About
About Us
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Its mission is to foster inclusive and sustainable growth and development through trade and international business development, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
ITC Headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland. ITC projects and programmes contribute to the global efforts to achieve UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and the Aid for Trade agenda.
ITC works at three levels:
- Strengthening the integration of the business sector of developing countries and economies in transition into the global economy.
- Improving the performance of trade and investment support institutions so they can better serve SMEs.
- Improving the international competitiveness of SMEs.
In Iraq, ITC has implemented a range of European Union (EU)-funded projects since 2020 portfolio includes:
“Strengthening the Agriculture and Agri-food Value Chain and Improving Trade Policy” (2020–2025) project sought to foster inclusive growth and job creation, particularly for youth, by enhancing the competitiveness of Iraq’s agribusiness value chains and advancing trade policy reform, including support for Iraq’s WTO accession process. Through the SAAVI Tadreeb platform and practical training programmes, thousands of young entrepreneurs and farmers improved their technical and business skills.
The “Jobs and Entrepreneurship Opportunities to Build Sustainable Inclusive Development” (2025–2029) project, the second phase of the EU-funded (SAAVI) project, aims to contribute to sustainable development by addressing key issues such as unemployment, limited economic diversification and weak governance. It promotes economic inclusion and access to decent employment by improving the business environment, strengthening MSMEs in priority sectors, and expanding opportunities for youth, women, displaced persons and other vulnerable groups.
“Building Equitable and Inclusive Transformation” project is co-implemented by UN-Habitat, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Trade Centre (ITC). It aims to foster decent work and affordable housing. ITC’s role focuses on climate-smart construction: strengthening SMEs in the construction value chain, aligning vocational training with green solutions, and improving the business environment for investment in the sector.
The “Market-Aligned Skills and Reform” project (2026–2030) strengthens Iraq’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system so that training better matches labour market needs. It supports selected TVET providers, develops employer-validated standards and curricula, and helps put TVET policies into practice, with a focus on low-carbon construction and climate-resilient hospitality and tourism.
Strengthening technical and vocational training is essential to closing skills gaps among young people and improving their employability. Programmes must respond to private sector needs while advancing social development and environmental sustainability. Partnerships between companies and training institutions help keep training relevant to changing market demands and connect graduates with apprenticeships, on-the-job learning and employment opportunities.
As part of JOBS project and the wider ITC in Iraq portfolio, Tadreeb Iraq is ITC’s e-learning platform in the country. It offers a wide range of modular courses covering Agripreneurship, Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy and Investment Readiness, and AI Literacy.