EIF newsletter: Update from the world of trade and LDCs
Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)
10+ years fostering trade, changing lives WITH and FOR least developed countries
Welcome to the latest EIF newsletter, focusing on recent news in trade and development with a focus on the least developed countries (LDCs).
This edition includes:
Enjoy the read!
?UPDATE ON?THE EIF INTERIM FACILITY?
Running since January 2024, the EIF Interim Facility was launched as a way to bridge the end of EIF Phase Two and a future multilateral programme for the LDCs. With USD 10.5 million in funding from Finland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom (UK), and an additional USD 7.2 million mobilized from LDC governments and development partners,?the Facility is supporting 42 projects in 41 LDCs.?It is now set to run until September 2025.
Here is a glimpse into the ongoing work in LDCs: among the various?projects, 22 LDCs are receiving support to engage with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), helping them make the most of regional trade opportunities. In Bhutan, the Interim Facility is strengthening trade capacity through training initiatives, such as a WTO and trade policy workshop held in collaboration with the Centre for WTO Studies. This has?helped participants enhance their understanding of trade agreements, legal terminology and negotiation strategies, ensuring that key stakeholders are informed and prepared for trade-related discussions. In the Pacific, Vanuatu is developing a five-year investment promotion strategy under the Facility, aiming to attract foreign investment in key sectors such as tourism, agro-processing and financial services. Despite disruptions caused in Vanuatu by the earthquake in December 2024, progress has continued, and, with the new Government in place following elections in January 2025, efforts are moving forward.
More updates to come in the EIF?Annual Report, out in June—stay tuned!
UK increases its support to the EIF Interim Facility
With its extension to September 2025, the UK has made an additional contribution of GBP 100,000 (around USD 126,000) to the EIF Interim Facility. This latest installment brings the UK’s total contribution to GBP 1 million, ensuring continued funding for the Interim Facility as it bridges the transition between EIF Phase Two and a future multilateral support mechanism for the LDCs.
You can read more about the UK's contribution to the EIF Interim Facility on the WTO website and on LinkedIn.
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2025: ACCELERATING ACTION FOR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
International Women’s Day is just around the corner, and this year’s theme—"Accelerate Action"— underscores the importance of continued progress toward inclusivity and equal opportunities. With UN Women’s focus—"For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment"— we are reminded that inclusivity must be at the heart of this effort. As 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, this moment is ripe for reflecting on achievements while pushing for a future where every woman and girl has the power to thrive.
A conversation between women entrepreneurs on empowering women-led MSMEs across LDCs
Register here to join us in celebrating International Women’s Day 2025 with a panel discussion on 11 March, spotlighting the resilience, impact and potential of women-led micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across LDCs. This conversation and cross-country learning opportunity will explore key enablers that can help their businesses grow, scale and contribute even more to their economies.
Women entrepreneurs are transforming economies, breaking barriers and driving innovation—especially in the LDCs, where women-led MSMEs play a crucial role in job creation and sustainable development. Yet, these businesses continue to face challenges in accessing finance, markets and the support needed to thrive.
The discussion will feature insights, experiences and examples of solutions that are making a difference, offering a space for knowledge-sharing and dialogue on how to accelerate progress for women-led MSMEs.
The event will open with remarks from:
This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring:
Moderator:
The event will conclude with closing remarks from Mr Ratnakar Adhikari, EIF Executive Director.?
If you’re an entrepreneur, policymaker or advocate for women’s economic empowerment — whether from an LDC or the wider EIF partnership — this is an opportunity to connect, learn and exchange ideas on how to accelerate progress.
RECENT SNAPSHOTS FROM LDCS?
Impact Evaluation of the EIF soya project in Togo
The EIF-supported Soya Value Chain Development Project in Togo has undergone an impact evaluation, showing significant contributions to economic growth and poverty reduction. Since its implementation, national soya production has increased from 25,000 tonnes in 2015 to 300,000 tonnes in 2022, while soya exports rose from 9,400 tonnes in 2015 to 160,000 tonnes in 2024, making the crop one of Togo’s top 10 export products. The sector has also generated 50 billion FCFA (nearly 80 million USD) in revenue in 2024, reflecting its growing importance in the national economy. The project has improved farmers’ incomes and strengthened market access, with women and youth benefitting from targeted training and employment opportunities. While these results highlight the project’s success, the evaluation also provides recommendations to ensure long-term sustainability, particularly in governance, financing and value-added processing.?
