Financial response to pandemic crises affecting LDCs: The contribution of Aid for Trade

14:00-15:30 (CET)

Thursday, 25 March 2021

Zoom

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The COVID-19 crisis has created an economic crisis that has severely affected the financial and budgetary means of LDCs, leaving them with inadequate flexibility to make expenditures commensurate with their needs to combat the risk of infection by the virus, and to minimize the loss of business activity and the negative effects on economies. The purpose of this session is to assess the extent to which exceptional resources can be deployed through Aid for Trade to facilitate trade and the supply of essential goods and to develop production, enterprise and export capacity, even in times of crisis.

Programme

• Aid for Trade resources deployed to LDCs since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis

• What model of Aid-for-Trade financing may address global health and economic crises?

• What is the role of development partners, international organizations and the private sector in supporting LDCs' trade development in light of the COVID-19 crisis?

Moderator

Ahmed Makaila, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Chad to the UN and WTO, WTO LDC Group Coordinator

Panellists

• Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director, Executive Secretariat, Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)
• Dickson Poloji, Business Policy Programs Manager, COMESA Business Council (CBC)
• Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
• Hanh Nam Nguyen, Principal Investment Officer, Blended Finance, International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group 
• Olivier Cattaneo, Head of Unit, Policy Analysis and Strategy, Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD