Op-ed

14 March 2023 - Jonathan Said

Anchoring AfCFTA trade policy to industrial policy

At their core, these challenges are inter-related and point to the importance of promoting a more active industrial policy, together with the ongoing trade policy effort at the heart of the AfCFTA. This is particularly key for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) situated in Africa.

8 March 2023 - Shamika N. Sirimanne Ratnakar Adhikari

How to unlock women’s potential in the digital economy

There are three key advantages that e-commerce offers to women. First, it offers lower barriers to entry than traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. Second, it can enable women entrepreneurs to reach customers all over the world. Third, it offers a degree of flexibility in terms of work hours and location.

6 December 2022 - Paul Akiwumi and Ratnakar Adhikari

It’s time to put productive capacities at the heart of every development strategy

Building forward and backward production linkages between agricultural and manufacturing sectors by adding value to primary commodities should be a priority for LDCs. Taking incremental steps towards industrialisation through increased productive capacities, with the support of development partners, will ensure that progress will be sustainable and robust, truly leading LDCs along the path of development.

29 November 2022 - Aik Hoe Lim

Trade and international trade cooperation as a tool for LDCs to adapt to climate change

Climate change also impacts trade. Extreme weather events can reduce productivity, increase costs and supply chain disruptions in the short term and alter countries' comparative advantages and specialization in long term. The WTO World Trade Report 2022 finds that a rise of 1°C has been found to reduce the annual growth of developing countries' exports by between 2.0 and 5.7 percentage points.

22 November 2022

LDCs need to be rewarded for their low emissions through better trade deals

Countries with high environmental credentials like Bhutan should be supported to trade with an automatic recognition and prioritization of their exports as clean and green. This will be a big boost to build productive capacity and help increase climate and trade ambition.

15 November 2022 - Sofía Baliño

Adapting to a Changing Climate: How Trade and Trade Policy Can Make a Difference

Along with the damage posed to ecosystem and human health, climate change is already affecting what and how countries trade with one another. For instance, changing temperatures and weather patterns have an impact on crop yields, and therefore agricultural trade. Climate change can cause severe and costly disruptions to trade-related infrastructure, as sea level rises threaten seaports and rising temperatures affect and degrade railways. Tourism is another sector that is both crucial for trade and where changing weather conditions are affecting where people travel and the infrastructure that tourism relies on.

8 November 2022 - Ratnakar Adhikari

Aid for trade should be a catalyst for climate finance

While leveraging AFT to mobilize climate finance is an imperative for LDCs, this cannot be achieved without improved government-wide coordination, policy reforms to improve business environments, capacity building to attract and retain investment as well as contribution of resources and expertise to mobilize additional funding. Such an approach, while facilitating collective engagement to unleash the power of partnership, can make a difference to ensure that climate change adaptation and mitigation needs of LDCs are adequately funded.

25 October 2022

Climate adaptation: The case for Aid for Trade

On 30th and 31st July, almost 300 mm of rain fell on Banjul and the capital region[HS1] of The Gambia.

13 September 2022

Vanuatu Shows How to Reduce Emissions Through Trade Facilitation

Vanuatu has emerged as a trailblazer in the Asia‑Pacific region in leveraging the benefits of trade facilitation through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) program. For over 40 years, ASYCUDA, which is UNCTAD’s largest technical assistance program, has helped customs offices around the world clear goods faster and increase the pace of trade. Vanuatu is one of only seven ASYCUDA countries worldwide, and the only one in the Pacific region, running a single-window system using ASYCUDA.

9 August 2022 - Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba

Importance of building evidence for gender-sensitive trade policies

Building evidence does not only happen through research and analysis; it also comes from sharing experiences. For example, EIF support has been directed to sectors in which women are predominantly engaged, so female-owned businesses can expand and access new regional and global markets. Responses to the M&E exercise indicate a wide recognition that these efforts result in strengthening women’s economic and financial independence.

2 August 2022

How can we harness aid for trade for a just transition to sustainable trade?

In 2022, WTO members have the opportunity to move forward on an aid for trade agenda that supports LDCs to tackle pressing challenges at the intersection of trade and sustainability. Given the massive trade-related challenges facing LDCs, the huge gap between needs and available support for a just transition to sustainable trade, and the urgency, scale, and impact of intersecting environmental crises in LDCs, mobilizing additional resources, investments, and partnerships is vital.

