International Trade Center (ITC)
1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.
Yes. The 2030 Agenda frames ITC’s Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 titled Trade Routes to Sustainable and Inclusive Development. ITC is fully dedicated to supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) improve their competitiveness, and use trade as a lever of growth and job creation.
Trade Routes to Sustainable and Inclusive Developmentoutlines ITC’s vision to promote good trade. Good trade is trade that creates positive and inclusive economic, social and environmental impact. Put simply, it is trade that helps achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
ITC’s mission is to enhance inclusive and sustainable growth and development in developing countries, especially least developed countries, and countries with economies in transition through improving the international competitiveness of MSMEs. To achieve ITC’s mission the goals are 1) Improved national business and trade environments for MSMEs; 2) Improved performance of trade and investment support institutions to offer high-quality, sustainable business services to MSMEs; 3) Improved international competitiveness of MSMEs.
ITC has organized its products and services around six focus areas and associated programmes. To measure progress, ITC is using a three-tier scorecard, with Tier 1 representing the SDG perspective, Tier 2 tracking development outcomes and outputs, and Tier 3 monitoring the success of ITC’s corporate efficiency and effectiveness initiatives.
2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes
In 2015, following the SDG Agenda, ITC has decided to review its programmatic approach and link it to the Global Goals. As a result, today, ITC’s programmatic theories of change serve as a basis for projects’ alignment to the SDGs. ITC has 15 programmes which are linked to 10 SDGs and 24 targets. Additionally, each project has linkages to specific SDG targets at the project impact level.
2.2 Aligning the structure of the organization with the transformative features of the 2030 Agenda, including any challenges and lessons learned in doing so
ITC approved a new Corporate Results Framework in 2017, clearly identifying linkages between outputs, intermediate outcomes and ITC’s contribution to achieving the SDGs. ITC’s results framework aims to track the organization’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on goal and target level. Moreover, the Corporate Scorecard translates ITC’s strategic objectives into a coherent set of performance measures, considering ITC’s SDG contributions (Tier 1), ITC’s development outcomes and outputs (Tier 2), and key performance indicators for ITC’s operations (Tier 3). ITC’s organizational structure was also adjusted in 2016 to better enable alignment with the 2030 Agenda.
2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:
ITC started to assess its SDG contribution in 2017 by enabling project managers to link their projects to selected SDG targets in ITC’s digital Projects Portal and to provide a narrative on the impact level. ITC contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a focus on 10 global goals, and with a related focus on 24 targets connected to those 10 SDGs. Currently, ITC is in the process of developing the reporting on its contribution to the SDGs further and establishing a more defined and structured approach to capturing SDG contribution through indicators.
2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:
A stronger focus has also been given to people living in fragile contexts, and poor and marginalized communities within countries, enhancing support to the principle of 'Leaving no one behind'. Inclusiveness is a key driver of ITC’s work. ITC puts emphasis on integrating businesses of poor communities, women and young entrepreneurs into international trade. Moreover, ITC supports producers in the informal sector, displaced people and social enterprises, and helps them to connect to international markets. ITC is committed to ensuring that at least 80% of its country-level interventions benefit least developed countries (LDCs), land-locked developing countries, small-island developing states, small vulnerable economies, post-conflict and fragile states, and sub-Saharan Africa.
3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:
ITC supports implementation of national policy and regulatory reforms, including those enshrined in multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements, for greater enterprise competitiveness. ITC works with policymakers and governments to ensure that trade-related policies and strategies facilitate sustainable inclusive and sustainable growth. ITC supports client countries in developing sustainable mechanisms to implement their strategies effectively. Additionally, ITC brings to policymakers and regulators the voice of business through public-private dialogue, particularly in the case of countries in accession to the WTO.
3.2 Mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies:
ITC works across different sectors, from agri-business to information technology, and provides capacity building on policymaker, institutional and company level to ensure that the SDGs are addressed in sectoral development. It targets sectors that provide employment opportunities at scale for the base of the pyramid, and helps to benefit from international trade and investment opportunities.
3.3 Data and statistical capacity building:
ITC provides global public goods in the form of trade and market intelligence. Access to trade and market intelligence is essential to making informed policy, strategy and business decisions. Since its inception in 1964, ITC has been providing globally accessible market intelligence to MSMEs. Over time, ITC has developed a suite of online global public goods addressing trade flows, non-tariff measures, export potential assessments, and private standards for a wider group of users. ITC is working on providing greater granularity of information, building on new levels of data availability. Moreover, ITC is investing to better connect ITC trade and market data with that of the WTO, UNCTAD and UN Secretariat so that beneficiaries have convenient access to a range of data sources.
ITC contributes to the global monitoring of progress on the SDGs. Together with WTO and UNCTAD, ITC is the custodian agency for the indicators 10.a.1, 17.10.1, 17.11.1 and 17.12.1.
3.4 Science, technology and innovation for the SDGs:
Innovation is an important mechanism for ITC to deliver its work on the SDGs. ITC increasingly partners with the private sector to improve its understanding of specialized and changing business processes, to help connect MSMEs to value chains and to stimulate innovation. ITC focuses on innovative impact-driven products and services that are adapted to the needs of clients. For example, ITC fosters MSMEs’ ability to make use of digital process innovations, such as new payment systems and logistics, and digital platforms to connect to markets. In 2017, ITC launched its Innovation Lab, which promotes new methodologies and ways of working to address the Sustainable Development Goals. ITC fosters cooperation with innovation partners in Geneva and beyond to promote scalable development solutions and engages with United Nations Headquarters and other organizations to pilot new initiatives in the context of the SDGs. The organization also pursues innovation that improves its ability to deliver more value for money and greater scale.
3.5 Multi-stakeholder partnerships:
Strong partnerships are at the core of ITC’s work. ITC works with policymakers, trade and investment support institutions, private sector and other development agencies for the benefit of MSMEs. ITC chooses partners based on shared objectives, commitment, and partners’ recognition of ITC’s value proposition. ITC engages in multi-stakeholder partnerships and markets its work across multiple communication platforms for the purposes of making trade development support more accessible and impactful. The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), and the new Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) all provide good lessons for how to co-operate in the interest of improved client service, whether partners are located in Geneva or elsewhere.
3.6 Sub-national plans/strategies and implementation for the SDGs:
National governments are the entry points and main stakeholders in ITC’s work at country level. To ensure the effectiveness of its interventions ITC works with local governments and local stakeholders. ITC identifies the opportunities and challenges facing specific clients to tailor its interventions and build customized solutions, together with clients and partners, to unique contexts. Moreover, ITC puts high emphasis on local ownership in order to ensure sustainable development and long-term benefits for the communities that continue beyond ITC’s interventions.
ITC’s technical assistance on local level focuses on helping those who need it the most through economic development. ITC focuses on specific sectors such as agri-business, and groups such as poor communities in rural areas or refugees and displaced persons.
3.7 Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets:
Based on ITC’s clients (MSMEs, TISIs, and policymakers) and area of work, being international business and trade, ITC programmes’ contribution ranges across on a number of SDGs. For instance, ITC’s empowering women to trade programme addresses SDG 1, 5, 8, and 17. The 2030 Agenda explicitly identifies international trade as ‘an engine for inclusive economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction’, and as ’contributing to the promotion of sustainable development.’
ITC’s programmes address the SDGs from different angles: macro, meso, micro. ITC intervenes in countries and works with policymakers and governments to ensure that policies and strategies facilitate trade and support economic growth. To multiply its impact, ITC works with trade and investment support institutions (TISIs) who in turn help enterprises trade. Finally yet importantly, ITC works directly with MSMEs. Through this multi-level approach, ITC ensures that interventions are leveraged through the various levels.
4. The high-level political forum (HLPF) is the central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Has your organization participated in the work of the HLPF in the 2016-2018 cycles, convened under the auspices of ECOSOC? If yes, please specify your involvement in the following areas:
ITC has participated in the work of the HLPF in the 2016-2018 cycles and has strengthened its work for 2019 and beyond through greater involvement at global and regional levels.
4.1 Supporting the intergovernmental body of your organization in contributing to the thematic review of the HLPF:
ITC provided substantive inputs to the thematic review of the HLPF during the 2016-2018 cycles showcasing the organization contribution to the 2030 Agenda in general, and particularly for the SDGs and respective targets that are most relevant to ITC’s mandate of increasing the international competitiveness of MSMEs.
4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:
ITC has delivered statements at the HLPF during the 2016-2018 cycles, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for SDG implementation, focusing on trade as an engine for inclusive growth and sustainable development and MSMEs.
5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT? Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:
ITC cooperates with other UN organizations on corporate and on project level, in Geneva and in the field.
ITC became a member of the UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) in 2018, after the repositioning of the UN development system. ITC is also a member of EC-ESA plus, the UN interagency cluster on trade and productive capacity and the interagency taskforce on financing for development (IATF).
ITC has always worked closely with its parent organizations,United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2017, ITC launched an online Global Trade Helpdesk and a market intelligence platform for cotton products in cooperation with the WTO and UNCTAD. Another example is the joint implementation of trade facilitation information portals in East Africa by ITC and UNCTAD. In partnership with UNCTAD’s ‘E-trade for All’ ITC’s E-solutions programme builds domestic ecosystems enabling MSMEs to sell their goods and services online.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) opened a Geneva liaison office within ITC premises. Working under the same roof allows ITC and UNWTO to strengthen their partnership to maximize the tourism sector’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Under the Youth Empowerment Project in the Gambia, ITC worked with UNWTO to develop and launch a new curriculum comprising 12 training modules for the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute.