Read the full impact evaluation here (in French).
Delegation led by Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister visits Geneva to discuss trade cooperation
On 17 February, Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Mr Salah Ahmed Jama, led a delegation to Geneva for the inaugural Working Party meeting on Somalia's accession to the WTO. During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Jama highlighted Somalia's commitment to leveraging trade for peace and stability, emphasizing the role of WTO membership in the country's economic development. The following day, 18 February, a Round Table on Technical Assistance for Somalia's WTO Accession was held, focusing on mobilizing support to facilitate Somalia's integration into the global economy.
For more information,?visit the WTO website.?
During the visit, the Director General of Somalia's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr Mohamed Saney Dalmar, met with the EIF Executive Director, Ratnakar Adhikari, to discuss ongoing support for Somalia's trade capacity-building initiatives.
With EIF support since 2021, Somalia has been strengthening its trade capacity through targeted training programmes for government officials?in partnership with the World Bank and the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (TRAPCA). The initiative has helped address the country’s shortage of trade policy experts by equipping officials with essential skills in trade negotiations, policy analysis, customs modernization and regional integration, among others. The first phase trained 37 officials, while the 2024 phase expanded training to 90 participants from multiple ministries and agencies, ensuring 50% female participation. A third phase in 2025 will focus on strengthening coordination among trade-related institutions and ensuring sustainable policy development.
A busy February in Addis Ababa with the 38th AU Summit?
Addis Ababa was at the centre of high-level discussions in February, with the 38th?African Union (AU) Summit taking place on 15-16 February 2025. Heads of State and Government from all 55 AU member states gathered at the AU Headquarters. This year’s theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” was officially launched, focusing on advancing reparatory justice and addressing historical and economic inequalities.
More on the AU Summit here.
On the sidelines of the Summit, trade experts, policymakers and development partners convened for the Africa Trade Capacity Symposium on 18-19 February, organized by Esami-TRAPCA. The event focused on how capacity-building can accelerate implementation of the AfCFTA. Key takeaways included the need for evidence-based capacity-building to bridge infrastructure and regulatory gaps; the importance of partnerships among governments, regional economic communities, the private sector and development partners to harmonize trade policies; and the role of technology and digital trade solutions in streamlining customs and boosting cross-border commerce.?
Partnerships and Outreach Coordinator Julian Sievers Juzbasic, representing the EIF Executive Secretariat, joined the session "Partnering for Impact," which explored how partnerships can effectively support the AfCFTA and REC treaties.
More information on the key takeaways from the event can be found?here.
LATEST PUBLICATIONS ON?THE EIF TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT NEWS?
Don't forget to have a look at our Trade for Development News platform, where we frequently publish articles, stories and op-eds focusing on trade and development in the LDCs.?Below are the EIF's most recent publications.
Op-Ed: Contributing to women's economic empowerment in West Africa: lessons learnt from the shea industry
Summary:?In Africa, the unique experience of each of the 16 million rural women who make a living from shea inspires us more and more every day. Shea is an important crop, both economically and socially. It employs 4 million women for export and generates USD 237 million a year in income at the community level in West Africa.??
Op-Ed (published on the WEF Agenda): How World Trade Organization membership is helping Comoros realize its economic goals
Summary: Comoros, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, became the WTO's 165th?member in August 2024 after 17 years of negotiations. WTO membership provides a significant opportunity for the?LDCs to advance their economic growth. Although there are differences in economic structure, geography and population size to navigate, Comoros can draw inspiration from Cambodia's remarkable progress.
? ??? New?Impact?Stories now available ?????
