The Maseru event will help countries develop projects to overcome obstacles to trade, bringing together 15 EIF countries, Angola, Burundi, Comoros, DRC, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The international community is also backing the event with teams from ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNIDO, UNPOS, World Bank, WTO, bilateral donors, African Development Bank and regional economic organisations and programmes.

The workshop forms part of a wider capacity building programme being run by the EIF, rolled out last year in the Pacific, Asia and Central and West Africa. The EIF programme aims to provide Least Developed Countries with the tools needed to become more active players in global trade. As such, the workshop is supporting Eastern and Southern Africa in its drive to promote sustainable trade and improve much-needed access to markets and boost exports that will benefit poor people the most.

Teleko J. Ramots’oari, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing of Lesotho remarks, “the ability to choose policy paths that are sustainable requires that the ecological dimensions of policy be considered at the same time as the economic, trade, energy, agricultural, industrial and other dimensions on the same agendas and in the same national and international institutions. Therefore, the timing of this workshop is very right for Lesotho whilst launching the National Strategic Development Plan that seeks to consolidate all key policies and strategies focusing on broad-based economic growth, employment creation, trade development and poverty reduction.”  

Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, notes,  “The timing and location of the EIF workshop is most opportune as Lesotho embarks on its journey of mainstreaming trade into its National Strategic Development Plan. This workshop will underscore the importance and relevance of trade to human development as it enhances productivity, employment and economic growth.”

Dorothy Tembo, Executive Director of the Enhanced Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat states, “Our Maseru workshop gives us a real chance to drive forward an agenda of prosperity for all through trade in Eastern and Southern Africa. A great many communities depend on us to get this right for the region's active traders, farmers and businesses to continue to thrive. Our international and country partners show how much we can achieve through working together. With the Fourth United Nations Conference for Least Developed Countries in Istanbul on 9-13 May 2011, we also look forward to showcasing the dynamic progress being made here in this region on the global stage.”

Notes to editors:

1. Media is invited to cover the event. A press conference is set for Wednesday, 16 February at 17h30. For interviews and other requests, please contact:

2. The Enhanced Integrated Framework is a multi-donor programme that supports Least Developed Countries to be more active players in the global trading system by helping them tackle supply-side constraints to trade.

3. The programme is currently helping 47 of the poorest countries worldwide, supported by a Multi-Donor Trust Fund with contributions from 22 donors.  21 projects are already under way since 2009.

4. The Enhanced Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat (EIF ES), housed in the WTO, and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as EIF Trust Fund Manager work in support of the programme.

For further information, please contact the Enhanced Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat (EIF ES), Trade and Communications Adviser, on +41227395421 or +41767885537 or visit: www.enhancedif.org