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New Guide Seeks to Strengthen Trade Capacity of Poor Countries
Call for more effective aid for trade to tackle poverty challenges during economic crisis
06 July 2009
While the development debate on how to best solve the world’s poverty challenges usually fluctuates between calls for more aid or more trade, a new guide released today from the United Nations promotes both aid and trade, with a better and more efficient use of assistance provided. The guide is designed to help policy makers, trade officials and researchers conduct needs assessments for developing trade capacity, especially that which promotes inclusive economic growth with the ultimate goal of reducing poverty and achieving higher levels of human development. The guide was developed under the Aid for Trade (AfT) initiative conceived at the 2005 World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong.
The book was produced through an interagency collaboration within the framework of the UN Inter-Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity, coordinated by the UN Development Programme with inputs provided by the International Trade Centre, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Industrial Development Organization and the UN Economic Commissions for Africa, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America.
The AfT initiative supports developing countries to build supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure to help them benefit from trade agreements and, more broadly, to enhance the contribution of trade to development. The AfT initiative recognizes that existing trade negotiations need to be complemented by stronger domestic policy and international cooperation. Least Developed Countries (LDCs) already receive assistance under the Integrated Framework for Trade Related Technical Assistance to LDCs, and this guide can be used to inform and update the Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies under the Integrated Framework.
According to estimates from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments in the aid categories associated with the definition of AfT accounted for $21 billion on average between 2002 and 2005. Assuming that donors meet commitments to scale up aid up to $130 billion in 2010, ODA in the categories most closely associated with AfT could increase by $8.5 billion.
The publication will be launched at a special event at the World Trade Organization at the Second Global Review on Aid for Trade on Monday, 6 July in Room W at 16:00. Following the launch, the publication will be available through bookstores worldwide and through UN Publications under the ISBN code
Title: Aid for Trade and Human Development
ISBN: 978-92-1-126263-6.
Available through: www.un.org/publications
Download: pdf
Contact:
Adam Rogers, UNDP Senior Communications Advisor
+41 22 917 8541
adam.rogers@undp.org
UNDP is the UN's global network to help people meet their development needs and build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working as a trusted partner with Governments, civil society and the private sector to help them build their own solutions to global and national development challenges. Further information can be found at www.undp.org