26 July 2022

6 things to know about Aid for Trade

Trade continues to play an important driving force not just of economic growth, but also poverty alleviation. Recognizing the role that trade can play in development, the WTO Aid-for-Trade Initiative seeks to mobilize resources to address trade-related constraints identified by developing and least-developed countries. But against the backdrop of multiple crises affecting the world economy, this task is challenging.

19 July 2022

It's time for public-private partnerships to drive digital trade in the most vulnerable nations

Unlike in 2013, PPPs are today widely embraced as a vehicle to promote digital trade. Now, they need to be used in places where they have been scarcer, such as the LDCs.

12 July 2022

The role of WTO Aid for Trade in actualizing an inclusive circular economy

The Aid for Trade initiative could also become an important platform to encourage collaboration between donor and recipient countries on shared circular economy trade related opportunities and challenges going forward.

5 July 2022

Taking tourism exports online

The Ministry of Tourism hosts the handicraft and Souvenir Development project, which is supported by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF); with among other objectives being improving quality, standards and marketing tourism exports such as souvenirs to boost foreign exchange.

21 June 2022

New Word Bank research tells us how to make Global Value Chains more resilient

Global Value Chains have helped make the world more prosperous. Making them more efficient will make the global economy more resilient to future shocks.

14 June 2022

Beyond ODA and Aid for Trade: The critical value of alternative trade funding

The Enhanced Integrated Framework has remained a key conduit for both channelling and leveraging wider Aid for Trade resources to the LDCs over the past decade but also has the mandate to support LDCs expand their trade funding base.

7 June 2022

Plastic pollution: Can aid for trade help least developed countries tackle this crisis?

LDCs have to deal with millions of tonnes of plastic products imported each year, including products with embedded plastics and with associated plastic packaging.

3 May 2022

The world of finance is waking up to the reality of climate change, but money still isn’t getting to the right places

Trade is a critical part of on the ground adaptation efforts that must also be considered, specifically local trade amongst small and medium enterprises which are impacted head-on by climate emergencies. We are seeing communities already vulnerable to shocks affected not only in terms of their resources getting destroyed or depleted but also due to a lack of support systems when this happens.

27 April 2022 - Ratnakar Adhikari

Unlocking e-commerce in LDCs: Governments hold the key

The EIF recognises that our contribution to creating a thriving e-commerce ecosystem in LDCs is part and parcel of a bigger effort bringing together the expertise and skills of many others. While some are working together with the private sector, including small businesses, others are working with governments. While some invest in building digital infrastructure, others impart knowledge to build digital skills and yet others provide support to prepare and implement e-commerce policies.

8 March 2022 - Annette Ssemuwemba, Apurva Mudliar and Peter Donelan

Women play a key role in fighting climate change

Women are 14 times more likely to die from a climate disaster than men. Despite being face-to-face with the problem, women are often not part of the solution.

15 February 2022 - Daniel K. Kalinaki

As pandemic eases, LDCs face a long road to recovery

The World Bank warned that recovery will be slower in low-income countries, especially small, fragile and conflict-affected states. This is due to lower vaccination rates, tighter fiscal and monetary policies, and more persistent scarring from the pandemic.

8 February 2022 - Ratnakar Adhikari and Taffere Tesfachew

Technology is the key to transforming least developed countries. Here's how

Ratnakar Adhikari (EIF) and Taffere Tesfachew (UNTBLDC) discuss how LDCs can benefit from technology on their path towards structural transformation

25 January 2022 - Natasha Smith

Why trade finance matters to unlock LDCs' trade potential

A better access to trade finance in least developed countries (LDCs) could allow businesses to have the financial tools to participate in national, regional or global trade.

18 January 2022 - Dr. Yakama Manty Jones

Let's avoid an AfCFTA own-goal – why Africa must invest in connectivity now

The AfCFTA's success lies in last-mile implementation. Connectivity and mobility are key.

11 January 2022 - Lyonpo Loknath Sharma and Ratnakar Adhikari

What Bhutan got right about happiness - and what other countries can learn

Guided by its Gross National Happiness, Bhutan has considerably improved its economic, environmental, social and governance situation in the past four decades.

14 December 2021 - Ratnakar Adhikari Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba

How aid for trade can best support Least Developed Countries in the next decade

How can LDCs be supported to improve their trade performance and sustainably raise their share of trade in the global economy?

