The region of East and Southern Africa is changing.
The emerging bigger internal market comprising of the East African
Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA) and the South African Development Community (SADC) member
countries has been a key development.
Since 2005 the region has been benefiting from ITC’s
increased emphasis on intra-African and South-South trade.? This is
achieved through numerous national and region-wide programmes aligned
to the national and regional objectives of these economic blocs.?
ITC’s approach to technical assistance is three-fold. It focuses on:
- mainstreaming trade into the national development agenda
- strengthening regional trade
- increasing the development impact of exports?
At the regional level ITC’s Programme for Building African Capacity for Trade (PACT II) is supporting COMESA in its inter-regional
and sectoral trade promotion, and in alliance with business
organizations within and outside its member states. ITC and COMESA have
partnered in support of the leather industry in the region, seeking to
create markets and also build capacity in the sector for product
development. Discussions with the EAC and SADC are underway. ITC is
also engaging in many other initiatives to increase incomes of
disadvantaged groups, including women in inter-border trade and slum dwellers whom ITC is assisting in producing products for European fashion house under its ethical fashion programme.??
Although ITC engages in a multitude of programmes at the regional
level, the priority is in assisting countries with their individual
challenges. Our focus is on least developed countries (LDCs). Projects
that build agro-industry exports dominate this trade technical
assistance portfolio.? Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa
are receiving assistance in supply chain and logistics development in
response to the wider focus on the North-South Transport Corridor and also to help them adjust to increasing South-South trade.
ITC provides trade information and analysis in its Market News Service
publications via printed media and mobile phones – these are
examples of our direct assistance to exporters.??
ITC is working with its development partners to
promote global partnerships among business councils. ITC is also
engaged with UN Global Compact companies, providing ways to enable
these global players to procure products from women-led businesses in
the region. Already ITC has seen a growing interest from USA, Canadian
and European companies seeking assistance in identifying these African
businesswomen.