Kigali Meeting Focuses on Helping World’s Poorest

Kigali Meeting Focuses on Helping World’s Poorest States Boost Industrial Capacity

Representatives of governments, United Nations agencies, financial institutions and donors have assembled in Kigali to discuss how to help the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) to build up their capacity in the fields of trade and industrial development.

The two-day workshop that began today in the Rwandan capital is organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in close collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

It focuses on turning Aid-for-Trade (AFT) – the WTO initiative which aims to scale up international financial assistance for building up trade capacity in developing countries – into concrete actions, specifically to boost industrial development in the LDCs.

While many LDCs have experienced high rates of growth in recent years, they still face many constraints which hinder their efforts to transform their economies and integrate into the global economy.

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss different areas of support provided by UNIDO, such as agribusiness and private sector development, as well as pilot programmes in Benin, Cambodia, Rwanda and Yemen, among others. Donors, UN agencies and financial institutions will be able to showcase their assistance to the LDCs.

The outcome of the meeting will serve as input for the Conference of the Ministers of Industry from the LDCs, scheduled to be held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in November.

ENDS

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