International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) is an independent non-profit and non-governmental organisation based in Geneva. Established in 1996, ICTSD’s mission is to advance the goal of sustainable development by empowering stakeholders to influence trade policy-making through information, networking, dialogue, well-targeted research and capacity building. [1] As an independent, non-profit, and non-governmental organization, ICTSD engages a broad range of actors in ongoing dialogue on trade and sustainable development policy.
Accreditation
ICTSD maintains strong connections with intergovernmental and civil society networks. The Centre is accredited by the United Nations and enjoys Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); Observer Status at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Since 1996, the Centre has also been granted accreditation by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to participate in all its Ministerial Conferences and other ad hoc activities. ICTSD is further accredited to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since July 2005, ICTSD has been an accredited member of the Governing Council of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Publication
ICTSD offers a wide range of free periodicals on trade and sustainable development, each with a specific focus. The most widely read is Bridges, that weekly reviews information, analysis, and views on trade and sustainable development. Through partnerships with other non-governmental organisations, ICTSD also offers regional periodicals in Spanish (Puentes), Portuguese (Pontes), Russian (Мосты), French (Passerelles), and Chinese(桥 (Qiáo)). ICTSD’s periodicals are published both online and in print, with frequency varying from weekly to quarterly.