DEVELOPMENT: ENHANCED INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK

Enhanced Integrated Framework

The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) is the only multilateral partnership dedicated exclusively to assisting least developed countries (LDCs) in their use of trade as an engine for growth, sustainable development and poverty reduction. The EIF partnership of 51 countries, 24 donors and eight partner agencies works closely with governments, development organizations, civil society and academia.

The partnership leverages its collective know-how, outreach and experience to tackle the world’s most pressing trade-for-development issues.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 8a specifically recognizes the role of the EIF in increasing Aid for Trade support for least developed countries. By working to promote a trade agenda conducive to sustainable growth and the reduction of poverty through appropriate national policies and institutional frameworks, the EIF's work with LDCs supports the achievement of a wide variety of SDGs.

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Contact details

EIF Executive Secretariat
Rue de Lausanne 154,
CH-1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)22 739 6650
Fax: +41 (0)22 739 5766
Email: [email protected]

UN Office for Project Services Trust Fund Manager
11-13 Chemin des Anémones,
CH-1219 Châtelaine, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0)22 917 8367
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 8062
Email: [email protected]

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Background

The Integrated Framework (IF) was initially established in October 1997, at the High-Level Meeting on LDCs' Trade Development held at the WTO. Joining the WTO were the IF's other core partner agencies: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. 

A Task Force on an Enhanced Integrated Framework provided recommendations in 2006 which led to the current Enhanced Integrated Framework.

Aim of the EIF

The EIF creates genuine partnerships among Least Developed Countries, donors, partner agencies, the EIF Executive Secretariat, the EIF Trust Fund Manager and other development partners who are supporting LDCs’ own drive to:

  • mainstream trade into national development strategies
  • set up structures needed to coordinate the delivery of trade-related technical assistance
  • build capacity to trade, which also includes addressing critical supply side constraints.

EIF and Aid for Trade

LDCs can use the EIF as a vehicle to coordinate donors' support and to lever more Aid for Trade resources, whereas donors can sign up to the EIF as a vehicle to deliver on their Aid for Trade commitments.

The EIF Trust Fund

The EIF programme is supported by a Multi-Donor Trust Fund with contributions from 23 donors.

Current status

Management

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) acts as the EIF Trust Fund Manager in support of the programme. The Trust Fund Manager has signed Contribution Arrangements with all donors to the Trust Fund and has concluded Partnership Agreements with ITC, UNCTAD, UNIDO and UNDP, exchanged letters with the WTO and is in the process of finalising arrangements with the World Bank.

Where the EIF works

The EIF operates in 46 LDCs and five recently graduated countries.

Who the EIF works with

The EIF programme works with six core partner agencies in achieving the programme objectives, including the IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, the World Bank and the WTO, with UNIDO as an observer agency.

The EIF programme is supported by a multi-donor trust fund and has received contributions from 24 donors.

The EIF also works to strengthen donor harmonization in line with the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action to improve development assistance, and collaboration is already underway with strategic partners

Who does what

In LDCs

The National EIF Focal Point (FP) leads the EIF process in the LDC — usually a senior government official appointed by the LDC and supported by a National Implementation Unit (NIU).

The EIF Donor Facilitator (DF) works with the FP to facilitate donor coordination and the donor/government dialogue on trade issues and Aid for Trade. The DF is a representative from the donor community active in supporting an LDC’s trade agenda and is identified by the government and other donors.

The EIF National Steering Committee (NSC) is the senior level forum for decision-making and coordination among government partners on trade, the private sector, civil society and the donor community.

Globally

The EIF Steering Committee reviews the overall effectiveness of the EIF and ensures transparency of the EIF process. The Steering Committee is made up of all LDCs, all donors to the Trust Fund, the six EIF core partner agencies, the ES and TFM ex officio, and others granted observer status by the EIF Board.

The EIF Board is the key decision-making body for the EIF programme looking at policy, financial and operational issues. The Board is made up of three capital-based LDC and donor representatives each, members from the core and observer agencies, as well as the ES and TFM ex officio.

The EIF Executive Secretariat, housed in the WTO, works in support of the EIF together with the EIF Trust Fund Manager, represented through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as selected by the EIF Board.

How does the EIF work

WTO documents search on the EIF

Search Documents Online
Documents on the Integrated Framework use the code WT/IFSC/* (where * takes additional values).
These links open a new window: allow a moment for the results to appear.

> help with downloading these documents

  • Minutes of Integrated Framework Steering Committee Meetings (IFSC) (Document code WT/IFSC/M/*)   > search
  • Working documents of Integrated Framework Steering Committee Meetings (IFSC) (Document code WT/IFSC/W/*)   > search
  • General documents of the Integrated Framework Steering Committee (IFSC) (Document code WT/IFSC/* and not (W or M))   > search

Other documents

  • Report by the Director-General to the Fifth Ministerial Conference pursuant to Paragraph 43 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration (Document code WT/MIN(03)/1) (download in Word, 12 pages; 85KB)
  • Documents on the Integrated Framework � Trade-Related Technical Assistance Needs-Assessment (Document code WT/COMTD/IF/* or WT/LDC/HL/12/*)  > search
  • Proposal for a pilot Scheme (Document code WT/LDC/SWG/IF/13) (download in Word format, 4 pages; 46KB)
  • Report of the High-Level Meeting on LDCs (Document code WT/LDC/HL/1/Rev.1) (download in Word Perfect format)

You can perform more sophisticated searches from the Documents Online search facility (opens in new window) by defining multiple search criteria such as document symbol (i.e. code number), full text search or document date.

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