Publications

This report supports the World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender by offering an analytical framework outlining trade and trade-related impacts on women (and men) through the employment, consumption and public provision channels. It presents a step-by-step approach...

E-commerce is a vital part of commercial activity, yet few provisions on digital trade reference gender equality. This report explores policy reforms needed to bridge the gender divide on digital access, adoption and usage. The report recommends building e-commerce capacity focused on gender...

This report advises governments on tackling gender inequality and promoting women’s economic empowerment when implementing the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA). It recommends helping women traders access vital information about their rights, border crossing times,...

This is a national companion guide to the publication The Business Guide for Sustainability in Foreign Investments.

International business investors can embed sustainability in each step of their operations. This guide describes the social, environmental and economic practices that international firms must understand when entering a new market.

This report identifies how World Trade Organization negotiators and signatories can mainstream gender considerations through the negotiations on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD). It examines policies and regulations that can encourage investment that attracts women-owned businesses and...

Literature review of interdependencies between public and private standards. It focuses on how governments could engage with private standards to impact their legitimacy and significance in the market; provides examples of complementarities between public and private standards. Part three of a...

This report applies a gender lens framework to government procurement through the public provision, consumption and employment channels. It identifies opportunities to develop a gender lens for government procurement in the World Trade Organization to inform and advance the debate among negotiators,...

This report shows how sustainability standards can be a powerful tool for post-pandemic recovery.

Standards and regulations have a major impact on SME competitiveness.

The design of governance structure of social and environmental sustainability standards determines how accessible they are to producers in developing countries.The increase in consumer demand for sustainable trade has given rise to a growing array of social and environmental standards. This joint...

Managing risk and building climate resilience among small firms requires a team effort. Climate change is hitting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) hard, and supply chain disruptions have a domino effect. This guide explains how development cooperation agencies, business support organizations,...