International trade is an engine for economic growth that can contribute to promoting sustainable development. It can be a powerful force for creating jobs, fostering efficient use of resources, stimulating entrepreneurship and ultimately lifting people out of poverty.

Although trade can contribute to development, many developing countries face challenges to make sure trade contributes to development. This is because they have limited capacity to analyze the relationship between trade, productive capacity and employment, assess policy options and formulate and implement adequate national trade policy frameworks. This hampers their ability to make full use of the transformative power of trade for development.

The aim of UNCTAD work in this area is to contribute to the (re)formulation and implementation of national trade policy regimes according a country's own development priorities and needs. Research and training activities provide the tools to policymakers in developing countries and transition economies that enable them to set their own priorities, make impact assessments of different policy options and devise the best actions, including at the sectoral level.