Multi-year Expert Meeting on Commodities and Development, eighth session

• Recent developments and new challenges in commodity markets, and policy options for commodity-based inclusive growth and sustainable development

• Review of UNCTAD efforts to strengthen commodity production in commodity-dependent developing countries and improve food security and export competitiveness in light of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals

The Accra Accord (para. 208) mandated the Trade and Development Board to establish a multi-year expert meeting on commodities.

As set out by the Doha Mandate (paras. 4 and 5), the purpose of the meeting is to enable commodity-dependent developing countries to identify measures in order to secure, as a priority, adequate access to food and energy, to use commodity revenues for economic growth and poverty reduction and to cope with the challenges of commodity price volatility.

The meeting is expected to provide a forum for sharing country experiences in terms of:

• Identifying and implementing appropriate policies at the national, regional and international levels.

• Addressing the impacts of declining commodity prices on vulnerable groups.

• Helping commodity-dependent developing countries formulate sustainable and inclusive development strategies, including those that promote value addition and economic diversification.

The meeting will identify the ways and means for these countries, particularly the least developed countries, to maximize development benefits from commodity production and trade, including the promotion of diversification and the integration of natural resources policies into national development strategies (Doha Mandate, para. 31(i)).

In accordance with paragraph 56 (g) of the Doha Mandate, the meeting will offer developing countries an opportunity to share their experiences in order to achieve more sustainable and strengthened agricultural production and food security and increase investment in agriculture and export capacity, taking into account the special needs of African countries, least developed countries and net food-importing developing countries, as well as the needs of small-scale farmers.

The meeting will generate lessons learned from experiences and identify practical options and actionable outcomes for harnessing opportunities and addressing the challenges of long-standing commodity trade and development issues at the national, regional and international levels.

The meeting will also review the contribution of UNCTAD in assisting developing countries in the area of commodities.

Contributions from Experts:

Experts are encouraged to prepare and submit brief papers (approximately five pages) related to one or more of the issues contained in the provisional agenda for the meeting and on issues relating to their country's experience.

These papers will be made available at the meeting in the form and language in which they are received.