The Integrated Framework for Trade-related Assistance to the Least Developed Countries: A Promising Initiative

The “Integrated Framework for Trade-related Technical Assistance to the Least Developed Countries” (IF) is a global initiative established in 1997 and is a particular application of what has since been known as “Aid for Trade”. The objective of the IF is to support the least developed countries (LDCs) in building their capacity to trade and to integrate trade issues into overall national development strategies. The core multilateral agencies that initiated the IF and participate in it are the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The original IF initiative has been gradually reinforced; since 2007, it is called the “Enhanced Integrated Framework” (EIF).