7 December 2021 - Michelle Kovacevic

Amid cyclones and COVID-19, Vanuatu makes bold decision to graduate from ‘least developed country’ category

Originally published by OECD Development Matters blog on 30th April 2021

16 November 2021 - Abha Calindi

Services: The new staple of 21st century development?

Manufacturing has traditionally driven economic growth in developing countries. A new book by the World Bank highlights the potential of the service sector in driving development. What are the implications of this shift for least developed countries?

9 November 2021 - Alexander Kasterine

Counting carbon in the food export business

Alexander Kasterine explores how climate change concerns are changing market requirements for developing country food exporters

26 October 2021

How Aid for Trade can Complement Climate Finance

With climate change on everyone’s mind ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), what are the key issues on the table for the world’s least developed countries (LDCs)?

19 October 2021 - Ratnakar Adhikari

Why foreign direct investment is key to Africa's sustainable recovery

Originally published by the World Economic Forum on 19 August 2021

5 October 2021 - Marlynne Hopper

Pesticide residues: The safe trade challenge

More collaboration, studies needed to boost developing country agri-food exports Pesticides are a hot topic when it comes to the intersection of agriculture, trade and food security.

31 August 2021

GVCs for LDCs: How would new plan boost trade for least developed countries?

The multilateral trading system and the body of trade rules enshrined in the World Trade Organization (WTO) rulebook have been the cornerstone for trade-led economic development in recent decades.

24 August 2021

Opinion: 4 ways to promote vaccine equity through trade

Originally published on Devex on 3 August 2021

17 August 2021 - Urvashi Narain Phoebe Spencer

Banking on protected areas to promote a green recovery

New study finds that conservation and tourism can go hand in hand, offering recommendations how to make it so

29 June 2021 - James Ellsmoor

On prioritizing digital communications infrastructure, for digital nomads and new economic promise

For SIDS and LDCs, tapping into the remote working revolution requires internet infrastructure

22 June 2021

A year of digitalization for women entrepreneurs?

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the trade ecosystem for women in the developing world

6 June 2021 - Jodie Keane, Sarah Colenbrander and Laura Kelly

How can the EU’s border carbon adjustments avoid unintended consequences for LDCs?

On avoiding risks and challenges for countries striving to reduce poverty and tackle climate change

8 April 2021 - Deanna Ramsay

In West Africa, can organic shea become a solution?

Getting organic certification for shea can be a journey

25 March 2021 - Max Mendez-Parra

How COVID-19 is accelerating the use of digital tech in agriculture in East Africa

Adoption of apps is facilitating farmers and businesses

23 March 2021 - Ceyla Pazarbasioglu

Sovereign debt challenges and priorities today

COVID-19 is taking a toll on developing countries and their debt

18 March 2021 - Caroline Freund

Global trade rebound suggests some lessons of COVID-19 are being learned

Recovery taking a different shape than expected

16 March 2021 - David Luke Judith Ameso Mahlet Girma Bekele

On implementing the AfCFTA in 2021

David Luke, Judith Ameso, Mahlet Girma Bekele

11 March 2021 - Sarah Mohan Barbara Ramos Valentina Rollo

Competitive in good times, resilient in bad times: What COVID-19 taught us about MSMEs

In January 2020, the spread of an infectious disease appeared at the very bottom of the World Economic Forum’s top ten high-impact risks. A year later, it had risen to number one.

9 March 2021 - Sofía Baliño

What role can sustainability standards play in the post COVID-19 recovery?

Adopting such standards in LDC production offers promise, but work remains

4 March 2021 - Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu

The overlapping crises of climate and COVID-19 demands a renewed solidarity

Originally published by Thomson Reute

2 March 2021 - Brendan Vickers Salamat Ali Dr. Neil Balchin Hilary Enos-Edu

Access denied: Ensuring vaccines for the world’s poorest countries

by Brendan Vickers, Salamat Ali, Dr. Neil Balchin, Hilary Enos-Edu

16 February 2021 - Désirée Van Gorp

Making global value chains sustainable and enhancing the position of LDCs: A shared responsibility

Multinationals and governments need to recognize the trade world’s interconnectedness, and its impact

28 January 2021

Helping small businesses build financial resilience

Originally published on World Economic Forum on 19th January 2021 as part of the

21 January 2021 - Deanna Ramsay

Opinion: How the pandemic exposes power imbalances in global supply chains

Photo: An apparel worker at a garment factory that reopened amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

14 January 2021 - Moono Mupotola

Small businesses key to economic growth in Africa

Originally published by the International Trade Centre (ITC) International Trade Forum Magazine on 9 December 2020

12 January 2021 - Deanna Ramsay

Getting bullish on tourism in Burundi

Country embarking on a new tourism strategy as part of its building of trade sector When one thinks about tourism hotspots, Burundi is not the first that comes to mind. But, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t get there.

