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Global Advocacy
The global advocacy category covers services that are designed to promote the use of trade as a development tool and to encourage support for developing countries’ efforts to improve their trade capacity building. This includes analysis and dissemination of trade-related information, promoting understanding of the relationship between trade and development, and supporting policies. Some agencies provide information on and support for the interactions between their more specialized interests and trade.
finland
Support to the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECPDM)
netherlands
switzerland
Legal and Regulatory Framework
Assistance under this category includes helping countries to bring their own regulations into conformity with international rules, more general help to improve their legal institutions, and training officials to deal with such rules. A number of the agencies specialise in particular areas, rather than trying to provide expertise on the legal rules in all sectors. For several, the aim is to balance trade-related obligations with other national (or international) interests.
finland
Support to Advisory Centre for WTO Law (ACWL)
netherlands
ACWL
Netherlands Chair Program (NCP)
switzerland
Support to improving business environment
Supply Capacity
In line with the trade focus of this Guide, support activities to develop supply capacity are considered to be those that aim to increase the availability of goods and services for export. There is no easy distinction between this and building more general capacity to produce, and this distinction is becoming less pertinent as borders open and competition in local markets from imports increases. Some agencies do not make this distinction in their projects.
finland
netherlands
switzerland
Compliance support infrastructure and services
Assistance in this category is closely related to that under the Legal and Regulatory Framework, but places more emphasis on building the institutions in developing countries to implement such legal frameworks, and less on the details of compliance. It is an area where the specialised agencies again have the main role
finland
Support for UNIDO’s trade capacity-building programs
netherlands
Market access through meeting quality standards for food and agricultural products
Standards and Trade Development Facility (sanitary and phytosanitary area)