This project aims to strengthen the capacities of trade and planning ministries of six selected least developed countries (LDCs) to enable them to develop and implement trade strategies that are conducive to poverty reduction. As history has shown, trade can be a powerful means for poverty reduction if trade leads to greater productive capacities and employment opportunities that particularly benefit the poor. In order to allow them to harness the opportunities that trade creates for poverty reduction, it is essential that LDCs are equipped with strong human, analytical and institutional capacities to assess and identify trade opportunities and challenges, and formulate and implement adequate trade policies and strategies, to build the required productive capacities and effectively compete in international markets. A comprehensive, inclusive and pro-poor trade strategy is thus an important ingredient to this process and will make a contribution to the achievement of the MDGs. A key feature of successful trade strategies is a strong partnership between governments, business communities and other stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of such pro-poor trade strategies. Project M will assist governments and business communities to jointly elaborate such trade strategies through advisory and consultancy services, training activities and hands-on support to the elaboration of concrete implementable trade strategies with the support of UNCTAD and CEB cluster expertise on international trade, institution building and implementation matters. Synergies will be built with ongoing capacity-building initiatives such as the Enhanced Integrated Framework.