17 December 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Mastering the art of cooking in Cambodia

Academy training youth for a global trade

15 December 2020 - Global Shea Alliance

On augmenting Togo’s shea industry

Public-private partnership to boost incomes in shea.

10 December 2020 - Fabrizio Meliadò Thabo Joshua Moea

How cotton and its by-products can help create resilience for African smallholders

For smallholder farmers and processors in LDCs, cotton by-products could provide additional income as they adjust to COVID-19 and other exogenous factors impacting world lint prices

8 December 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Somalia making steps toward WTO accession

Country working toward regional and global trade goals in a post-conflict scenario. Becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) isn’t automatic – it’s a process that involves commitments and consensus, questions and responses, meetings and negotiations.

3 December 2020 - Aminou Arouna, Guillaume Soullier, Patricio Mendez del Villar and Matty Demont

Mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on domestic rice value chains and food security in West Africa

Rice plays a strategic role in food security in West Africa, but the region increasingly relies on imports, and local value chains face constraints in terms of technology, finance and coordination.

2 December 2020 - Jenny Larsen

Can Africa’s third industrial development decade deliver?

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic kick in, hopes for better progress, at least in the short term, appear to be fading.

1 December 2020 - Dr. Fahmida Khatun

Access to finance is crucial for women entrepreneurs

In Bangladesh, COVID-19 is impacting the female labour force more

26 November 2020 - Dr. Neil Balchin

Four key priorities for revisiting LDC vulnerabilities

Breaking down the data on productive capabilities, debt and more in the world’s poorest countries

24 November 2020 - Dr. Karishma Banga

Can digital platforms help mitigate agricultural losses from COVID in Uganda?

The government of Uganda put containment measures in place to tackle COVID-19. These included quarantines; bans on public gatherings and weekly markets; closures of schools, borders and nonessential retail outlets; and the suspension of international flights.

17 November 2020 - Dr Cheikh Tidiane Dieye

From regional to global: the path to graduation for African LDCs?

Integration into one or more value chains could enable LDCs to specialize in certain production activities or modules while gradually evolving towards more complex tasks.

12 November 2020 - Bruno Casella

Climbing the ladder under the storm: How the COVID crisis is changing the GVC development strategies of LDCs

The combined and cumulative effect of pre-existing technological, policy and sustainability trends and the current COVID crisis is set to strike a perfect storm in the system of international production and GVCs.

10 November 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

In Cabo Verde, tourism and trade at a crossroads

Cabo Verde is often described as “off the beaten path”, whatever that means. In reality, the tiny country of 10 islands has been on many paths since the 15th century, when Portuguese sailors first stopped in the uninhabited archipelago.

5 November 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Supporting an evolving ecommerce ecosystem in Myanmar

Myanmar was already moving to get its businesses online. With COVID-19, they were able to speed things up.

3 November 2020 - Samantha Harris and Léa Farnier

How businesses can build resilience to climate impacts and protect the vulnerable throughout value chains

Companies have a key role to play in building societal resilience to crises, including the current pandemic and climate impacts, across their value chains.

29 October 2020 - Kim Kampel

LDC tourism: Making strides towards sustainable, resilient recovery from COVID-19

With a sharp decline in tourism in 2020, what does the future look like?

27 October 2020

Making trade part of the peacebuilding process in the Central African Republic

The Enhanced Integrated Framework explores the work of its National Implementation Units in fragile and conflict-affected countries and looks at the role the units play in integrating trade into the rebuilding of these countries.

22 October 2020 - Désirée van Gorp and Girish Ramachandran

COVID-19 should be the accelerator for e-health in the least developed countries

On transforming healthcare where it’s needed most

21 October 2020 - Dr. Claudia Sobrevila

Journey back to recovery – Resources to develop tourism sustainably

Originally published by the World Bank on 1st October 2020

20 October 2020 - Stacey Frederick and Jack Daly

Global value chain lens can inform responses to bolster tourism industry in developing countries

The COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to the global value chain (GVC) world we live in; what happens in one country has profound impacts, intended and unintended, across countries.

