26 July 2019, Kathmandu
Nepal has been nominated by consensus for the first time from Asia, as the Chair of the EIF (Enhanced Integrated Framework) Board for the year 2019-2021 as mentioned in the press release published on July 25, 2019. Previously, Benin, Sierra Leon, Ethiopia and Lesotho have assumed the role as a Chair of the EIF Board. His Excellency Mani Prasad Bhattarai, Ambassador/Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Nepal in Geneva will represent the country for this position. The handover takeover will take place in September.
The EIF board established in 2007 which is also World Trade Organization-initiated multilateral partnership mechanism exclusively working for the least developed countries (LDCs) to support their better integration into the multilateral trading system. The EIF mechanism is the partnership of 51 countries (47 LDCs and 4 graduating LDCs), 24 donors and 8 partner agencies working closely with governments, development organizations and civil society to assist LDCs to use trade as an engine for development and poverty reduction. EIF extends technical and financial support to LDCs and works as a platform to leverage further resources in collaboration with other development partners and government ministries in trade sector.
In Nepal, EIF has supported for trade mainstreaming, human resources development, institutional and productive capacity building. Three projects, namely, Pashmina Enhancement and Trade Support Project (PETS), Ginger Project and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) Project are underway since 2012.
