This Agreement on the Global System of Trade Preferences Among Developing Countries (GSTP) was established in 1988 as a framework for the exchange of trade preferences among developing countries in order to promote intra-developing-country trade. Following are several principles and features of the Agreement: -The GSTP is reserved for the exclusive participation of members of the Group of 77 and China and the benefits accrue to those members that are also ´´participants" in the Agreement. -The GSTP must be based and applied on the principle of mutuality of advantages in such a way as to benefit equitably all participants, taking into account their respective levels of economic development and trade needs. The Agreement recognizes the special needs of the LDCs and envisages concrete preferential measures in their favour. -To provide a stable basis for GSTP preferential trade, tariff preferences are bound and form part of the Agreement. -The GSTP must be negotiated step-by-step and improved and extended in successive stages, with periodic reviews. -The GSTP must supplement and reinforce present and future sub regional, regional and interregional economic groupings of developing countries and must take into account their concerns and commitments.

The ‘Agadir Agreement’ setting up a free trade area between Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, with the purpose of developing economic activity, supporting employment, increasing productivity and improving living standards within the countries adhering to the agreement.

This is the final report of the mid-term review of the second phase of the Support to Quality Infrastructure in Agadir Countries (SQIA) financed by Sweden. The purpose of the second phase of the project is to assist the four Agadir countries in the implementation of the Agadir Agreement signed in 2004 with the aim to establish a free trade area between Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan. The support focuses on establishing systems and structures to bring down technical barriers to trade (TBTs). The overall expected result is to reduce poverty through boosting trade, increased economic development, and the attraction of Foreign Direct Investments. The support period runs from 2014 to 2018. The local counterpart of the project is the Agadir Technical Unit (ATU) in Amman, Jordan, and the technical assistance is provided by the Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (Swedac). The review adopts a contribution analysis approach, recognising that there are alternative explanations for the changes observed. The project is but one contribution to a broader process of trade reform in the Agadir countries. The main data collection activities organised by the review team during implementation were a documentation review and semi-structured interviews conducted during a field visits to the Agadir member countries, visits to Stockholm to meet Swedac and the two Swedish partners, and additional Skype interviews. The main limitation of the review is the slow progress of the project, which inhibited any systematic assessment of outcomes, impact and sustainability.

This report aims to measure the global economic costs of gender inequality. The report finds: -Globally, women account for only 38 percent of human capital wealth versus 62 percent for men. In low- and lower-middle income countries, women account for a third or less of human capital wealth -On a per capita basis, gender inequality in earnings could lead to losses in wealth of $23,620 per person globally. These losses differ between regions and countries because levels of human capital wealth, and thereby losses in wealth due to gender inequality, tend to increase in absolute values with economic development -Two main factors lead women to have less earnings and thereby lower human capital wealth than men: lower labor force participation rates and fewer hours worked in the labor market, and lower pay. These factors keep many women in a productivity trap due in part to social norms relegating them to unpaid care and informal work -To increase women’s earnings and human capital wealth, investments throughout the life cycle are needed, from early childhood development and learning in schools to building job-relevant skills that employers demand, encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, and ensuring that both women and men have equal access to opportunities and resources.

The report provides a comprehensive and authoritative assessment of progress, gaps and challenges in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from a gender perspective. The report monitors global and regional trends in achieving the SDGs for women and girls based on available data, and provides practical guidance for the implementation of gender-responsive policies and accountability processes. As a source of high-quality data and policy analysis, the report is a key reference and accountability tool for policymakers, women’s organizations, the UN system, and other stakeholders. This report lays the basis for robust, gender-responsive monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by: -showing how gender equality is central to the achievement of all 17 SDGs and arguing for an integrated and rights-based approach to implementation; -explaining gender data gaps and challenges for robust monitoring and establishing starting points and trends across a range of gender-related indicators based on available data; -providing concrete guidance on policies to achieve two strategic targets under SDG 5 (violence and unpaid care) and outlining how these policies are synergistic with other goals and targets; and setting an agenda for strengthening accountability for gender equality commitments at global, regional, and national levels.