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Funafuti – Tuvalu - 13 May 2022

News Number: G/12/2022

Launch of Tuvalu’s National Trade Development Strategy

“As indicated in the strategy itself, Tuvalu National Trade Development Strategy is designed to provide a set of strategies and prioritized actions that can guide the development of trade in Tuvalu over a period of five years. I hope the strategy will help government to mainstream trade into national strategies; build a conducive environment for business; build supply-side capacities in priority sectors of Tuvalu, such as Fisheries, Agriculture, Tourism and Labour Mobility; build capacity, engagement and coordination among the key stakeholders – both public and private; and strengthen capacity to access Aid for Trade programs.” This was the remarks given by the Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries & Trade, Hon. Minute Taupo, while officially launching the Tuvalu National Trade Development Strategy.

ESCAP Under-Secretary-General of United Nations and Executive Secretary, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, said that “Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, member states in the Asia-Pacific have been focused on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. International trade and its related policies and strategies remain as one of the critical enables.

I am confident that Tuvalu is well positioned to leverage trade in transforming its economies and societies, while advancing the 2030 Agenda and the SIDS Accelerated Modality of Action (SAMOA) Pathway,” Mr Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) underscored that Tuvalu’s National Trade Development Strategy is timely in establishing a clear roadmap in guiding the country in resilience towards the unprecedented climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Launch event was organized by the Government of Tuvalu and supported by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) In the closing remarks, Mr Darryl Ikbal, EIF Project Officer in Tuvalu emphasized the need for a collective effort from national, regional and international partners towards the implementation of the activities set within the action matrix of the Trade Strategy. He reiterated that development of the strategy is just the first step and now the real work begins in the implementation of the strategy.

The Tuvalu National Trade Development Strategy aimed to mainstream trade into national development strategies; set up structures needed to coordinate the delivery of trade-related technical assistance; and build capacity to trade, which also includes addressing critical supply-side constraints.

The Strategy came in the context of efforts being made to integrate the Pacific economies within the region, and beyond. By strengthening multilateral, regional and sub-regional cooperation arrangements, the Pacific economies and communities could reap benefits of sustainable and equitable integration. There was scope to develop and strengthen regional partnerships to enhance the participation of Pacific island countries in international trade. There was need for consideration to the domestic policy settings, regulatory frameworks and private sector participation in developing trade development strategies. The Pacific needed climate-smart trade policies, particularly for carbonintensive sectors and economies, to minimize the cost of climate inaction.

The event was held on Friday 13 May 2022. It was a hybrid event with both physically present and virtual participants. It benefited from video messages and statements from partners including ESCAP and EIF. Also joining in virtually were key regional partners from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and PACER Plus Implementation Unit.

Additional information could be found on our event page at: https://www.unescap.org/events/2022/launch-tuvalus-national-trade-development-strategy

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Notes:

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for Trade-Related Assistance for the Least Developed Countries is a global development program with the objective of supporting least developed countries to better integrate into the global trading system and to make trade a driver for development.

For further information related to this event, please send to the Secretariat: <[email protected]with a copy to the Tuvalu Department of Trade: <[email protected]>.

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