International Development Grant
Building Capacities for Trade Expansion
Project Number: CA-3-A031759015
Status: Closed
Country/Region: Unknown
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $924,942.00
Start Date: November 24, 2009
End Date: July 31, 2013
Duration: 3.7 years
Project Description
The project’s objective is to strengthen the capacity of African and Caribbean countries to secure pro-poor trading rules and to implement trade support strategies and commitments undertaken as part of domestic trade reform or international trade negotiations. The goal is to contribute to trade expansion with a positive impact on poverty reduction in these countries. The project helps government officials and non-state actors to better prepare their negotiation positions by providing relevant background information by sharing best practices and lessons learned and by discussing negotiation strategies among policymakers negotiators researchers advisors and representatives from the private sector and civil society. The project also provides high-quality trade policy advice to developing country trade policy practitioners while at the same time offering them hands-on experience. This is one of two components of a project valued at $1 499 939.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of July 2012 include: (i) support provided to the Least Developed Countries Group (32 countries) within the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the negotiation of a waiver that permits preferential treatment for these countries (adopted at 8th WTO Ministerial Conference); (ii) strengthened capacity in four African regional economic communities and the African Union Commission to influence the integration and liberalization of services at the regional and continental level and to understand these processes within the context of broader service sector development objectives (directly and indirectly affecting 54 African countries); (iii) improved ability of the private sector in Sub-Saharan Africa to advocate for their interests in trade policy and negotiation processes; (iv) increased awareness among beneficiaries and donor partners of the importance of coalitions of service providers in developing countries and the potential role they could play in supporting sector development objectives; (v) improved knowledge of the role of trade and investment in supporting development based on research undertaken which in turn helps stakeholders to pursue their negotiating interests undertake policy and regulatory reforms and strengthen local capacity to engage in negotiations and reforms in future; and (vi) enhanced capacity of four young African professionals three of whom are women to provide economic and legal advisory support on trade and development issues in their home country.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
International Lawyers and Economists Against Poverty
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP