ITC publishes 2012 Annual Report

In 2012 ITC assisted 98 trade support institutions, arranged for 955 enterprises to meet with potential buyers leading to sales transactions and delivered 17 export development strategies, according to ITC’s Annual Report, prepared ahead of the organization’s Joint Advisory Group meeting to be held in Geneva on 6-7 May. ITC’s total expenditure reached US$ 76.5 million (net) last year. 69% of ITC’s country and region specific delivery targeted priority countries: least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), small island developing states (SIDS) and sub-Saharan Africa.

ITC’s development results are described in the Annual Report, grouped according to the agency’s five strategic objectives.

“Over the past few years ITC has reformed its operating model, increasingly focusing on large and integrated programmes with higher impact, and rolling out results-based management (RBM) principles across all our projects,” Executive Director Patricia Francis wrote in the Foreword to the Annual Report.

Looking ahead, Ms. Francis added: “The organization is well positioned to partner with beneficiary countries within the Aid for Trade framework, to develop and execute export-led programmes that are based on countries’ real needs and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth, including programmes that benefit marginalized groups and women.”

Highlighted in the Annual Report are ten case studies that bring ITC’s work to life, demonstrating its impact: we profile a Chadian businesswoman who restructured her business to increase her shea butter exports, a Bangladeshi software entrepreneur whose company now works for Dutch clients and the Jordanian jewelry designer whose products are on sale at the Louvre in Paris.

Others, such as Pakistani officials who train the country’s civil servants on export related topics, the members of the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters, who contributed to the development of the country’s yam export strategy, are crucial to creating a business environment that enables exports. To read their stories and ITC’s development results in 2012, download the Annual Report from here.

The Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish versions of the Annual Report will be available by the middle of April.