15 October 2020 - Bright Simons

Scale tangles with agility in African pharma supply chains, unleashing new forces

Medicine retail and logistics in Africa are a highly fragmented business.

14 October 2020 - Jenny Larsen

What industrialization means for well-being – and why it matters

Originally published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization on 17 September 2020

13 October 2020

Responsible tourism in Tanzania, recommendations for COVID-19 recovery

How can the country build back better?

8 October 2020 - Fabrice Lehmann Carlos Cordon

Business supply chain strategies are evolving, can poor countries benefit?

Multiple sourcing and proximity sourcing are shaping into long-term trends as global firms hardwire resilience and agility into their supply chains.

7 October 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Following week of trade discussions, 4 takeaways for LDCs

With digital conference covering the major topics in global trade, what matters for the world’s poorest countries?

5 October 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

For women in business in The Gambia and Zambia, making all the right moves

Breaking ground with new ideas and new partnerships in two African countries

1 October 2020 - Maria Sokolova

On the role of women trade trainers

In trade for development, more female trainers could make a big difference

30 September 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Investing in The Gambia’s small businesses

Artisan handbag maker taking her enterprise forward, and receiving new financing

29 September 2020 - Michelle Kovacevic

Women at the Rwanda border

Most of Rwanda’s cross border traders are women and rely on cross-border trade as their sole source of income. According to a recent assessment by Pro-Femmes/Twese Hamwe, the Rwandan umbrella organisation for women’s associations, most cross border traders have experienced not only a large loss in revenue due to border closures but also a complete depletion of their savings.

24 September 2020 - Marlynne Hopper

Future-proofing safe trade now urgent for developing countries

COVID-19 is highlighting the interconnectedness of agri-food trade; and work needs to be done to mobilise action to build safe food systems

16 September 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Sweetening the deal for Ethiopia's honey trade

“Ethiopia has huge potential in honey if we increase our capacity in terms of some value addition of the honey products and identifying new markets. In terms of capacity in Africa, I think we are the leading country, so we can develop this as a new area to get export earnings,” said Mesgenu Arga Moach, State Minister of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.

14 September 2020 - Karishma Banga Jodie Keane Max Mendez-Parra Laetitia Pettinotti Lily Sommer

Boosting African regional value chain development in response to COVID-19: The catalysing role of the AfCFTA

New paper looks at the supply chain dimension of African trade during and post-COVID

9 September 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Study offers tips for Equatorial Guinea’s trade enhancement

From a focus on fisheries to WTO membership, analysis of the country’s economic situation offers ways to move forward

7 September 2020 - Stephanie Barrientos Charlotte Pallangyo

Building back equitably: Spotlight on women workers in global value chains

Women workers in global value chains have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

2 September 2020 - Toyin Abiodun

Cooperatives help cross border traders stay in business during COVID-19

Originally published by THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION NEWS on 18 August 2020

24 August 2020 - Craig Atkinson

‘Rules as data’ – the 21st century answer for trade facilitation?

Following digitisation of commercial documents, the digitalisation of trade implies functional use of data to improve the automation potential of cross-border processes.

19 August 2020 - Alexander Thern-Svanberg Javier Garcia

The clock is ticking on electronic advance data for trade and ecommerce in LDCs

Urgent digital transformation is needed to create safe and secure cross border ecommerce customs clearance in the world’s poorest countries

18 August 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Focusing on export development, Ethiopia’s small businesses seeing success

For a new business owner, one international trade fair got things rolling

11 August 2020 - Anisse Terai

COVID-19 is exacerbating the global trade finance gap

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 6 July 2020

10 August 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

In prioritising potato exports, Bhutan looking to tech

There was space to enhance this system – by improving the quality and packaging of the potatoes Bhutan puts up for sale, making prices more competitive and shortening the transaction times for farmers.

5 August 2020 - Brendan Vickers Salamat Ali Collin Zhuawu

Looking at LDCs, food and COVID-19

Food products comprise around 17% of LDC merchandise imports – more than double the world average of 8%.

4 August 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari

Lessons from LDCs’ responses to COVID-19: From crisis to opportunities?

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 6 July 2020

31 July 2020

Blockchain and LDC trade during COVID-19

The macroeconomic context for developing country trade in the time of COVID-19

30 July 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari

How can least developed countries attract foreign direct investment in the context of COVID-19?

