International Trade Centre (ITC)
1.From November 2024 to October 2025, has the governing body of your organization taken any decisions, including in the context of the Pact for the Future implementation and/or the UN80 Initiative, that are related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals? If yes, please briefly mention these decisions and provide their respective symbols and links. (Max 200 words)
In June 2025, ITC’s governing body – the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) – highlighted its strong endorsement of the priorities being developed for ITC’s Strategic Plan 2026-2030, noting their alignment with their respective national priorities.1. ITC aims to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the interlinked 17 sustainable development goals through the following four strategic objectives: SMEs increase trade and investment and accelerate value addition and innovation in sectors with high growth and sustainable development potential
SMEs leverage the green and digital transitions for increased trade competitiveness SMEs accelerate transformational benefits for women, youth and other underrepresented groups SMEs amplify their engagement in regional integration, national and global advocacy and decision making. The JAG members encouraged ITC to continue its strong track record in its core areas: women’s economic empowerment, the green transition, digital transformation of SMEs, and regional integration. There was also widespread praise for ITC’s trade and market intelligence, the depth of its trade-related technical assistance, and its resilience in delivering for SMEs in developing countries2. ITC’s work in the above areas is fully aligned with implementation of the Pact for the Future, in particular the calls to ensure SMEs benefit from the digital economy (Global Digital Compact) and stronger engagement with youth.
2.From November 2024 to October 2025, what actions have your entities taken to improve coordination among UN system entities across policy and normative activities as well as with ECOSOC subsidiary bodies with a view to increasing impact and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda? Please provide any relevant links. (Max 200 words)
From November 2024 – October 2025, ITC participated in UN system-wide Working Groups related to the implementation of the Pact for the Future: Working Group on Digital Technologies, Working Group on Youth, Working Group on Pact Contributions to SDG Delivery.
ITC continued to engage in several Inter-Agency Working Groups related to countries in special situations, including: IACGs for LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS; Interdepartmental Task Force on African Affairs, and Regional Collaborative Platforms in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe & Central Asia. Regarding cross-pillar collaboration on gender-responsive development, ITC actively participated in the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) at working-level, and the Gender Equality Advisory Group at principal-level, and the ITC SheTrades initiative was recognized in the the UN Women report on private sector & gender equality: Unfinished Business: Private Sector and Gender Equality. ITC also participated in Inter-Agency Group on Aging, and the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD) at expert-level. Finally, on overall coordination among UN System entities, ITC is an active member of the UN Sustainable Development Group, Senior Management Group, and the High-Level Committee on Programmes.
3. From November 2024 to October 2025, has your organization organized any intergovernmentally mandated conferences, forums or events that contributed to the achievement of the SDGs, or has been in the process of planning and organizing any such mandated events to be held next year?
Event Name | Global SME Ministerial Meeting |
Event Dates | 22-24 July 2025 |
Event Location (City, Country) | Johannesburg, South Africa |
Relevant SDGs | 8, 9, 10, 13, 17 |
Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s) | The inaugural Global SME Ministerial Meeting, co-hosted by ITC and South Africa’s Department of Small Business Development, brought together over 700 participants from more than 60 countries to advance the role of small enterprises in sustainable development. Ministers endorsed a landmark Global Call to Action to accelerate SME access to finance, digital transformation, and green competitiveness – key levers for achieving the SDGs, particularly on decent work and growth (SDG 8), industry and innovation (SDG 9), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), and climate action (SDG 13). The Call marked a milestone in formally recognizing businesses as a distinct constituency in global trade. |
Website (if applicable) |
Event Name | LLDC3 Private Sector Forum, Thematic Session on Trade and Transit |
Event Dates | 5 August 2025 |
Event Location (City, Country) | Awaza, Turkmenistan |
Relevant SDGs | 9, 10, 11 |
Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s) | In preparation for the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), ITC and the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) co-organized a thematic session on trade and transit during the LLDC3 Private Sector Forum. The session addressed one of the core challenges faced by LLDCs, the high cost and complexity of trade due to lack of direct access to seaports. Participants shared experiences and best practices to improve transit systems, enhance trade facilitation, and strengthen regional cooperation in line with the new Programme of Action. The session contributed to advancing the SDGs on industry and innovation (SDG 9), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), and partnerships for sustainable development (SDG 17). |
Website (if applicable) |
4. From November 2024 to October 2025, has your organization published or planned to publish any analytical work, guidance or reference materials, or toolkits to guide and support the implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels? Please select up to three to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs.
