The Integrated Framework (IF), a joint undertaking of the IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, the World Bank and the WTO, aims at facilitating the coordinated delivery of trade-related technical assistance to LDCs with a view to mainstreaming trade in the national development and poverty reduction strategies of these countries.
The Manual provides factual and practical information on the IF modus operandi to meet the needs of all beneficiaries and stakeholders involved in the IF process. It highlights the range of trade-related issues that are dealt with under the IF, and offers suggestions on how to mainstream trade into a national development strategy. It draws attention to the tools for institutional capacity-building, clarifies what can be expected from the IF process, and explains how to mobilize or use available resources.
Based on lessons learnt from current or recent IF implementation, the Manual highlights the importance of national ownership and the need for a strong working relationship between recipient countries and their international partners. The Manual yet does not intend to be prescriptive as it recognizes that links between trade policy and poverty reduction strategies are essentially country-specific.
As the IF seeks to foster coherence among externally supported technical assistance programmes, the Manual is designed to be useful to aid coordinators in recipient LDCs.