Ways for LDCs to adapt amid global turmoil

21 July 2020 - Cecilia Ugaz Estrada Müge Dolun Carmen Schuber Nicolas Schmidt

Industries post-COVID-19: A gender-responsive approach to global economic recovery

Women’s specific needs and potential as leaders and agents of change must be considered for COVID-19 mitigation and recovery measures.

16 July 2020 - Sophia Gnych

COVID-19 and the seed sector: How countries are navigating challenges

OECD’s Seed Schemes are working to protect food systems globally, with important benefits for least developed countries

14 July 2020 - Brendan Vickers Salamat Ali

Unpacking COVID-19-related medical supply chains in Commonwealth LDCs

Although LDCs are home to 13.3% of the world’s population, their share of COVID-19-related medical imports is just 1%.

8 July 2020 - Peter Drysdale

Time for Asian partners to work together on a global COVID recovery strategy

Six new objectives for regional policy cooperation

7 July 2020 - Adnan Seric Jostein Hauge

COVID-19 and the global contraction in FDI

Originally published by UNIDO in May 2020

1 July 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

How to tackle least developed countries' gender gaps in tech use and data

Originally published by Devex on 10 March 2020

30 June 2020 - Fabrice Lehmann

Can Madagascar inspire reform of global fashion’s US$2.5 trillion supply chains?

The collapse in trade provoked by the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fragility of carefully constructed supply chains in the global fashion industry, and the asymmetries with which they are governed.

24 June 2020

Don’t put export bans on medical supplies during COVID-19. Why trade should flow freely to the world’s poorest countries

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 28 April 2020

15 June 2020 - Houria Djoudi

Protecting trees, empowering women, ensuring incomes – suggestions for a just shea story

How to ensure the women who collect shea benefit from being part of the global marketplace

5 June 2020 - Jodie Keane

Least developed country vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19

The world is changing, and so should our support to the world’s poorest countries

3 June 2020 - Giovanni Valensisi

When it rains it pours: COVID-19 exacerbates poverty risks in the poorest countries

Originally published by UNCTAD on 7 May 2020

25 May 2020 - Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba

How women in developing countries can harness ecommerce

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 24 April 2020

19 May 2020 - Daniel Gay

Six suggestions for improving support to least developed countries

To get LDC graduation back on track, and to help other LDCs, reform of the international system of support must be fundamental and far-reaching.

18 May 2020 - Rajan Sudesh Ratna

South Asian least developed countries: The rocky path to sustainable graduation

How will graduation impact countries in South Asia and the trade support they benefit from? How can they prepare?

13 May 2020 - Brendan Vickers Salamat Ali Deanna Ramsay

COVID-19 hitting tourism hard: What does this mean for the world’s poorest countries?

Examining the potential impact of tourism disruption in LDCs; developing policy recommendations to limit the damage, initiate recovery and build resilience

7 May 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari Dorothy Tembo

How poor countries can deal with the economic shock of COVID-19

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 24 April 2020

4 May 2020 - Soo Hyun Kim Yann Duval

In the world’s poorest countries, the move to digitalize trade procedures is needed now more than ever

COVID-19 is highlighting the need for paperless trade in developing countries; a recent assessment offers recommendations for how to start

29 April 2020 - Dale Honeck Kim Kampel

West Africa's (eco)tourism initiative: Last chance to protect African biodiversity

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel impacts, West Africa’s objectives remain valid

28 April 2020 - Jodie Keane

COVID-19 and trade: Challenges ahead for least developed countries and Small Island Developing States

Originally published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) on 1 April 2020

27 April 2020 - Axel Addy

How can Africa’s trade ministers help combat COVID-19? Lessons from Ebola

Trade ministers are playing an essential role in the pandemic response

22 April 2020 - Kai Hughes

Technology critical to unlocking the agricultural potential of cotton

Information access via tech could increase yields and incomes for cotton farmers in Africa

15 April 2020 - Duncan Maru Sabitri Sapkota

Coronavirus is coming for the world's poor. Here are six ways to help.

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 23 March 2020

14 April 2020 - Paolo Omar Cerutti

A traded tree: What rosewood means for Africa

Following research into the mukula value chain, recommendations to preserve livelihoods and landscapes

9 April 2020 - Trudi Hartzenberg

COVID-19 in Africa – some reflections on trade matters

Poverty, inequality and exclusion are key factors contributing to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on all African countries.

7 April 2020 - Joseph Glauber David Laborde Will Martin Rob Vos

COVID-19: Trade restrictions are worst possible response to safeguard food security

Originally published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on 27 March 2020

31 March 2020 - Anabel González

Yes, medical gear depends on global supply chains. Here's how to keep them moving.

Originally published by Peterson Institute for International Economics on 27 March 2020

26 March 2020 - Padmashree Gehl Sampath

Industry 4.0: What next for least developed countries?

The possibility of reconfiguring manufacturing processes through new digital technologies and data provides opportunities to reboot industrial development in least developed countries.

18 March 2020 - Simon J. Evenett

On tariffs, soap and tackling COVID-19

The right trade policies would help the world combat current pandemic

16 March 2020 - Georgios Mermigkas Ishrat Gadhok

Achieving SDG 2: Policy options and their trade-offs

SDG 2 commits governments to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, with five specific targets setting the level and ambition of this goal.

12 March 2020 - Isaac Kwaku Fokuo Akinyi Ochieng

Up and coming: Here's why Africa has the potential to boost global growth

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 18 February 2020

10 March 2020 - Aussama Bejraoui Elisabeth Lambrecht Frans Lammersen

Tools and finance to help transform least developed country economies

Transforming the economies of least developed countries (LDCs) requires a nationally supported vision on how to tackle the binding constraints to higher value-added production.

4 March 2020 - Filippos Pierros

Time for bold initiatives to tackle inequalities and climate change

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 31 January 2020

27 February 2020 - Marc Auboin

Why exporters need to mind the trade finance gap

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 10 February 2020

18 February 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari Fabrice Lehmann

Least developed countries can become authors of their technological revolution

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 5 February 2020

13 February 2020 - Mischa Tripoli

A window of opportunity for Africa: Agricultural innovation, integration and entrepreneurial ecosystems

Agriculture 4.0, fuelled by innovation and technology, is driving more productive, efficient and sustainable food systems.

11 February 2020 - Simon J. Evenett Johannes Fritz

How developing country exports fared during the recent Populist era

The latest version of the Global Trade Alert, which monitors state interventions that affect world commerce, explores whether developing country access to large overseas markets has changed during the current era of populism.

6 February 2020 - Haruko Okusu

Benefits and challenges of automated processes for wildlife trade in poor countries

Efforts towards the automation of the CITES permitting system is an example of how trade facilitation could be applied in the wildlife sector.

28 January 2020 - Daniel Gay

Leaving no one behind: New help for graduating least developed countries (Part II)

For many, graduation from least developed country status is not the end of the story.

17 January 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

In Niger, creating promise in leather

Having identified this potential through analysis of the country’s trade situation, the Government of Niger and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) have been working to lay the foundations for trade in hides and leather that is formalized and up to standard, and in which citizens can share in the proceeds.

7 January 2020 - Rodrigo Polanco

How home country measures can promote foreign direct investment in poor economies

In order to be effective, existing and future home country outward FDI measures need to be customised to the needs and realities of LDCs.

19 December 2019 - Mia Mikic

How will least developed countries in Asia fare in the trade war?

Countries that have already implemented trade-cost reducing reforms – for example trade facilitation, infrastructure, and data flows – will be better positioned to take advantage of any opportunities that arise from the trade war.

17 December 2019 - Deanna Ramsay

David Laborde: Addressing the nexus of food security, trade tensions and developing economies, where are we now?

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Senior Research Fellow discusses agriculture-based economies and how the current US-China trade situation is affecting the world’s poor

16 December 2019 - Manuel Ruiz Muller Joseph Henry Vogel Klaus Angerer Nicolas Pauchard

“Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing” in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

A Global Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism is the appropriate vehicle by which biodiverse rich countries can be compensated for genetic resources utilised in intellectual property.

9 December 2019 - Rashid S. Kaukab

Breaking silos between trade and climate for the world’s most vulnerable countries

There is urgent need to better understand trade and climate change linkages in the context of least developed countries (LDCs).

4 December 2019 - Ana Luiza Cortez

Improved assistance for LDC graduation: What else can be done?

Graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, a milestone in a country’s development, is not free of controversies.

