WTO Launches EIF Phase Three to Boost Trade, Investment, and Resilience in LDCs

The World Trade Organization (WTO), in collaboration with global partners, has formally launched Phase Three of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), marking a significant step forward in supporting least-developed countries (LDCs) to harness trade and investment for sustainable development. The announcement was made on 25 March during a high-level side event at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Co-organized by Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the EIF Executive Secretariat, the event brought together ministers, senior government officials, international organizations, and private sector representatives. The gathering underscored a shared commitment to strengthening economic resilience and unlocking growth opportunities for LDCs through coordinated global partnerships.

A New Six-Year Phase with Ambitious Goals

EIF Phase Three represents a six-year strategic partnership aimed at helping LDCs better integrate into the global trading system. The initiative focuses on leveraging trade and investment as engines for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economic development.

A key highlight of the launch was the announcement of fresh financial commitments from several donor countries. Germany pledged EUR 1.7 million (approximately CHF 1.5 million), Liechtenstein committed CHF 50,000, Norway contributed NOK 40 million (around CHF 3.2 million), Switzerland pledged CHF 2.5 million, and the United Kingdom announced GBP 5 million (approximately CHF 5.3 million). These contributions provide an early boost toward the programme's ambitious funding target.

Call for Stronger Partnerships and Increased Funding

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, delivering a keynote address alongside The Gambia's Vice-President Mohammed B.S. Jallow, emphasized that the new phase comes at a critical juncture for LDCs.

She highlighted that traditional structural challenges—such as limited industrial capacity and dependence on a narrow range of exports—are now compounded by new global pressures, including geopolitical tensions, climate change, rising debt burdens, and disruptions in the global trading system.

Despite these challenges, she pointed out that emerging opportunities—particularly in digital trade, services, and green industries—offer LDCs a pathway to accelerate growth and job creation.

However, she stressed that achieving these goals would require scaling up financial support and deepening partnerships. The EIF Phase Three has set a funding ambition of at least USD 200 million, and both Okonjo-Iweala and Vice-President Jallow urged additional partners to step forward with commitments.

Strengthening Trade Capacity and Economic Diversification

Speakers at the event emphasized the EIF's long-standing role as a unique multilateral platform that helps LDCs build trade capacity and develop coherent policy frameworks.

Cambodia's Minister of Commerce, Cham Nimul, noted that the EIF has already enabled many LDCs to design forward-looking trade strategies and institutional frameworks. She highlighted that Phase Three would go further by supporting economic diversification, expanding digital trade, and helping countries meet evolving sustainability standards.

Similarly, the UAE's WTO Representative, Abdelsalam Mohamed A. Al Ali, reaffirmed his country's commitment to fostering economic resilience in LDCs. He described the new phase as an opportunity to build a more innovative and transformative partnership that can deliver tangible results.

From Projects to Long-Term Country Programming

One of the most significant changes in Phase Three is a strategic shift from isolated, stand-alone projects to multi-year country programming. This new approach is designed to provide sustained support tailored to each country's needs, enabling more effective capacity-building and long-term impact.

The programme will focus on helping LDCs strengthen their trade and investment ecosystems, improve competitiveness, and integrate more deeply into regional and global value chains. Key priority areas include:

• Digital trade and e-commerce

• Services sector development

• Green value chains and sustainability standards

• Regional integration and market access

According to EIF Executive Director Aissatou Diallo, the newly announced pledges provide strong initial momentum, ensuring that Phase Three can begin delivering transformative outcomes from the outset.

A Collective Effort for Inclusive Growth

The launch event highlighted the importance of coordinated action among governments, development partners, and the private sector. Participants stressed that country ownership, policy coherence, and effective partnerships will be essential to ensure that trade contributes meaningfully to inclusive and sustainable economic transformation.

As global economic uncertainties persist, EIF Phase Three aims to position LDCs not just as participants in global trade, but as active drivers of growth, innovation, and resilience.

With renewed political commitment and financial backing, the initiative sets the stage for a more integrated and opportunity-driven approach to development—one that seeks to unlock the full economic potential of the world's most vulnerable countries.