Resource Name | Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Nationally Determined Contributions Guidelines (issued in November 2024) |
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) | 8, 9, 13, 17 |
Publishing entity/entities | ITC |
Target audience | Policymakers |
Description (max 150 words) | ITC launched new guidelines to help governments integrate small business and trade considerations into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. As countries prepare their third-round submissions (NDC 3.0), this guidance provides practical tools for policymakers to design climate strategies that are both ambitious and inclusive. The guidelines highlight the vital role of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), which form the backbone of most economies yet remain highly vulnerable to climate change, in driving innovation and sustainable growth. The initiative directly supports the SDGs on climate action (SDG 13), decent work and growth (SDG 8), industry and innovation (SDG 9), and partnerships for sustainable development (SDG 17). |
Language(s) | English |
Website or link (if applicable) |
Resource Name | Standards Map |
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) | 8, 9, 12, 13, 17 |
Publishing entity/entities | ITC |
Target audience | Businesses, Buyers, Financiers |
Description (max 150 words) | ITC integrated six new voluntary sustainability standards into the Standards Map (Gerações, Natural Cosmetic Standard, Friends of the Earth, Good Travel Seal, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas – Ecuador) broadening access to reliable sustainability data. The Standards Map presents in-depth information on over 300 voluntary sustainability standards, or environmental protection, worker and labour rights, economic development, quality and food safety, as well as business ethics. These are applicable to sectors including agriculture, textile and garments, consumer products, forestry, mining and services. They are active in 192 countries and sorted across 1650 criteria. The initiative supports SDGs on decent work and growth (SDG 8), industry and innovation (SDG 9), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and partnerships for sustainable development (SDG 17). |
Language(s) | English |
Website or link (if applicable) |
Resource Name | Togo Trade Portal |
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) | 8, 9, 16, 17 |
Publishing entity/entities | ITC, Togolese Ministry of Trade, Crafts and Local Consumption (MCACL), UNCTAD, EU, GIZ |
Target audience | Businesses |
Description (max 150 words) | ITC provided technical assistance to e, that launched the Togo Trade Portal on 25-27 March 2025 in Lomé. The portal, part of Togo’s strategy to digitalize its economy3, and linked to the Global Trade Helpdesk, enhances transparency and predictability of import and export procedures in line with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. By providing businesses, especially SMEs, with real-time access to regulatory information, documentation, and fees, the platform reduces administrative barriers and improves the business climate. Covering key export and import products, the initiative promotes greater inclusion of Togolese enterprises in regional and global value chains. The Togo Trade Portal contributes to decent work and growth (SDG 8), industry and innovation (SDG 9), peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16), and partnerships for sustainable development (SDG 17). |
Language(s) | English, French |
Website or link (if applicable) |
5. What collective efforts is your organization undertaking to support countries in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the areas of Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which will go under in-depth review at the HLPF in 2026? Please note any achievements, challenges and gaps and provide any relevant links. (Max 200 words)
Initiative/Partnership Name | Climate competitiveness: Building opportunities in the green economy for emerging and developing countries |
Partners (please list all partners) | EU Directorate General Trade (funder), existing lead firm partners, target country EU delegations, BSOs, academia and NGOs |
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) | 7, 9, 17 |
Member States benefiting from it | Kenya, Mauritius, Senegal, Nepal, Philippines, Viet Nam, Dominican Republic, Ecuador |
Description (max 150 words) | The aim of the project is to increase the engagement of developing and emerging countries in the discussions around trade and environment at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The fora for these discussions include the Trade and Environment Structured Sustainability Discussions (TESSD) and the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE). As a first step, the project prepares strategies in partnership with countries on how trade helps achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives. Based on these strategies, and capacity building for SMEs and policy makers, ITC facilitates participating countries to make submissions to the WTO fora on, for example, best practices, lessons learnt, common regional approaches on standards. The range of themes covered by the project is wide and includes inter alia, circular economy, trade related climate measures, deforestation free value chains, blue economy and the clean energy transition. |
Website |
Initiative/Partnership Name | Methodology for selecting Business Support Organization (BSO) partners |
Partners (please list all partners) | ITC Benchmarking for Trade platform, WTO – ITC Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) fund, in partnership with the Business support organizations: ProDominicana, Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI); and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), supported by the United Arab Emirates and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund and Bahrain |
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) | 9, 17 |
Member States benefiting from it | Jordan, Mongolia, Nigeria, Dominican Republic |
Description (max 150 words) | The ITC's Benchmarking for Trade platform and the WTO - ITC's Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) initiative developed a methodology for selecting Business Support Organization (BSO) partners and selected an initial cohort of BSO partners in Jordan, Mongolia, Nigeria and the Dominican Republic. |
Website |
6. Please provide strategies (policies, guidance, plan) and/or collective actions taken to implement the 2025 Ministerial Declaration of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the Council. Please note any challenges foreseen and provide any relevant links. (Max 200 words)
ITC has taken the following actions aligned with the 2025 HLPF Ministerial Declaration priorities:
Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality:
ITC’s long-standing SheTrades Initiative continues to advance women’s economic empowerment and increase women’s access to knowledge, resources and markets. As part of the ITC-WTO Women Exporters in the Digital Economy Fund (WEIDE), the first cohort of 146 women-led SMEs in Nigeria were selected in August 2025 to benefit from fund’s targeted support to boost their digital capabilities, financial readiness, and export potential 4 . ITC has also helped countries with inclusive and gender-responsive trade policy reforms.
Sustainable Development Goal 8 on Decent Work for All: With new regulations related to environmental and human rights due diligence, ITC continually updates tools and initiatives to ensure SMEs in producer countries are not left behind and cut off from integrating into global value chains, including:
StandardsMap online portal, to help SMEs in exporting countries know and navigate various standards and regulations.
Social and Labour Convergence Gateway is a multi-stakeholder platform created to combat the proliferation of social audits in the apparel and footwear sector. An industry-wide effort to address social audit fatigue and duplication in a pre-competitive setting.
A publication on Fostering the green competitiveness for small businessses (a white paper for the SME Ministerial meeting, inspiring the Call for action, published in July 2025