International Trade and Finance
Creating income opportunities for refugees in East Africa
Didier is 21. When his father was murdered Didier fled to Nakivale in southeast Uganda. He found safety in the bustling settlement along with more than 60000 refugees. As the initial shock started wearing off he focused on finding ways to support himself and his younger siblings. Yet those livelihood opportunities are difficult to come and going back home is not safe.
Tourism can show the way forward in achieving Global Goals
We definitely live in the ‘Era of Travel’ a time in which tourism has become a pillar of our economies and our societies. International tourist arrivals reached a new record in 2016: 1.2 billion. Back in 1950 only 25 million people were travelling internationally. By the year 2030 we will register around 1.8 billion international tourist arrivals.
A cup of tea from Sri Lanka
Break the ice cure a headache host a guest or simply relax. All you need is a cup of tea.
Opening high-end markets for Bhutanese handicrafts
The handicraft textile industry is an integral part of life and culture in Bhutan employing about half the country’s workforce. However if the sector is going to succeed in high-end markets the design and quality of handicraft textile products require further enhancements to be able to compete in Europe or Japan.
A one-stop shop for better global trade
International trade is an important means to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Trade can and should play a crucial role in realizing these goals which include ending extreme poverty and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Proper design and implementation of trade rules is vital to attaining these goals. While most trade agreements have focused on the liberalization and facilitation of trade many countries are still struggling to integrate themselves into international value chains.
Connecting women to markets through SheTrades
The SheTrades initiative which aims to connect one million women entrepreneurs to the market by 2020 was launched just over two years ago. It is the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) main vehicle to support Goal 5 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to empower all women and girls.
The link between trade and labour: Is it working?
The intersection between trade and labour is a topic that has attracted much attention over the past 12 months. From Brexit to the presidential election in the United States politicians have sought to exploit the notion that trade – and in particular trade liberalization – produces negative effects on labour standards and conditions.
Ensuring greater participation of women in international trade
Reducing the gender gap can release a wealth of human talent ingenuity and creativity important resources for developing countries seeking to transform their societies through trade. As much as US$28 trillion or 26% could be added to global annual growth domestic product (GDP) by 2025 by advancing to full parity between men and women according to a McKinsey Global Institute report.
Today’s trade policies, tomorrow’s prosperity
Those under the age of 25 – which today make up half of the world’s population – will by 2030 have grown up to become breadwinners for themselves and their families. They will have to make their living amid the technological advances environmental strains and prevailing economic conditions of their time. In many ways the future they will inherit tomorrow depends on the policies put in motion today including those focused on trade.
AfCFTA for more prosperity
What does the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) mean for Adwoa Serwaa selling her banana chips in Kumasi market in Ghana for Malala Rakotodrainabe a vanilla wholesaler in the Analakely market in Antananarivo Madagascar and for Mohammed Khaled a tech entrepreneur providing e-solutions to restaurants in Marrakesh Morocco? How can the AfCFTA affect positively on their businesses in the coming years?
Afghanistan: Enabling trade for economic growth and regional cooperation
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Afghanistan that want to become a part of the global trade market are faced with a myriad of problems that render this objective very difficult if not impossible in many cases.
Agriculture trade: Regional solutions for global challenges
While counting steps to achieve my daily walking goal in the corridors of trade-related organizations in Geneva I have come across hundreds of negotiators policymakers experts and stakeholders on agriculture trade. In my encounters with this myriad of colleagues from across the world I have come to conclude that we often share common challenges. Three challenges in particular stand out: how to achieve food security how to move up in agriculture value chains and how to get access to the global agriculture marketplace.
Improving Afghan food safety to boost exports
‘Have you ever seen a grape this big?’ Bharat Toshar from Euro Fruits asked his guests rotating the engorged green fruit for all to see. Squeezed between rows of vines resting on trellises the visitors being questioned slowly shook their heads. The grape in question was nearly the size of a small plum plucked from a row of vines exposed to an experimental blend of drip irrigation and fertilizers.
Making headway
As this unpredictable year comes to an end we are still braving a pandemic that has been incredibly challenging for us all. The most vulnerable sections of society the poor women and children in particular have been the most affected and the crisis has created an economic impact that will only increase income inequalities around the world.
Making community-based tourism shine where it matters
The Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries of the Netherlands or CBI for short is working in several Asian and African countries to increase sustainable tourism and connect tour operators to the European market. CBI and the International Trade Centre are no strangers to working with each other – since 2014 the two organizations have been reinforcing Myanmar’s sustainable tourism market under the Netherlands Trust Fund. They now collaborate on the Inclusive Myanmar Tourism Project 2018-2021.
COVID-19 impact on business
Our employees make it possible
Myanmar reported its first case of COVID-19 on 23 March. The government responded with restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading: banning mass gatherings suspending visas issuing stay-at-home orders quarantining promoting social distancing and imposing legal actions against those who broke the new laws. It seems that thanks to these prompt actions the case numbers remained low. But the economic impact for businesses especially for restaurants and hotels was devastating.
Opening world markets for Tanzanian spice exporters
Paul de Rooij an investor in Tanzania’s spice sector has an expansive knowledge of cinnamon.
Reshaping the traditional marriage between technology and agriculture
Walking away from a failed e-commerce startup my business partner Francis Obirikorang and I decided to try building a solution for agriculture primarily because it was gaining a lot of investor attention at the time. In December 2015 we packed our bags and made a trip to northern Ghana. Over a period of two weeks we lived among smallholders to understand what their pain points were. It was an awesome experience that left us both awestruck and disheartened.