ITC and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are developing a two-year project in Turkey to promote the integration into local labour markets of Syrians granted temporary protection status in the country. The project will work to strengthen the business and trade competitiveness of MSMEs, specifically targeting job creation and entrepreneurship in Turkish host communities. ITC also works with IOM and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in a joint project in the Gambia funded by the Peace Building Fund (PBF) to address the root causes of migration and assist returnees to reintegrate upon their return.
ITC is an active member of the ‘Global initiative on decent jobs for youth’ and leads the thematic area on youth entrepreneurship and self-employment, which is supported by a plan that was developed jointly with other UN entities and partners. In November 2018, ITC held the first ever Youth Entrepreneurship and self-employment forum (YES Forum) in Dakar, Senegal. This Forum was jointly organized with Jokkolabs, host of the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Senegal, the Government of Senegal, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other UN entities. It allowed to share good practices and inspirational talks with 250 participants, about youth economic empowerment in Western Africa along with a Declaration to foster youth economic empowerment involving all stakeholders, incl. government, institutions, and financial services providers.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have been collaborating with ITC to implement the Refugee Employment and Skills Initiative in Dadaab, Kenya. The initiative harnesses market-based incentives to enhance livelihood opportunities for refugees by developing sector value chains while strengthening host communities.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and ITC work together in the field, for instance on the joint programming for country-based collaboration in Afghanistan in cooperation with the EU. Moreover, ITC works with UN Regional Economic Commissions on the ground. As a non-resident agency, ITC relies on the leadership and support of UNDP and, in some cases UNOPS to enable development operations on the ground.
In Geneva, ITC works in close proximity with many UN organizations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and private-public organizations including the World Economic Forum (WEF). ITC works with Geneva-based organizations on events and conferences related to the SDGs as well as on specific project work.
7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.
ITC has multiple annual and biannual events for exchange of experience and expertise. ITC’s flagship event is the World Export Development Forum(WEDF). This event brings together experts of trade and export development and in order to diversify the participants ITC organizes the event every year in a different country, in 2016-18 in Sri Lanka, Hungary, and Zambia. ITC’s SheTrades Globalis an annual event focusing mainly on SDG 8, 5 and 17 bringing women-owned business from developing countries and as well as other private and public sector actors together. ITC’s annual Trade for Sustainable Development Forumconnects experts on production and standards for the exchange ideas and knowledge, and fosters partnerships in this area. ITC’s World Trade Promotion Organization Conference and Awardstakes place biannually and brings together representatives from trade promotion organizations. During this conference not only knowledge and expertise is being shared, but also trade networks are strengthened and developed.
8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:
9. In your view, what should a strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs look like? What key elements should it include and major challenges address in such a road map?
A strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 agenda should include:
- Re-emphasize the UN values
- The establishment of measurements. Organizations’ work needs to have a precise narrative in terms of their contribution to the SDGs, and the synergies and sequencing between the contribution of different entities. Thus, the UN system should establish indicators for its contribution to the SDG targets.
- Assessing the how in the context of the SDG targets. The UN system should assess itself what it does to help countries achieving the SDGs and how it directly contributes to them.
- Identify and prioritize areas for synergies, that is, where the UN can be more effective working as a system. Develop plans on where and how to create multiplier-effects and streamline approaches.
- The strategic plan should also highlight urgency, e.g. dealing with climate change. This area has an enormous effect on all other goals and is affected by many goals at the same time. All UN systems’ work should for instance have this element mainstreamed and all of the work shall have no negative potential influence on climate change.
Key elements: accelerate, streamline, multiply, measure
Major challenges: commitment and accountability; transparency on work towards the attainment of the SDGs
10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:
1) The UN could introduce a system-wide approach of mapping its organizations’ expertise and services under each SDG so that countries can better identify UN agencies which provide support, advice and knowledge in certain areas related to the particular Goal. For instance, in reference to SDG 8, the UN could introduce a system-wide approach on economic transformation, which would enable countries to better identify UN entities that can add value to the country’s plans on economic growth, for instance through policy formulation and strategy development in general or even for selected sectors.
2) Another initiative the UN organizations could do is to lead by example and incorporate economic, social and environmental sustainability into UN business processes. UN could for instance introduce rainwater harvesting systems in all organizations’ building, procure only environmental-friendly products in their cafeterias to reduce plastic waste, paper cups, and undertake other environmental initiatives or set objectives to procure from women entrepreneurs or MSMEs.