Central Asia Trade and Human Development Impact Studies and A4T Needs Assessment

Summary

The technical assistance project is under the United Nations Development Programme's regional Aid for Trade (A4T) Project, Wider Europe: Aid for Trade for Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Western CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). The project involves

• a series of national needs assessments in member countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA); and
• a regional review which sums up and consolidates the findings and proposals from the national needs assessments, discusses national and regional priorities, and provides a background for further A4T interventions in the region.

The Wider Europe Project focuses on identifying capacity gaps and technical assistance needs both at the national and sub-regional level in Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Western CIS; supporting economic development in the areas located along the selected transport corridors; and helping small entrepreneurs gain from new trade opportunities.

Expected Outcome

The project aims to help SPECA countries develop specific sectors with recognized export potential, combined with measures for raising quality standards and improving input efficiency in the short term.

Expected Outputs

• National trade needs assessments for Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• A regional review