devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Partnership for Investment and Growth in Africa (Main Phase) PIGA is a partnership of the vernment of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).Under this partnership, FCDO, CADFund, CCPIT and ITC deliver together a project to increase investment-led exports and local development in two productive sectors, agro-processing and light manufacturing. PIGA was officially launched on 22 October 2015 in London, on the sidelines of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the UK. PIGA, is a component of Manufacturing Africa, a large FCDO programme linking private sector investors, buyers, financiers and vernments in several African countries to boost manufacturing and create jobs by increasing foreign direct investment (FDI).PROJECT AL;To increased exports, jobs and local development through foreign investments and business partnerships in agro-processing and light manufacturing sectors in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia. To achieve the project al, the PIGA main phase activities are: Facilitate and generate business partnerships between African and Chinese companies -Organizing B2B events, investment awareness seminars and visits of Chinese investors to Africa -Building capacities of African companies to receive FDI and technology transfer -Promote linkages between investors and local suppliers Strengthen capacities to deliver investment services -Improve Trade and investment support institutions; (TISI) investment promotion services -Develop investment guides and online investment information platforms for foreign investors -Improve TISIs effectiveness in measuring and monitoring FDI Overcome obstacles to FDI and enable knowledge shared (UK-China-Africa) -Conduct public-private roundtables at national level to address reported challenges by investors -Organize Investment Business Summits and workshop for experience and knowledge sharing
Guinea: Relance de la filière ananas (REFILA) Le Programme de Compétitivité de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (PCAO) met l’accent sur l’émergence de chaînes de valeur régionales à fort potentiel de transformation et d’exportation. En Guinée, le pays a fait le choix de soutenir l’ananas qui est largement commercialisé et exporté à l’état frais et principalement en direction de quelques marchés de la sous-région et en France. Le projet de Relance de la filière ananas REFILA se propose de mettre à niveau l’offre d’ananas de Guinée par rapport aux normes de qualité et, à travers l’appui de l’ITC, de positionner le produit sur de nouveaux marchés d’exportation (dans la sous-région ouest africaine, au Maghreb ainsi qu’en Europe). En particulier, la contribution de l'ITC au projet REFILA vise à relancer la compétitivité de l'ananas guinéen sur les marchés nationaux, régionaux et internationaux à travers :
- L'identification des opportunités de marchés d’exportation pour l’ananas de Guinée
- La préparation et appuis à la mise en œuvre d’un plan de promotion et marketing dans les marchés cibles prioritaires
- L'activation des liens avec les marchés cibles
- L'accompagnement et suivi des bénéficiaires dans le processus de conquête de marchés d’exportation
Global Trade Helpdesk The Global Trade Helpdesk (GTH) is a multi-agency initiative, which aims at improving the quality and transparency of trade-related information. It integrates existing information on trade regulations, procedures and opportunities into a unique web portal for micro-, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs) to make better informed trade decisions. The overall objective is to reduce trade cost hence maximizing the benefits of trade in terms of poverty reduction, inclusiveness and creation of decent jobs in particular in developing countries.
Commonwealth+: Increasing participation of women owned businesses in trade (SheTrades) SheTrades Commonwealth+ project aims to foster an enabling business ecosystem by promoting inclusive policy and data and engaging business support organizations, private-sector partners, and women-led businesses in the Commonwealth countries and the ASEAN region.  The project will focus on scalability and immediate results by strengthening the functionalities and diversifying services of the SheTrades Initiative globally through SheTrades Outlook and SheTrades Hubs. This project will build upon the previous phase of the SheTrades Commonwealth project that has been ongoing since 2018, over which time sustainable networks of stakeholders at both ecosystem and SME levels have been built and sustained.
Thailand: Trade-Related Assistance (Arise + Thailand) The ARISE Plus Thailand Project aims to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth through international trade in Thailand. It supports greater connectivity and economic integration between Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in line with the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025.The 3-year project, worth EUR 3 million and which started on 1 November 2020, aims to achieve a more transparent, predictable and competitive business environment, improve efficiency of public expenditure and service delivery, enhance organic agriculture practices and disseminate them within Thailand and other ASEAN countries.These priority areas of support were identified together with the Ministry of Commerce and Thai stakeholders to help tackling specific trade-related challenges faced by Thailand. They are also relevant to support Thailand in managing the economic and trade impact of Covid-19 pandemic.Ultimate project beneficiaries include Thai Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) which will benefit from improved business environment, policies and processes to increase their competitiveness. The focus on increasing transparency and simplification of regulations, for trade competition and public procurement, will notably address disadvantages faced more intensely by women and youth-owned businesses.
