The Geneva Trade and Development Forum (GTDF) is a welcome neutral platform to engage in an ongoing and substantive debate on trade and development challenges faced by developing countries. Under the auspices of the GTDF, eleven theme groups are currently analyzing highly relevant trade issues for developing countries based on case studies and existing research. The Forum is supported by Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Within the GTDF, the high-level conference will bring together the various stakeholders active in trade and development. Personalities from governments, international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector from some 45 developing countries, key OECD members and emerging economies will interact freely, exchange their experiences and debate concrete and innovative solutions to address specific challenges and opportunities developing countries face in the process of integrating into the world economy.

The Forum is expected to deliver country-specific action plans (AP), policy principles on trade governance, new ideas and approaches to promote trade as a development tool, a follow-up mechanism and guidelines for further cooperation among participants. A selected group of key stakeholders will form a constituency for change to work with the results of the conference and to advance the Forum’s agenda.