- Home
- A-Z Publications
- International Trade Forum
- Previous Issues
- Volume 2017, Issue 2, 2017
International Trade Forum - Volume 2017, Issue 2, 2017
Volume 2017, Issue 2, 2017
-
-
The power of Aid for Trade
Author: Arancha GonzálezThis year marks the tenth anniversary of the first Global Review of Aid for Trade. I am incredibly proud to have been part of the process from the start: first in my role as Chief of Staff at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and now as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC).
-
-
-
MSMEs make the economic world go round
Author: EKATERINA BAGLAEVAThere are 500 million micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the world. That means nine out of every 10 companies are privately owned MSMEs. From the toothbrush you use in the morning to the rice you cook at night, a small business was almost certainly involved in its production or distribution.
-
-
-
The digital trade oversight
Author: HOSUK LEE-MAKIYAMATwo decades into the digital revolution, the notion that the internet and mobile connectivity are transforming trade and bridging the digital divide is a staple talking point at diplomatic conferences on trade and development. Needless to say, tariff cuts and digitalisation have combined to boost productivity and create a new breed of exporting firms, especially among small and micro-businesses in developing countries.
-
-
-
WTO trade facilitation deal needs its own facilitation
Author: PETER UNGPHAKORN‘The real work is just beginning,’ said World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo on 22 February 2017. He was warning against complacency as the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force after 20 years of hard slog.
-
-
-
How much does it cost to power the world’s fastest growing economies?
Author: JOHN HEWKOAccording to estimates by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asia- Pacific region requires US$1.7 trillion of infrastructure investment every year until 2030 just to maintain its current rate of growth.
-
-
-
Lessons learned from Aid for Trade
Author: Rajesh AggarwalMany developing countries, particularly least developed countries (LDCs), are prevented from fully taking part in international trade due to a range of supply-side and trade-related infrastructure challenges. The multilateral Aid for Trade initiative, launched in 2005 at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, was designed to mobilize resources to address trade-related constraints in developing countries and support their integration into the global economy.
-
-
-
Trade, connectivity and inclusiveness for sustainable development
Author: Roberto AzevêdoThe biennial Aid for Trade Global Reviews provide an opportunity for the trade and development community to come together to evaluate the support provided to developing and least developed countries (LDCs) to help them to integrate into the multilateral trading system. At this year’s Global Review, ministers, heads of international organizations and stakeholders from around the world will participate in no fewer than 54 sessions of at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11-13 July.
-
-
-
Upgrading Aid for Trade for the digital era
Author: Mukhisa KituyiIn a world of 4 billion google searches a day, 4 billion people remain disconnected from the internet. These contrasts matter for development; they matter for trade, and much more so than we imagined a decade ago when the Aid for Trade initiative was launched.
-
-
-
Connecting for development: The World Bank’s approach to Aid for Trade
Author: ANABEL GONZALEZA central feature of contemporary trade governance is the focus on its contribution to development. A key corollary is the acknowledgement that developing nations – especially least developed countries (LDCs) – require a range of support from the donor community to meaningfully profit from closer integration into world markets, reap the rewards of parallel domestic reform efforts and derive greater benefits from more active participation in trade negotiations.
-
-
-
Towards a more integrated Aid for Trade approach
Author: JONATHAN FRIEDInternational trade and investment are drivers of development, fostering economic opportunity, efficiency and growth. They encourage the use of international norms and connect local economies to regional and global value chains. Indeed, the statistics bear this out: the World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates trade has helped lift one billion people out of poverty since 1990.
-
-
-
Why Aid for Trade matters to small-island developing states
Author: ASHIT KUMAR GUNGAHTrading among countries has the potential to be an engine of growth that lifts millions of people out of poverty. However, many developing countries face obstacles that prevent them from fully benefiting from global trade. Some are in export markets, which the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations aims to reduce or eliminate. These include traditional tariffs as well as non-tariff barriers that are increasing in significance. Barriers found at home, including a lack of knowledge, excessive red tape, inadequate financing and poor infrastructure, can also act as major impediments for exporters.
-
-
-
Entrepreneurial lawyering for digital trade
Author: COLETTE VAN DER VENIn March 2017 I attended Geneva Global Goals Innovation Day to visit a pop-up shop set up by the EcomCoop, a pro bono client of Sidley Austin’s Emerging Enterprise Pro Bono Program. Displaying colourful handicrafts from all across Africa, this makeshift arrangement sought to familiarize potential customers with the products of African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that soon will be available for purchase online in the European Union (EU) and the United States. I took advantage of the opportunity and bought a Rwanda-made wallet of cow leather, tanned in neighbouring Burundi.
-
-
-
Unlocking the potential of digital trade
Authors: MOHAMMAD SAEED, VICTORIA TUOMISTO and ELEONORA SALLUZZIEcommerce is transforming the economic landscape and the way economic transactions are made in the global trade system. With the advent of the digital era, the exponential growth of e-commerce in the last decade is expected to grow in the coming years regardless of any accompanying trade rules. An estimated 1.6 billion people worldwide purchased goods online in 2016, generating revenue amounting to US$1.9 trillion, a figure expected to more than double by 2020.
-
-
-
A roadmap towards a sustainable cocoa sector in Ghana
Author: SANDRA CABRERA DE LEICHTThe world may face a shortage in cocoa supply within a few years according to the most recent Cocoa Barometer 2015 report. This is a consequence of a major problem not visible where consumers buy their chocolate: the world is running out of cocoa farmers.
-
-
-
Celebrating the world’s MSMEs
Author: ELIZABETH ADAMSMicro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of every economy across the world. They make up over 90% of all firms worldwide and account on average for up to 70% of total employment and half of GDP.
-