Conducive policy and regulatory environment: Strategy This project supports the continuous upgrading and updating of the Trade Development Strategies (TDS) function and related tools and methodologies. It also supports the maintenance of Global Public Goods such as Trade Strategy Map, as well as communications and outreach throughout the year. Finally, it supports business development activities, leading to W2-funded projects.The TDS programme is a critical component/intermediate outcome of ITC&rsquo;s core service &ldquo;A more conducive policy and regulatory environment for MSMEs&rdquo;. TDS are often an entry point and compass for ITC&rsquo;s coordinated interventions in a country, as it systematically identifies opportunities and weaknesses, and defines specific and timebound plans of action for trade development. The process of designing a TDS also build awareness among stakeholders and structures that increase the chances of successful implementation of identified projects and interventions.&nbsp;In 2022, this project focused on quality, innovation, network-building, and business development. Notable outputs include:1. The peer review mechanism was reviewed and upgraded with the aim of achieving a higher quality and more consistency among strategies facilitated by ITC. The NES for South Sudan and Vietnam were reviewed against the new mechansim, as was the sector strategy for Nepal.2. Research on strategic foresight conducted, and discussions with ETH Zurich and University of Geneva ensued, with a view to partnering.3. A retreat was held for all export strategy staff and HQ-based consultants, with the aim of re-aligning ITC&apos;s work in strategy, through highlighting essential characteristics in process and methodology. This was followed by Trade Strategy Clinics that focus on particular technical aspects of process and methodology in detail.4. A new and upgraded user interface for the Strategy Management Implementation Tool (SIMT) was designed and developed. An upgraded version of the SIMT will be deployed during the first half of 2023.5. A network of strategy-makers was re-established, and the first edition of the Trade Strategy Forum organised in Geneva. 40 participants from 18 countries shared experiences and debated best practice on &quot;The Challenges Of Implementation&quot;.It is expected that 2023, which marks the 20th anniversary of trade and export strategy at ITC, will be a continuation of this work, with a particular focus on quality/training and network-building, albeit to a lesser degree, given a smaller budgetary allocation.&nbsp;
Non-ODA: UK Trade Partnerships Programme The United Kingdom Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme aims to increase trade from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) to the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) by maximizing the benefits of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The UKTP Programme works in partnership with government agencies, private sector organisations, public sector institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises and other local stakeholders. It is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC).This project provides support to in countries that have signed the UK-CARIFORUM and the Eastern and Southern Africa EPAs that are ineligible for Overseas Development Assistance in the Caribbean region (Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago) and the Indian Ocean Region (Seychelles). The project also supports UK exports to and imports from countries covered by an EPA and Developing Countries Trading Schemes for activities where the primary beneficiary of the intervention is not ODA eligible, and ODA eligible beneficiaries are only secondary beneficiaries. &nbsp;The project will implement activities in the areas of EPA awareness, improved business environment, institutional capacity development and SME strengthening and market linkages.&nbsp;
CEFTA: Support to regional integration The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is a regional free trade agreement, currently comprising Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, and Republic of Serbia. Over the last years, CEFTA has been able to remove most intra-regional tariff barriers for goods. With the adoption of CEFTA Additional Protocol 5 (AP5) on trade facilitation and the conclusion of negotiations of CEFTA Additional Protocol 6 (AP6) on trade in services, the region has at its disposal instruments for a further deepening of regional economic integration and alignment with the EU acquis. However, the operationalisation and implementation of the reforms agreed at the regional level remain a challenge. This Action will therefore support CEFTA Parties, with the cooperation of the CEFTA Secretariat, in implementing its regional agenda on the facilitation of trade in goods and services. ITC will primarily contribute to: Enhance the ability of those involved in the operationalization of AP6 (i.e., build the capacity of the appointed CEFTA Contact Points for Services; foster Intra-governmental cooperation among relevant agencies; and facilitate linkages between policy makers and private sector); and provide advisory support to all CEFTA parties with a view to improving compliance of domestic regulations and procedures with AP6.
