Trade liberalisation can make a significant contribution to economic development and poverty reduction in developing countries. However, many developing countries have not been able to reap the full benefits of global economic integration or to minimise any negative effects trade might have on parts of the population. This is mainly due to limited capacities to trade and a lack of coherence between development and trade policies in both industrialised and developing countries.

Against this background, the Trade Programme has been established by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to support partners worldwide in their efforts to benefit more fully from trade.

The Trade Programme provides advisory services to BMZ with regard to (1) the representation of development policy interests in international trade negotiations and (2) the development and dissemination of innovative tools and instruments for the mainstreaming of trade-related assistance in German development cooperation.

On behalf of BMZ, the Trade Programme also manages a Fund for Trade Policy and Trade Promotion (‘Monterrey Fund’).

• A brief introduction in German
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