Telling the trade stories of least developed countries

For as long as gender inequalities persist in international trade and in the key industries that drive economic growth in the least developed countries (LDCs), women and girls will not benefit as much as men and boys. Such inequalities are often more present in the most overlooked parts of production – among informal traders, small and microenterprises, but also among individual suppliers of raw materials and workers – many of whom are women. This is why over 60% of beneficiaries supported via the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) are women, and why the EIF launched the Empower Women, Power Trade initiative in 2019. An independent evaluation sought to gauge progress in achieving economic justice for all in settings where both poverty and inequalities are most prominent.

With support from the EIF, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has strengthened trade institutions by institutionalizing the National Implementation Unit, enhancing trade policy coordination, and promoting regional integration through trade facilitation projects. Additionally, targeted support for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in the palm oil sector has helped boost economic diversification, create jobs, and improve gender inclusion while promoting environmental sustainability.

As the country prepares for graduation from LDC status in 2026, it is readying key industries to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and ensure that the economy continues its upward trajectory through its participation in the global trading system. Towards this future, the EIF has been partnering with the Government of Bangladesh and local institutions with a focus on pro-poor export and trade competitiveness. The EIF has supported capacity development, enabled policies and helped coordinate the public and private sectors to maximize sustainable trade and market competitiveness and contribute to the goal of decent work and better incomes.

The EIF began working in Equatorial Guinea in 2017, the same year the country graduated from LDC status, to strengthen diversification efforts and implement targeted economic reforms. Following this graduation, the EIF further supported Equatorial Guinea for five years post-graduation, in line with its mandate for post-LDC graduation support.

In Africa, the unique experience of each of the 16 million rural women who make a living from shea inspires us more and more every day. Shea is an important crop, both economically and socially. It employs 4 million women for export and generates USD 237 million a year in income at the community level in West Africa. At the household level, shea accounts for up to 12% of household income and up to 32% of cash available, which is earned during the lean season.

Rwanda is a landlocked country of some 13.2 million people (as of 2022) located at a high elevation in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa. It is the fifth most densely populated country in the world and is surrounded by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Uganda. Situated a few degrees south of the equator, Rwanda enjoys a temperate tropical climate and is home to fertile soils and numerous lakes. Rwanda's history has been deeply impacted by the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, which resulted in the loss of more than a million Tutsi lives. However, in recent decades, the country has made significant socioeconomic development progress.

The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)'s support in Senegal focused on five key areas: better integration of trade into national development strategies; strengthening of institutional capacities in the public and private sectors; improvement of the business environment; development of agricultural value chains, mainly in the mango and cashew nut sectors; and development e-commerce capability.

The EIF programme has been supporting Uganda since 2009. The collaboration aims to realize the country’s trade policy vision and help Uganda better integrate into the global economy. Improved trade capacity and performance, fostered by in-country development programmes such as that of the EIF, have undoubtedly supported Uganda’s ongoing economic achievements.

The partnership between The Gambia and the EIF began with country-led evidence‑based research and analysis to identify its pro-poor trade priorities. The resulting policy-guiding document – the 2007 Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) – identified diversification and domestic production of goods and services in the areas of tourism, groundnuts and other agriculture products and fishing as sectors with the potential to spur sustainable development.

The EIF support to Malawi began in 2012. The Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), sought to use the EIF partnership to unlock Malawi's latent trade potential through targeted support in three strategic areas: i) strengthening the capacity of the MTI to develop trade policies and strategies and to participate more effectively in the World Trade Organization and regional trade agreements; ii) addressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers to trade; and iii) supporting the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) to better promote exports and investments for the agro-industry, including working with the World Bank in establishing the groundwork for an agro-processing special economic zone.

Since 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, with support from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), has been implementing the “Enhancing Capacity for Agriculture Trade” (ECAT) project across Solomon Islands. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, and that of agriculture and livestock, are also involved.

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