Eswatini: Promoting growth through competitive alliances III The overall objective of the Action is to contribute to economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.&nbsp;The specific objectives (outcomes) are the following: (1) Improved smallholder livestock productivity, with a more inclusive and sustainable management of assets at community/household level, (2)&nbsp;Inclusive, efficient, and transparent VC actors&rsquo; alliances strengthened in the livestock value chain (3) MSMEs/Social Enterprises&rsquo; competitiveness and value addition capabilities strengthened in a more sustainable and inclusive manner. The goals of the project would be achieved through the application of the Alliances for Action (A4A) methodology. The A4A brings together public and private actors to promote competitiveness and income-risk diversification among many VC actors. The actors include MSMEs/Social Enterprises, producer associations, farmers groups, cooperatives, and smallholder farmers, improving sustainable commercial linkages between value chain operators at the national, regional, and international levels.
SheTrades: Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade: Leveraging the AfCFTA The SheTrades: Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade: Leveraging the AfCFTA contributes to ITC's One Trade Africa and FAO strategies to support the AfCFTA. Spanning 54 countries, supporting a market of over 1 billion people, and contributing $2.5 trillion USD to global GDP, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a ground-breaking opportunity to create a unified continental market, boost Africa's share of global trade and achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.The AfCFTA is operational since early 2021, and these goals can only be accomplished if the AfCFTA is fair and inclusive. Women's equal participation in international trade is critical to promoting economic growth, enhancing productivity, increasing international competitiveness and reducing poverty. Moving up the value chain, leveraging networks of women's associations, upgrading their businesses and tapping into new markets are some of the many benefits women can reap by trading under the AfCFTA. According to FAO, from a food security standpoint, closing the gender gap in agriculture in Africa would lead to a yield increase of 20 to 30 percent and this could reduce by 100 to 150 million the number of undernourished people. ILO estimates that over 90% of women's employment in Africa is in the agricultural sector, largely informal. This project works with women traders and producers to identify priority issues and opportunities under the AfCFTA in agriculture and agro-processing, facilitating public-private dialogues to agree on next steps women's priorities, and providing market intelligence and training to women in a select agricultural regional value chain to help it expand to the continental level. This project aims to empower women producers, processors and informal and formal traders in agriculture and agro-processing value chains as well as agriculture women-led MSMEs to benefit from trade opportunities created by the AfCFTA through capacity-building, policy research and policy dialogues. The project contributes to ITC and FAO's s ongoing support to the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Inclusive trade: Youth and Trade initiative A COMPETITIVE FORCE FOR THE FUTURE
The Youth Moonshot is expected to change the trade narrative from the bottom-up by developing solutions that are grounded in local realities. By combining expertise through country projects, sectoral approaches, data and research, and direct connection with youth, the initiative will offer a comprehensive toolkit for youth economic empowerment through trade. This approach seeks to build momentum to establish a strong alliance of stakeholders committed to supporting youth to benefit from the transformative power of trade.
Over four years, ITC will support diverse groups of youth, including vulnerable populations. ITC will work with policy makers, BSOs, finance providers and other partners to nurture a supportive ecosystem for young entrepreneurs, building the knowledge, skills, and networks that young people need to succeed. Youth is one of the five impact areas of ITC's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, identified as being critical to delivering an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future.
Youth and Trade's Vision for 2025 is:
1. ITC is recognised as an agenda-setter on empowering youth to trade
2. Through ITC support, BSOs, market partners and financial institutions develop world-class services for youth
3. Youth are able to tap into better economic opportunities by leveraging trade channels
4. ITC is a trusted and effective partner to deliver on the aid for trade and youth economic empowerment agenda
5. ITC has an effective coordinated response to addressing the trade and youth challenge.
Inclusive trade: SheTrades initiative ITC FOR EVERY WOMAN, EVERYWHERE. ITC recognizes that Gender Equality is a right in and of itself and a requisite for sustainable development. All women everywhere have the right to a decent income, employment, working conditions and a choice and voice in shaping their economic context. Over the next four years, ITC will support a broad universe of women (entrepreneurs, producers, workers, young women, small-scale cross border traders), by leveraging trade and public procurement, mobilising SheTrades Hubs and high-level champions, and tapping into partnerships. The implementation strategy will be scaled up, inclusive, results-oriented and future-focused. ITC's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan identifies gender as one of the five impact areas to deliver an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future. Our Vision by 2025 is as follows:1. ITC is recognised as an agenda-setter on empowering women to trade, through the SheTrades Initiative 2.Through ITC support, BSOs, market partners and financial institutions develop world-class women in trade programmes 3. Women trade more and on better terms, hold more decent jobs, and a stronger voice in trade;4. ITC is a trusted and effective partner to deliver on the A4T/gender agenda; 5.ITC has an effective coordinated response to addressing the trade and gender challenge
Comoros: UK Trade Partnerships Programme The UK Trade Partnerships Programme is designed to ensure countries maximize benefits of Economic Partnership Agreements especially trade with the UK under EU EPAs or UK specific EPAs. The programme will increase awareness on EPA preferences by increasing availability and uptake of trade intelligence and build capacity of targeted firms/products to export to UK/EU market in selected pilot countries. The Programme will also allow DFID and ITC to learn lessons to inform future UK programming in export and import promotion. ITC will deliver the Programme in two phases: an inception phase of six months to tighten project design and an implementation phase of 28 months. ITC will measure impact in two ways: (1) increased trade between EPA partner countries and the UK and EU markets and (2) increased jobs supported through that trade. The programme will measure a variety of outcome level results, especially more competitive firms. All ODA eligible EPA Countries will benefit from assistance in trade intelligence. In selected pilots the programme will conduct more targeted export promotion support including Cameroon, Comoros, Côte D'Ivoire, Fiji or Papua New Guinea in the Pacific, Ghana, Madagascar and Zimbabwe and two to three countries in the CARIFORUM region.
