Iran (Islamic Republic of)

<p>The project will strengthen ICDT services on trade intelligence to support the public and private sector from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to make better informed decisions and, in the long term, to contribute to an increase of trade between OIC Member States through the embedding of Market Analysis Tools, the development of an online Trade Helpdesk and the development of trade-related studies.</p>

<p>Poor Communities and Trade Programme (PCTP), at the International Trade Centre (ITC), aims to reduce global poverty by strengthening the capacities of developing country micro-entrepreneurs, social enterprises and emerging designers for export trade, in order to connect them with international buyers, in the value chain of ethical fashion, through an inclusive business model.</p><p>PCTP provides technical expertise and business support to informal micro-enterprises and to emerging designers, through a business support infrastructure (based on hubs managed by social enterprises) that enables them to acquire capacities to set up and manage production and quality control systems, logistics and supply chain management, market identification and buyer negotiation skills. This market-based approach to poverty reduction provides micro-entrepreneurs form the informal sector (for the majority women) &nbsp;with the direct benefits of trade by creating jobs and facilitating business opportunities resulting in increased incomes, improved livelihoods and new linkages to the formal economy.</p><p>Within its social enterprises around the world, ITC&rsquo;s Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) in <u><strong>2019&nbsp;</strong>focus on the following deliverables<strong>:</strong></u></p><ul><li><strong><strong>Living wage assessments are carried out in 8 project countries</strong></strong></li><li><strong>African Fashion Fund in collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative&nbsp;</strong></li><li><strong><strong>New business model, based on online trade is developed and launched</strong></strong></li><li><strong>Events in coordination with the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion are organised</strong></li><li><strong>Generating awareness on the impacts of climate change and conflicts affecting livelihoods of people in selected project countrie</strong></li></ul><p><strong><u>In 2020</u></strong> the Initiative will focus on the following deliverables:</p><p><span style="font-weight: 700;"><strong>Output 3.1: Accelerator launched with six African designers 4 of which are from countries not involved in the existing project frameworks of the EFI (expansion of EFI&rsquo;s network and creation of new opportunities for intra-African trade).&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 700;">Output 3.2: <strong>Eritrea project framework tested through preliminary activities, designed and submitted&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>In 2021</p>

<p>EFI has mobilised consumers and creative skills to leverage a new positioning for artisans from marginalized communities in the international markets of lifestyle and fashion/luxury. EFI has enabled new creative talents to trade internationally and to get access to platforms of e-commerce and promotion that are reshaping the segment of ethical fashion, which is now a mainstream part of the market.</p><p>EFI&rsquo;s experience illustrates how investing in human capital through culture means bringing about change at the level of:</p><ul><li>Individuals, who become involved in training, capacity building and personal transformation/consciousness raising, workshops and/or business processes, dialogue and encounters;</li><li>Consumers and citizens, who become mobilized through media and/or action campaigns;</li><li>Professional development, supply and collaboration networks, who become involved through a series of relationship-building processes, joint efforts and practical programs on substantive problems linked to product development and market responses; and,</li><li>Communities, where social capital is developed and/ or solidified by connecting new human resources (from the informal sector) to existing formal business and social networks.</li></ul>

<p>The overall objective is to contribute to sustainable economic and social development in Iran, through increased and diversified trade in goods and services. More specifically, this project aims to support the business sector, including high potential SMEs, by facilitating the drafting of a National Export Strategy, supporting the development of selected value chains, providing technical cooperation to Iran&apos;s Trade Promotion Organization (I-TPO), and establishing a youth trade accelerator programme. The project was designed by ITC jointly with the Government of Iran, namely the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade (MIMT). Project partners include the ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Chambers of Commerce, sector associations, and the Iran Trade Promotion Organization.</p>