The International Trade Centre helps adding value to the country’s wool and mohair sector, focusing on resilience strategies against future economic shocks

Rome/Maseru, 26 January 2024 – A new financing agreement aimed at improving the livelihoods of wool and mohair farmers was signed recently by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Kingdom of Lesotho by correspondence. The new project aims to increase the economic and climate resilience of 225,000 rural people.

(Nairobi) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) marked a milestone in its history with the opening of its first-ever regional office outside of Geneva, which will be based in the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON).

The moment was marked by His Excellency, William Samoei Ruto, President of Kenya, who declared the official opening of ITC’s new regional office for East Africa.

The CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2025 are ready to take place in Milan. The awards ceremony that will take place on Saturday 27 September at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan during the Milano Fashion Week.

Beyond the glitz and arc light, couture’s ugliness is raising concerns worldwide – from clothes being mass produced in sweatshops in the narrow alleyways of a developing country, to wastage and dumping.

In northern Burkina Faso, cotton spinning is offering women like 27-year-old Sarata Ouédraogo a path to independence. With ITC and local partner AZPF, she has transformed a traditional craft into a steady income – supporting her family and reclaiming her agency.

At 38, Tiendrebéogo Yacouba is no longer the man once trapped in Algeria, battling homelessness and hopelessness. Today, he is a skilled textile technician, a mentor to others, and a proud father in Burkina Faso. With a stable job and a secure income, he now provides for his wife, young daughter, and ageing father—proof of what’s possible when resilience meets opportunity.

Handcrafted textiles are more than just fabric; they carry the stories of generations, embody cultural heritage, and create sustainable livelihoods. In an era dominated by mass production, the collaboration between Andrea Lénon, founder of The Corner in Belgium, and cotton artisans in Burkina Faso stands out as an example of how craftsmanship can thrive in the global market while preserving its authenticity.

Ethical Fashion Initiative ou Initiative de Mode Ethique (ITC) pour le compte du projet régional Burkina-Benin « Création d’activités génératrice de revenus pour les communautés vivant autour du complexe W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) », clôture ses activités et capitalise ses acquis au cours d’un atelier de restitution tenu le 07 mai 2025 à Ouagadougou.

Le projet « Burkina Faso-Bénin : création d’activités génératrices de revenus alternatives pour les communautés vivant autour du complexe W-ARLY-PENJARI (WAP) », financé par l’Union Européenne a pris fin, ce 7 mai 2025 à Ouagadougou. Une occasion pour les autorités, les partenaires et les bénéficiaires de faire le point du déroulement dudit projet au Burkina et au Bénin.

Dans le cadre de la célébration de ses 10 ans d’existence, le Commerce et artisanat pour le bien-être social (CABES-GIE) a fait don de vivres et de non-vires à 40 ménages vulnérables de l’arrondissement 9 de Ouagadougou. La remise symbolique du don est intervenue ce jeudi 10 avril 2025, au sein de la mairie dudit arrondissement.

Au cœur du Burkina Faso, le tissage traditionnel, un héritage ancestral, se modernise et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour les femmes.

Le groupement d’intérêt économique Commerce et Artisanat pour le Bien Être social (CABES), un pilier de la créativité et de la solidarité a célébré ce samedi 14 décembre 2024 à Ouagadougou son 10e année d’existence.

Le Groupement d’intérêt économique, Commerce et artisanat pour le bien-être social (Gie Cabes), a entamé les activités de célébration de ses 10 ans d’existence le

Una vetrina internazionale per la moda etica. A Lineapelle 104 (17-19 settembre) è tornato ad esporre i suoi progetti tra gli stand di Fieramilano Rho il programma delle Nazioni Unite EFI – Ethical Fashion Initiative. Dopo l’esperienza in fiera nell’edizione di febbraio 2023, EFI ha presentato le sue iniziative in uno stand ampliato, esponendo nuovi materiali e con la possibilità di vedere all’opera alcune artigiane africane che hanno dato dimostrazione pratica del valore delle loro capacità manuali.

The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) together with the Embassy of Italy and the Nairobi Regional Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), launched a new 3-year project in Nairobi on Wednesday 17th April
2024.

