Trade-related development cooperation

The National Board of Trade’s development cooperation aims to create good conditions for developing countries to participate in international trade and contribute to sustainable development.

Open, transparent and rule-based conditions for trade are important in order to obtain sustainable development and to reduce poverty. In order for trade to contribute to sustainable development, it is essential that stakeholders such as business and civil society are involved  in policy formulation.

The National Board of Trade works with development cooperation in several ways: through bilateral and regional projects; the training programme Trade Academy; and the contact point Open Trade Gate Sweden. We focus on capacity development of public actors and trade ministries, and cooperate with export and business support organisations. We also offer information and support directly to companies.

The UN 2030 Agenda is an important starting point for our development cooperation, as are the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) guidelines. The National Board of Trade also follows the Swedish policy for development cooperation, and therefore primarily focuses on countries and regions that are prioritised by the Swedish Government.