Annual Report 2014 - ITC

1 trade IMPACT FOR GOOD. Annual Report 2014. ITC is the only international agency fully dedicated to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Working with partners to strengthen the competitiveness of SME exporters, we help to build vibrant, sustainable export sectors that provide entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly for women, young people and poor communities. II international trade CENTRE. trade impact for good Annual Report 2014 1. Contents Foreword 4. ITC at a glance 6. The global context 8. ITC interventions: Doing more, better 12. trade and market intelligence for SME competitiveness 15. Supporting regional economic integration and South-South links 24.

2 Connecting to value chains: SME competitiveness, diversification and links to export markets 30. Strengthening trade and investment support institutions 36. Promoting and mainstreaming inclusive and green trade 42. Building a conducive business environment 52. CORPORATE RESULTS 58. Governance, oversight and performance 60. Independent evaluation 63. Financial overview 65. Human resource management 68. Communication and outreach 71. Major ITC events 73. Partnerships in 2014 75. APPEND ices 80. APPENdix I: ITC focus areas and programmes 82. APPENdix II: ITC technical cooperation by region and focus area 83. APPENdix III: ITC country and regional projects and programmes by country 89.

3 APPENdix IV: ITC needs assessment and project design in 2014 by region 96. APPENdix V: Profile of ITC staff 97. APPENdix Vi: Distribution of assignments by nationality and gender of experts, 2014 98. APPENdix VIi: Schedule of voluntary contributions to the ITC Trust Fund 102. 2 international trade CENTRE. Case Studies trade and market intelligence for SME competitiveness 18 20 22. Guidebook, training trade Obstacles help Pakistani Alert mechanism Export Potential SMEs use EU trade addresses non- Map: Figuring out preferences tariff measures future exports Supporting regional economic integration and South-South links 26 28. Agreement on free movement China helps Asian LDCs of service providers enhances boost trade capacity economic integration in East Africa Connecting to value chains: SME competitiveness, diversification and links to export markets 32 34.

4 ITC creates brand for Public-private partnership Zanzibar cloves, chillies helps Kenyan SMEs boost and cinnamon productivity Strengthening trade and investment support institutions 38 40. SME trade Academy Helping trade and rolls out ITC courses investment support around the world institutions AIM higher Promoting and mainstreaming inclusive and green trade 46 48 50. US safety certificate Connecting women could quintuple Helping Kenya's vendors to fashion Peru's exports of tea sector schools, buyers, indigenous food adapt to climate designers and product change each other Building a conducive business environment 54 56. Myanmar accelerates Developing countries submit implementation of National WTO trade facilitation Export Strategy commitments with ITC support Annual Report 2014 3.

5 Foreword For the international trade Centre, 2014 was an important year. We celebrated our 50th anniversary, constantly adapting to help our clients thrive in a fast-changing global economic and policy context. We cemented our role as a one-stop shop for trade -related technical assistance for the private sector in developing countries. After my first full calendar year at the helm of ITC, I can say with confidence that, together with our stakeholders, we are indeed doing more and doing it better. In 2014, ITC delivered 35% more technical assistance capacity building and market intelligence than the year before, with extra-budgetary expenditures reaching a record US$53 million.

6 September's World Export Development Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, marked the first time our flagship event was hosted in Africa, or, for that matter, by a least developed country (LDC). At the Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum, also held in Kigali, women-owned companies concluded letters of intent to transact business worth US$ million. In November, the 2014 trade Promotion Organization Network 4. World Conference & Awards in Dubai was the most heavily attended since we first started holding the biennial conferences in 1996. Union and the ACP Group, and of course in Geneva at the UN and the World trade Organization (WTO). Despite challenges, we ended the year better equipped than ever to help small and medium-sized enterprises This was a year of new beginnings for ITC: the start of a (SMEs) in developing countries, transition economies and new half-century for the organization, to be sure, but also of LDCs connect to regional and international value chains.

7 A new strategic direction in the way we organize and implement our work. Following a comprehensive We enhanced our ability to provide cutting-edge analysis independent evaluation that underscored what ITC was and advisory services through partnerships with private doing well while pointing to how we and our supporters sector groups such as the engineering and electronics firm could improve, we developed a new Strategic Plan to guide Bosch, luxury goods company Kering and consultancy Bain our work between 2015 and 2017. and Co., as well as with policy community actors like the World Economic Forum. As we turn to the future, 2015 looks to be an exciting year for trade and development.

8 The United Nations General ITC launched new global campaigns in 2014 to ensure that Assembly will adopt a post-2015 development agenda sustainability standards are worthy of the name, and to along with a way forward on financing our common goals of increase the share of the multi-trillion dollar global public eradicating poverty, protecting the environment and procurement market that goes to companies, especially expanding opportunities for all. The WTO, which is marking SMEs, that are owned and controlled by women. We its 20th anniversary, will hold its 5th Global Aid for trade pioneered new tools for export promotion, for swiftly alerting Review in Geneva and its 10th Ministerial Conference in governments about trade obstacles, and for e-learning.

9 Nairobi. The December conference of the United Nations We raised awareness of our work, and the importance of Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris will trade -led economic growth to long-term sustainable hopefully yield a legal multilateral agreement to curb development, at the UN Open Working Group on greenhouse gas emissions and shine a clearer light on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Benin LDC interface between trade and climate change. The UN's Conference, the Small Island Developing States Conference Beijing+20 process is drawing attention to our collective in Samoa, the Landlocked Developing Countries successes and failures at advancing gender equality and Conference in Vienna, ministerial meetings of the African women's empowerment in the 20 years since the adoption 4 international trade CENTRE.

10 2 3. 5 6. 1. At the TPO Network World Conference and Awards, Dubai 2. Celebrating ITC's 50th anniversary with United Kingdom Ambassador Karen Pierce, Chair of the 47th Session of the Joint Advisory Group 3. On CCTV News, Beijing 4. ITC's management team with WTO Director-General Roberto Azev do and UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi at the Joint Advisory Group 5. At the TPO Network World Conference and Awards, Dubai 6. Speaking at an ITC event at UN headquarters, New York of the Beijing Platform for Action. At the regional level, trade partnerships with other organizations to finances and and investment integration appears set to continue, notably human resources are described in some detail.