Goals - Team

AITIC was established in Geneva in 1998 as an association, and later transformed into an intergovernmental organisation in 2004. AITIC’s objective is to assist the less-advantaged countries (i.e. the 49 least-developed countries (LDCs), as defined by the United Nations; low- and middle-income developing countries; small vulnerable economies; small island states; landlocked developing countries and low-income economies in transition) to effectively participate in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in the multilateral trading system. Through trade-related technical assistance, AITIC provides better understanding of trade policy issues and the multilateral trading system and prepares its Members for negotiations and other activities of the WTO.

AITIC is currently funded by four Sponsoring Members: Ireland, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has provided a voluntary contribution to the Agency for 2009 and 2010.

AITIC’s goals

AITIC has a mandate to:

• assist less-advantaged countries (LACs) to have more effective trade-led growth through personalised assistance and capacity-building programmes;
• assist LACs’ participation in WTO negotiations and in the work of other international trade-related organisations;
• help LACs to become more active in the multilateral trading system and conduct more effective trade policies;
• strengthen the operational capacity of LAC trade delegations in Geneva and of non-residents located in their capitals, in Brussels or in other European cities.

The AITIC team