The international Trade Centre (ITC) is the focal point in the United Nations system for technical cooperation with developing countries in trade promotion.
ITC was created by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1964 and since 1968 has been operated jointly by GATT (now by the WTO) and by the UN, the latter acting through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
As an executing agency of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ITC is directly responsible for implementing UNDP-financed projects in developing countries and economies in transition related to trade promotion.
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Main Programme Areas:
ITC works with developing countries and economies in transition to set up effective trade promotion programmes for expanding their exports and improving their import operations. This covers six key areas.
1. Product and market development:
Direct export marketing support to the business community through advice on product development, product adaptation and international marketing for commodities, manufactures and service. The aim is to develop and market internationally competitive products and services to expand and diversify these countries’ exports.
2. Development of trade support services:
Creation and enhancement of foreign trade support services for the business community provided by public and private institutions at the national and regional levels. The objective is to ensure that enterprises have the facilities to export and import effectively.
3. Trade information:
Establishment of sustainable national trade information services and dissemination of information on products, services, market and functions to enterprises and trade organizations. The purpose is to lay a foundation for sound international business decisions and for appropriate trade promotion programmes.
4. Human resource development:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Strengthening of national institutional capacities for foreign trade training and organisation of direct training for enterprises in importing and exporting. The goal is to achieve efficient foreign trade operations based on relevant knowledge and skills.
5. International purchasing and supply management:
Application of cost- effective import systems and practices in enterprises and public trading entities by strengthening and advisory services provided by national purchasing organisations, both public and private. The aim is to optimise foreign exchange resources expended on imports.
6. Needs assessment and programme design for trade promotion:
Conception of effective national and regional trade promotion programmes based on an analysis of supply potential and constraints, and identification of related technical cooperation requirements. The objective is to reinforce the link between trade policy and the implementation of trade promotion activities.
In all of these services, ITC gives particular attention to activities with the least developed countries (LDCs).