Nella mattina di ieri, 17 aprile, la Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) dell’International Trade Centre (ITC), insieme all’Ambasciata d’Italia e all’Ufficio Regionale di Nairobi dell’Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS), ha lanciato una nuova iniziativa triennale finanziata dal Governo italiano per promuovere la moda sostenibile e la creazione di nuovi posti di lavoro in Kenya.

Nairobi – Ieri mattina, la Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) dell’International Trade Centre (ITC), insieme all’Ambasciata d’Italia e all’Ufficio Regionale di Nairobi dell’Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS), hanno lanciato una nuova iniziativa triennale finanziata dal Governo italiano per promuovere la moda sostenibile e la creazione di nuovi posti di lavoro in Kenya.

The first panel moderated by Simone Cipriani, UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, Founder Ethical Fashion Initiative, ITC focused on policy and featured Guy Morgan, Director of Sustainability at Chanel; Henrik Vibskov, fashion designer; Ruth Reichstein, Policy Coordinator at Cabinet von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; and Julia Aruni Kirschner, Director of Impact and Innovation at Armedangels. The discussion explored the intersection of EU sustainability policy and legislation for SMEs, including insights into the Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), digital passports, upcoming legislation and the international impact of EU decisions.

This is an opportunity for the industry to engage structurally with the European authorities to adopt, improve, and collaborate around the norms and the regulations of the Green Deal which is extremely important, Simone Cipriani, founder of the Ethical Fashion Initiative and chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, explains

Parmi les valeurs de durabilité à rechercher lors de l’achat de vêtements, la publication énumère, entre autres, l’économie et le discernement ; si une marque est dirigée par des femmes ou engagée en faveur de la diversité, de l’inclusion et de la représentation des voix autochtones ; s’il se concentre sur le climat, s’il est respectueux des animaux et s’il respecte les conditions de travail et leur donne de la dignité. Il est également fait référence à des organisations mondiales telles que Fashion for Good, le Slow Fashion Movement, le Global Fashion Exchange, l’Ethical Fashion Initiative, la Clean Clothes Campaign, Fashion Revolution, Remake, la Fair Wear Foundation et d’autres.

“Today, two players are engaged in this process of creating value: on the one hand, the European institutions with the Green Deal, and on the other, the creative industry with the efforts it is making towards sustainability. If both continue in this direction, the whole planet will benefit,” says Simone Cipriani, active within the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion and founder of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, recalling how “Europe is an oasis, where we are thinking about a future that is possible and dignified for all.”

“Today, two players are engaged in this process of creating value: on the one hand, the European institutions with the Green Deal, and on the other, the creative industry with the efforts it is making towards sustainability. If both continue in this direction, the whole planet will benefit,” says Simone Cipriani, active within the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion and founder of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, recalling how “Europe is an oasis, where we are thinking about a future that is possible and dignified for all.”

Außerdem wird auf globale Organisationen wie Fashion for Good, die Slow-Fashion-Bewegung, den Global Fashion Exchange, die Ethical Fashion Initiative, die Clean Clothes Campaign, Fashion Revolution, Remake, die Fair Wear Foundation und andere verwiesen.

“Today, two actors are engaged in this process of creating values, on the one hand the European institutions with the Green Deal, and on the other the creative industry with the effort it supports towards sustainability. If both continue in this direction, the whole planet will benefit”, believes Simone Cipriani, active within the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion and founder of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, recalling how “Europe is an oasis, where we think about a future that is possible and dignified for all.”

“Thankfully our label is now affiliated with the Ethical Fashion Initiative, which is an umbrella that’s part of the United Nations.”

Based in Burkina Faso, CABES recognises the importance of social sustainability and aims to make a positive difference in the world. By focusing on providing meaningful work for community networks, especially those from marginalised groups in areas affected by climate change, insecurity, and migration, CABES contributes to social wellbeing and economic empowerment.

WaMCoP will use innovative approaches like partnering with Ethical Fashion Initiative, to help re-conceptualize the cottage industry in the country and establish sustainable market linkages for intermediary and finished wool and mohair products. This will not only help the national fashion industry but also build a Basotho brand for wool and mohair fibers.