SheTrades West Africa The SheTrades West Africa project, financed by the Korea International Cooperative Agency (KOICA), is being implemented in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The project's al is to improve the livelihoods of 10,000 women in selected agricultural value chains by 2023. The focus in Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire is cashew, in Liberia cassava and in Guinea shea. The project will be working with the vernments (ministries of trade, agriculture and gender/women), Business Support Organisations, value chain operators, SMEs and women as part of the farming household to develop the competitiveness and inclusiveness of these sectors, create local value addition, establish new market linkages and increase the benefits for women in these value chains.
Business, trade and market intelligence: Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT has brought AI technologies to popular attention in late 2022. Generative AI is disrupting the landscape in a similar way that computers and the internet did. These recent developments validate ITC's decision to invest in AI in the past two years, which has given the organization a head start compared to other TRTA providers. In a world where text data are growing exponentially, being able to automatically mine it for relevant insights and leverage it to develop innovative AI services can provide a competitive edge to the organisation. This C121 project started in 2022, and builds on the small C080 project developed in 2021. Building on the successful model of Trady, it will (1) continue to develop TradeAI - an AI-powered trade policy advisory tool that pinpoints policy-relevant solutions to trade-related problems, (2) disseminate ITC's work on AI and seek partnerships to scale it, and (3) develop a concept for a TradeAI app focusing on SMEs, as the tool was developed with an initial focus on policymakers.
PNG: UK Trade Partnerships Programme The UKTP PNG project helps to increase export of specialty coffee from SMEs in PNG to the UK and the EU to create jobs and additional income. This will be achieved by the following outputs: Increased awareness of EPA preferences and benefits; A more transparent business environment for exports; Improved institutional/business services to SMEs to support market access; Increased supply capacity to export to the UK/EU market; Activated market opportunities.
Fast Tracking Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa - Phase 1 The “Fast Tracking Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa” project was launched in November 2019 and rolled out in seven countries: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mali, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. Its pilot phase will end on 31 December 2021, with a total budget of 1 M USD. The project aims to support digital entrepreneurs and tech startups in sub-Saharan Africa with online and onsite training, advisory and coaching focused on building digital and business skills as well as domestic, regional & international business generation and investment promotion. The project also engages with the business support organisations, in particular tech hubs, and vernment to strengthen local tech ecosystems.
SheTrades: Empowering Women in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Signatories to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) have made a clear commitment to gender equality as one of the AfCFTA objectives (Art 3 of the Framework Agreement). The AfCFTA spans 55 countries, with a population of over 1 billion people and a cumulative GDP of more than US$3.4 trillion. Given its potential to foster regional value chains and its ambition to encompass ods, services, intellectual property, competition and investment, it is critical that gender is mainstreamed from a very early stage, to ensure that women are well positioned to seize opportunities in regional trade. Moreover, gender should be mainstreamed coherently in regional development programmes supporting the AfCFTA, such as the Boosting Intra-African Trade Action Plan which aims to catalyse much needed investment, capacity building, and Aid for Trade.The project SheTrades: Empowering Women in the African Continental Free Trade Area, jointly implemented with the African Union Commission, aims to empower women-owned businesses to benefit from trade opportunities created by the AfCFTA. The project will help to design a more inclusive AfCFTA by providing women business associations and policy-makers with capacity building and advocacy support, and bringing them together for policy dialogues. The project contributes to the Empowering Women to Trade Programme ToC, by focusing on awareness, knowledge and consensus for the design and implementation of inclusive trade policies.