries (Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Uganda) with a focus on creating a link between MSMEs in the digital technologies and agribusiness sectors.

Senegal has a high penetration rate of mobile phones (117%) and internet services (92.29%) and the mobile money market is experiencing strong growth with more and more major players (Orange Money, Wave). As of December 31, 2020, the country had 7.81 million Internet users, ie 46% of the total population. Unsurprisingly, Senegal has one of the highest shares of GDP linked to the digital economy according to McKinsey Global Institute, ranging from the telecommunications sector to startups active in the digital sector.

Under NTF V Senegal Tech, activities will foster business-friendly tech ecosystems, strengthen business support organizations such as tech hubs and equip tech start-ups and SMEs with resilient business models, linking them to business, partnership and investment opportunities while contributing to the digitalization of traditional SMEs in other sectors, in particular in agribusiness.

To this end, agritech start-ups will be supported to improve their understanding of the needs of agribusinesses as they go digital.
Building "Export Bahrain" The project aimed at supporting the operationalization process of the Bahraini Export Development Centre to become a respected and visible institution that delivers high quality, relevant and impactful services to Bahraini exporters and supports aspiring exporters to internationalize. This has been reached through the delivery of the following support: i) Export Bahrain has been equipped with aligned core documents and processes to commence operations as a Trade Promotion Organization (TPO): ii) The managerial and operational capacities of Export Bahrain has been developed through training and coaching; iii) A customized performance management system has been put in place to support consistent and useful measurement of activities is developed; iv) Export Bahrain trade and market information capacity was strengthened and customized to better support exporting companies; v) Export Bahrain competence on trade and market analysis enhanced through an advanced capacity building programme and support to identify trade obstacles and remedies; and vi) Export Bahrain capacity to offer export quality management services was built. The main ITC Bahraini partners in the implementation of this project were the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Bahraini Labor Fund (Tamkeen).
SheTrades Mauritius The SheTrades Mauritius project aims to increase the participation of women-led businesses and young women graduates in trade in Mauritius by fostering and enabling an inclusive business environment through setting up a SheTrades Mauritius Hub and improving their competitiveness to access markets. Financed by the government of the United Kingdom, the project will be implemented in partnership with the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, which will host the SheTrades Hub in the country.The SheTrades Mauritius project will:improve the business support ecosystem to support the growth of women&apos;s economic empowerment initiatives and activities through setting up the ITC SheTrades Mauritius Hubimprove capacity of women-led businesses in Mauritius to access marketsimprove sector-specific entrepreneurial skills of young women graduates in Mauritius&nbsp;The target beneficiaries of this project are the host institution of the SheTrades Mauritius Hub, women-led businesses in the following export-oriented sectors (ICT, textile and apparel, jewelry, agro-processing and tourism) and young women graduates in the textile and apparel sector.
Colombia PUEDE: Peace and unity through productive development and commercialization Colombia PUEDE is working to improve income earning opportunities of 2,000 smallholder farmers and their families in post-conflict areas of Colombia by increasing their productivity, improving the quality of their produce, and strengthening their market competitiveness.Colombia PUEDE works with small producers of coconuts, cocoa, and Tahiti lime in four post-conflict municipalities of the Department of Nariño, in the south of Colombia: El Rosario, Leiva, Policarpa, and Tumaco.We aim to help these farmers through:Increasing their access to technical assistance and infrastructure.Strengthening the capacities and skills of producersEnhancing the market knowledge of small producersIdentifying market opportunities and value chain alliances.
Afghanistan: Advancing  trade (Phase II) International trade is an important driver of growth and a means to facilitate Afghanistan's path away from aid dependency. As such, the vernment of Afghanistan has prioritized trade, regional cooperation and private sector development as critical elements for its economic development strategy.The Action, therefore, aims to unlock Afghanistan's trade potential by improving quality and standards- setting, strengthening export/investment promotion capacities, facilitating cross border trade including through removing regulatory and procedural barriers, supporting specific value chains and women’s participation in international business and trade.In doing so, the Action is supporting the implementation of priority needs embedded in the vernment of Afghanistan’s road map for export competitiveness: the National Export Strategy (NES). The NES, endorsed by the vernment and officially launched in June 2018, was the flagship document of Phase I of the AAT project (2016-2019). As such, the Action is a follow-up intervention aimed at materializing the NES strategic vision to support trade competitiveness within the region.The project's general objective (impact) is to foster a more inclusive and exports-led economic growth.The specific objectives (outcomes) of the project are:Specific objective 1: Strengthened business/investment environment to support regional economic integration and connectivity;Specific objective 2: Improved competitiveness and economic, social and environmental responsibility in agri-business and manufactured products value chains;Specific objective 3: Increased engagement of Afghan women in international/regional trade.By delivering on the above specific objectives, the action will increase participation of Afghan MSMEs in international/regional trade in selected agri-business and manufacturing sector value chains.By delivering on the above specific objectives, the Action will increase participation of Afghan MSMEs in international/regional trade in selected agri-business and manufacturing product value chains. Preliminary analysis and consultations have identified the following possible value chains for examination during the inception phase (but not limited to): 1) agribusiness (saffron, dried fruits and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, and 2) manufactured products (jewels and precious stones).The Action will build on the results achieved within the project's Phase I.