Showing results means understanding what Aid for Trade is achieving on the ground. Furthermore, fiscal constraints in donor countries and pressures for greater public accountability in all countries add urgency to the search for answers to the following questions:

• Are the supply-side and trade-related infrastructure constraints which inhibit the trade performance of developing countries, especially of Least-Developed Countries, being addressed?  If so, what impact is this having on trade performance, economic growth and poverty alleviation?  Do we have the tools we need to answer these fundamental questions?

• What are good practices?  Do they differ by country and region?  How can we learn from our mistakes? What can we do better going forward?  How can we improve the way we monitor and evaluate the impact of Aid for Trade?

• What can and cannot be achieved by Aid for Trade? What complementary policies need to be pursued to maximize its impact?

The Third Global Review offers an opportunity for the Aid-for-Trade community to come together and debate these issues, to share their experiences and relate their future plans.  It offers an opportunity to reaffirm the relevance of the Initiative, notably in such important areas as trade facilitation, engagement with the private sector and the regional trade integration agenda in Africa.  It offers the chance to renew the commitment of existing development partners and build-on the engagement of South-South partners.  To achieve this outcome, the focus of the Third Global Review is on showing results; drawing lessons about impact on the ground and surveying how best to maximize the potential of Aid for Trade in the future.  This focus will run through the whole event.

  

Monitoring and evaluation of Aid for Trade 2010-2011

Aid for Trade Case Stories

A call for case stories was launched in July 2010.  The objective of the call was to probe deeper into Aid-for-Trade objectives, challenges and processes to acquire better knowledge about outcomes and impact of Aid for Trade. 
On the basis of the information provided in the case stories that were presented in respect of the 2010-2011 Monitoring and Evaluation exercise (see below) regional and global analyses have been prepared by the WTO and OECD secretariats in collaboration with regional development banks and regional economic commissions, as follows:

• Aid for Trade and LDCs:  Starting to Show Results;
• Results Emerging from the Case Stories; 
• Asia-Pacific Case Stories:  A Snapshot of Aid for Trade on the Ground;
• Latin American and Caribbean Case Stories:  A Snapshot of Aid for Trade on the Ground;
• African Case Stories:  A Snapshot of Aid for Trade on the Ground in Africa;
• Compendium of Case Stories received (WT/COMTD/AFT/W/26 and Add.1).
• ITTC Case Story on Trade Capacity Building in the WTO
• Enhanced Integrated Framework country profiles

The individual case stories presented can be found at www.aid4trade.org.

 

Self-assessment questionnaires

Aid-for-Trade questionnaires were addressed to partner countries, and donors (including South-South partners) to solicit information about the progress made since the last assessment in 2008.  They focused, in particular, on the outputs and outcomes of Aid-for-Trade strategies and programmes to further knowledge sharing.  For the first time, a questionnaire was also addressed to regional economic commissions to solicit information about the role that trade played in RECs' regional and sectoral development strategies, specific region's Aid-for-Trade needs and the response of the donor community to these needs. Completed questionnaires can be found at www.aid4trade.org .