Aid for Trade in Action
History has shown that openness to trade is a key ingredient for economic success
and for improved living standards. But simply opening the economy to international
trade is not enough. Developing countries – especially the least developed – require
help in building their trade-related capacities in terms of information, policies,
procedures, institutions and infrastructure, so as to compete effectively in the global
economy. Aid for trade aims to help countries overcome the supply-side constraints
that inhibit their ability to benefit from market access opportunities. The almost
300 case stories show clear results of how aid-for-trade programmes are helping developing
countries to build human, institutional and infrastructure capacity to integrate into
regional and global markets and to make good use of trade opportunities. Together,
these stories are a rich and varied source of information on the results of aid for
trade activities – an indication of the progress achieved by the Aid-for-Trade Initiative.
Published on June 11, 2013