The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) is the joint agency of the WTO and the United Nations. Its mission is to foster sustainable economic development and contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in developing countries and countries with economies in transition through trade and international business development.
Private sector development (PSD) policy and strategy
The ITC’s strategic objectives are to build awareness and improve the availability and use of trade intelligence; strengthen trade support institutions; enhance policies for the benefit of exporting enterprises; build the export capacity of enterprises to respond to market opportunities; and mainstream inclusiveness and sustainability into trade promotion and export development policies. ITC states that it is a ‘100% aid for trade’ organisation, and in this regard, its work in partnership with the WTO and UNCTAD, supporting their regulatory, research and policy strategies and helping to turn them into practical projects.
Transparency, effectiveness and results in PSD
Over the past few years, ITC has reformed its operation model, launching results-based management principles across its projects portfolio and increasingly focusing on large and integrated programmes with higher impact potential. Measuring the outcome of ITC’s work in terms of increased exports, job creation, poverty reduction and improved community welfare are of utmost importance in its work, and projects are implemented with a continuous process of monitoring and revision to better respond to the dynamic trade-related technical assistance environment.