2 December 2019 - Mohammad A. Razzaque Syed Mortuza Ehsan Brendan Vickers

Poorest countries caught in the global trade turmoil

Least developed countries (LDCs) confront a challenging global trade landscape, from slower long-term growth rates and rising protectionism to a weakening nexus between trade and GDP growth.

5 November 2019 - Brendan Vickers Hilary Enos-Edu

How trade can assist least developed countries hit by natural disasters

Many least developed countries are vulnerable to recurrent natural disasters, which exacerbate existing challenges, disrupt long-term investments and divert resources away from development to reconstruction.

4 November 2019 - Juan Felipe Rodrigo López Craig Atkinson

Digitally transforming Sudan’s economy

Enabling growth via ecommerce, trade facilitation and geographical indications

31 October 2019 - Daniel Gay Kevin P. Gallagher

For the least developed countries, revitalising multilateralism is life or death

The international system governing the environment and economy is under pressure, but it is in trade where least developed countries (LDCs) may lose most from cracks in the global order.

16 October 2019 - Simon J. Evenett

2019’s other nasty trade policy surprise

With the spotlight on the Sino-US tariff war, a worrying trade policy dynamic implicating many countries has been overlooked.

18 September 2019 - Amelia Kyambadde Ratnakar Adhikari

Unleashing the power of women to transform the world’s poorest countries

Originally published by Thomson Reuters Foundation News on 11 September 2019

28 August 2019

6 ways the least developed countries can participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Originally published by World Economic Forum Agenda on 13 August 2019

22 August 2019 - Ahmat Mahamat Bachir Ratnakar Adhikari

Aid for trade must focus on the poorest, most fragile countries

Originally published by Devex on 5 July 2019

15 August 2019 - Fabrice Lehmann

5 ways to boost sustainable trade in the world’s poorest countries

Originally published by World Economic Forum Agenda on 4 July 2019

1 July 2019 - Deanna Ramsay

4 ways to empower women in the world's poorest countries

Originally published by World Economic Forum Agenda on 24 June 2019

28 January 2019 - Deanna Ramsay

Aligning agriculture and trade

In countries where farming sustains families and economies, sustainable trade in agricultural products means everything

22 November 2018 - Dale Honeck Frank Van Rompaey

Can LDCs leverage tourism for manufacturing?

To transform LDCs, turning tourism into new kinds of growth

10 August 2018 - Aja Fatoumata C.M. Jallow-Tambajang Yonov Frederick Agah

Don't shut trade down, make it truly inclusive

Originally published by Devex on 5 July 2018

19 July 2018 - Deanna Ramsay

Comoros making scents

The Government is targeting its precious ylang-ylang, vanilla and cloves – key cash crops with global demand. Through the partnership with EIF, cooperatives, trainings for female entrepreneurs like Houria and small business support in the form of vats, labels and processing items have laid the foundation for increased trade for the country.

20 June 2018 - Craig Atkinson

An Internet of Rules for all: Can "Trade Policy 3.0" foster inclusive trade?

The distinctive character of trade policy 3.0 is that, in addition to “writing down the rules” of trade in natural language (trade policy 1.0) and use of “single window systems” that replicate paper-based delivery in the digital realm (trade policy 2.0), countries are able to publish computational rules to the Internet in a standard way

7 June 2018 - Deanna Ramsay

Cashing in on Cashews in the Gambia

In The Gambia, one of the industries ripe with potential for growth identified by EIF and the government was the cashew. By supporting the cashew’s entire chain of production – from farmers’ fields to the development of a new cargo facility – the EIF equipped cashew farmers with new skills and the food safety certification needed to export to markets such as the European Union (EU).

1 May 2018 - Giovanni Valensisi

Renewables in Least Developed Countries: More arrows in the quiver?

Originally published in Bridges Africa

14 March 2018 - Anoush der Boghossian

Making Aid for Trade work for women

Originally published in International Trade Forum

28 January 2018 - Deanna Ramsay

Cambodia's White Gold

By investing in modern rice milling facilities, Cambodia could produce higher quality milled rice for growing international markets and gain international recognition for its milled rice standard.

18 December 2017 - Deanna Ramsay

Rebuilding Vanuatu: Investing in the backbone of Vanuatu's economy

Like many small island states, Vanuatu and its economy are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events and climate change. In March 2015, a category 5 tropical storm, known as Cyclone Pam, ripped through the archipelago, destroying 90 percent of the buildings—including the Port Vila seafront—and leaving dozens dead.