We have recently published 17 new EIF Impact Stories, showcasing the progress and achievements of individual LDCs in strengthening trade and driving economic development over the course of EIF Phases One and Two. These stories highlight how EIF support has helped countries expand key sectors, improve market access and build stronger trade policies.
Stories cover a wide range of experiences, from developing the gum arabic sector in Chad to enhancing honey, seaweed, anchovies, and horticulture industries in Tanzania. Other examples include Nepal’s work to strengthen key export sectors like tea and pashmina and Kiribati’s efforts to improve trade logistics and global integration.
Here is the full list of our recently published impact stories:
And for the full list of all impact stories, see here.
UPDATE FROM PARTNERS?
Recently at the WTO: Fourth edition of theWTO Trade for Peace Week
The fourth edition of the WTO Trade for Peace Week took place from 17–21 February, bringing together policymakers, business leaders and trade experts to explore how trade fosters peace and stability. Organized by the WTO in partnership with Interpeace and the Institute for Economics and Peace, this year’s edition focused on integrating private sector voices and advancing the Trade for Peace Programme. The event opened with high-level discussions featuring among others the WTO Director-General and?Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister. Throughout the week, discussions highlighted diverse perspectives, including those of entrepreneurs from fragile and emerging economies.
As part of the Trade for Peace Week, the session “Women in Trade: Advancing Climate Justice, Market Access and Technical Assistance in Fragile, Emerging States” featured Dorothy Tuma, an expert in international trade and business competitiveness from Uganda. She shared insights from her experience supporting women entrepreneurs, including through the EIF-supported Regional Shea Value Chain Project in South Sudan and Uganda in collaboration with the East African Women in Business Platform.?
Recordings of each session are available here by clicking on the Video hyperlink. The recording of the session with Dorothy Tuma can be accessed here.
Boost your skills with WTO e-learning
Did you know that the WTO e-learning platform offers a wide range of free courses to support trade-related knowledge and skills development? Among them, four EIF courses are available to strengthen project evaluation capacities and trade mainstreaming efforts:?
While designed for EIF in-country project staff, they are open to anyone interested. Access them here – just create an account and search for the courses! ?
You can also explore other WTO courses, including the latest SPS Agreement and Science module, which delves into science-based trade regulations.
ITC’s SME Trade Academy: free online learning for small businesses
Speaking of e-learning, the ITC SME Trade Academy provides free online courses to help small businesses enhance their trade and export skills. Covering topics like e-commerce, digital marketing, trade finance and sustainability, these courses are designed for entrepreneurs, policymakers and trade professionals worldwide, including region-specific content like ASEAN.?
Find out more about the SME Trade Academy and its courses here.
UNCTAD's new report highlights Africa’s trade potential amid global challenges
UNCTAD has just released its Economic Development in Africa Report 2024, "Unlocking Africa’s Trade Potential – Boosting Regional Markets and Reducing Risks." While Africa faces a wave of global challenges—from economic shocks to climate change—the continent’s young workforce, rich resources and expanding regional markets offer huge opportunities for growth. The report underscores the power of regional cooperation, smarter risk management and stronger investments in infrastructure and technology to build resilience and drive sustainable development. With the AfCFTA creating new trade opportunities, African economies have a real chance to reduce external dependencies and strengthen intra-African trade.?
Read the full report here.
World Bank's 2025 Global Economic Prospects Report highlights challenges for developing economies
In January 2025, the World Bank released its "Global Economic Prospects" report titled "Emerging and Developing Economies in the 21st?Century." The report projects that global growth will stabilize at 2.7% in both 2025 and 2026. While this steady growth provides a foundation, the report emphasizes that proactive policy measures are essential to enhance economic development, especially for emerging markets and developing economies. These nations, contributing about 60% of global growth, face challenges such as policy uncertainties, trade tensions, persistent inflation and climate-related natural disasters. Implementing strategic policies at both global and national levels can create a more favourable environment, enabling low-income countries to progress toward middle-income status by mid-century.?
Read the full report here.
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. We hope you found it informative and enjoyable. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future topics that you would like us to cover in the upcoming editions!?
You can email us at: [email protected]