LONDON, United Kingdom — Sarah Owusu, Women’s Economic Empowerment Lead at the Elizka Relief Foundation, will represent the Ghanaian non-governmental organisation at the International Trade Council Global Convocation & Leadership Forum. The three-day programme, held across various venues in London, will convene senior business leaders, policymakers, and trade officials to address international market access, supply chain resilience, and export growth.
Based at the USTED Campus in Kumasi, within Ghana’s Ashanti Region, the Elizka Relief Foundation designs and implements capacity-building and human empowerment initiatives aimed at vulnerable populations. Operating in the non-profit humanitarian and development sector, the organisation works across multiple thematic areas, including economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and social development. By embedding research-driven field interventions into regional and national policy frameworks, the Foundation actively constructs strategic pathways for collaboration across sectoral, identity, and geographical boundaries to foster socio-economic and environmental self-determination in developing communities.
The Foundation’s participation in the London forum highlights the growing international recognition that inclusive economic growth is foundational to robust global trade. Addressing supply-side constraints at the grassroots level, particularly through the economic enfranchisement of women, directly supports broader macroeconomic objectives such as export competitiveness and economic diversification in emerging markets. As Ghana continues to expand its international trade relationships, locally based organisations like the Elizka Relief Foundation serve as vital partners for understanding how macro-level trade policies can translate into tangible, inclusive economic opportunities for marginalised workers and entrepreneurs.
At the convocation, the organisation intends to bridge the gap between community-level economic development and high-level international trade frameworks. Drawing on its extensive history of policy advocacy, the Foundation aims to advise global trade delegates on structuring commercial policies that integrate vulnerable demographics into formal supply chains. The leadership forum provides a strategic environment for the Foundation to share insights from its field interventions, demonstrating how capacity-building programmes can equip female entrepreneurs with the skills and resources necessary to navigate cross-border commerce and meet international market standards.
The Foundation brings substantial institutional credibility to these discussions, having held Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 2015. Furthermore, the organisation maintains accredited observer status across a wide array of major international bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) CSOs Commission. Its accreditations with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) also position the Foundation to contribute critical perspectives on the intersection of environmental sustainability, climate finance, and international trade infrastructure.
“International trade policies are most effective when they reflect the realities of the individuals and communities operating at the foundation of the global supply chain,” said Sarah Owusu, Women’s Economic Empowerment Lead at the Elizka Relief Foundation. “We observe firsthand how structural barriers and limited capacity restrict women from participating equitably in cross-border commerce. Our objective at this leadership forum is to ensure that future trade agreements and market access initiatives incorporate practical mechanisms that actively dismantle these barriers, enabling female entrepreneurs in developing economies to scale their operations and access international markets.”
“Achieving genuine supply chain resilience requires investing in the human capital that sustains those networks,” Owusu added. “By bringing our field research and localised policy models to London, we intend to demonstrate to global trade leaders that inclusive economic empowerment is not merely a social objective, but a fundamental operational requirement for sustainable and robust international commerce.”
The convergence of trade officials, policymakers, and senior business leaders at the convocation presents a practical platform for the Elizka Relief Foundation to forge strategic alliances. Through these international dialogues, the organisation will advocate for actionable trade mechanisms that facilitate the transition of marginalised women from informal local trading environments to structured, international export participation, ultimately strengthening the resilience of global supply networks.
About Elizka Relief Foundation
The Elizka Relief Foundation is a non-governmental organisation based in Kumasi, Ghana, dedicated to capacity building and human empowerment for vulnerable demographics. Operating from the USTED Campus in Tanoso, the Foundation embeds research-driven field interventions into localised policy frameworks to expand socio-economic and environmental self-determination. The organisation has maintained Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2015 and holds accredited observer status with numerous international bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization CSOs Commission.
About the International Trade Council Global Convocation & Leadership Forum
The International Trade Council Global Convocation & Leadership Forum is a three-day summit held from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November 2026 at various venues across London, United Kingdom. Convened by the International Trade Council and the International Centre for Trade Transparency & Monitoring, the gathering unites senior business leaders, policymakers, and trade officials to advance international trade, enhance market access, and fortify supply chain resilience.
About the International Trade Council
Founded in 1956, the International Trade Council is an independent, non-lobbying peak-body chamber of commerce dedicated to supporting foreign direct investment and international trade. The organisation champions ethical, transparent, and inclusive trade practices while providing vital market research and education through the ITC Academy. Operating a global network that spans more than 179 countries with over 28,000 members, the Council unites a diverse constituency of businesses, government ministries, diplomatic missions, chambers of commerce, and export promotion agencies. Its core mission is to reduce international trade barriers, generate new global business opportunities, and support sustainable economic growth through dedicated collaboration, advocacy, and knowledge sharing.
About the International Centre for Trade Transparency and Monitoring
The International Centre for Trade Transparency Limited, trading as the International Centre for Trade Transparency and Monitoring (ICTTM), is a commercial spin-off of the International Trade Council. Founded in November 2022 and registered in the United Kingdom, the company maintains offices in both the United Kingdom and the Philippines to advance its mission of increasing transparency in global commerce. The organisation develops ADAMftd, an artificial-intelligence trade intelligence platform that processes billions of historical and real-time trade data points, encompassing customs records, shipping logs, tariffs, and sanctions screening. This technology is utilised by industry professionals to identify global suppliers and competitors, assess counterparty risk, model supply chains, and forecast market trends and pricing.
Media Contact
Sarah Owusu. Women’s Economic Empowerment Lead. Elizka Relief Foundation. Email contact via the official website. https://elizkafoundation.org