Vietnam strengthens cooperation with the International Trade Center

VNA correspondent in Geneva quoted Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations in Geneva, at the 57th Session of the Joint Advisory Group of the International Trade Center (ITC), emphasizing that Vietnam highly appreciates the role of ITC in supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital and green transformation process as well as accessing foreign markets, promoting trade and wishes to strengthen cooperation with ITC in the coming time.

Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation in Geneva, speaks at the 57th Meeting of the ITC Joint Advisory Group in Geneva, July 20. Photo: VNA

The 57th annual meeting of the ITC Joint Advisory Group was held in Geneva in a combined in-person and online format, attracting the participation of a large number of representatives of member countries and international organizations in Geneva with the aim of reviewing ITC activities in 2022 and making recommendations on ITC activities in the coming time.

In her opening remarks, ITC CEO Pamela Coke-Hamilton reviewed the center's work in 2022. Accordingly, ITC has disbursed more than 150 million USD for projects in 130 countries - the highest level ever; ITC's projects have helped more than 27,000 small businesses improve their competitiveness, including 10,000 businesses led by women.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan also spoke at the Session, welcoming the achievements of ITC and the role of ITC Executive Director Coke-Hamilton, and recommending that ITC continue to implement the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, replicate successful projects in the coming time, and promote global trade towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai expressed Vietnam's appreciation for ITC's support for MSMEs over the years, especially in the digital and green transformation processes, accessing foreign markets and promoting trade today.

Vietnam wishes to strengthen cooperation with ITC in the coming time, on the basis of promoting Vietnam's trade and development achievements in the process of transforming from an underdeveloped country to a lower middle-income country.

Vietnam is actively implementing a strategy to respond to climate change and transition to a circular economy . Green growth is not only an inevitable choice, but also an opportunity for Vietnam to grasp global development trends and realize the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Therefore, Vietnam and a number of other countries participating in the new ITC project called “Climate Competitiveness: Creating Opportunities in the Green Economy for Emerging and Developing Countries”, funded by the European Union (EU) for the period 2023-2026, will create favorable conditions to gain support in the process of adjusting trade policies and practices to adapt to climate change, as well as participating in discussions on trade and environment at the WTO to promote trade and sustainable development goals.

As an active member of ITC since 2007, Vietnam sincerely thanks ITC and the donor community for their contributions to technical assistance and capacity building projects for Vietnamese MSMEs, as well as the development of the Vietnam-ITC partnership in implementing a number of ITC pilot projects.

During her working visit to Vietnam in September 2022, Ms. Coke-Hamilton witnessed firsthand the achievements of ITC's projects and support activities in Vietnam.

Previously, in a meeting with Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai at ITC headquarters on July 14, ITC CEO Coke-Hamilton assessed Vietnam as an “excellent partner” of ITC in implementing the center’s projects in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam is accessing a number of ITC-supported programs and services to enhance export competitiveness and trade promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, including the SheTrades Initiative, the Trade for Sustainable Development project, the Green2Compete project...

Currently, ITC is operating 9 projects in Vietnam, the most among ASEAN member countries receiving ITC-supported projects.

According to VNA/Vietnam+

Source