unctad.org | Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on the Green Economy: Trade and Sustainable Development Implications (2011)

Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on the Green Economy: Trade and Sustainable Development Implications (2011)

08 November 2011 - 10 November 2011
Room XXVI, Palais des Nations

Key Issues

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The green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication is one of the themes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), to be held in Brazil in 2012.

UNCTAD, serving as the sustainable trade focal point for the Rio+20 Conference, is convening this meeting to address the trade and sustainable development implications of the green economy, in particular, the concerns related to new forms of green protectionism and aid conditionality.

It will also identify key conditions for a green economy to become a vehicle for sustainable development and areas where international action could promote an inclusive, broad-based and fair transition towards a green economy.

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, UNCTAD played an active role in drafting and facilitating negotiations on Chapter 2 of Agenda 21, a comprehensive global plan of action for sustainable development. In summary, Chapter 2 proposes that trade, environment and development policies should be mutually supportive. In the face of current pressing needs in addressing poverty reduction, human development and climate change, it is necessary to provide new impetus to the concept of inclusive sustainable development, while enhancing the sense of ownership by developed and developing countries and the role of multilateral cooperative action.

The green economy has emerged as a new paradigm and an enabling component of sustainable development. In that sense, it may have the potential to provide new trade and investment impetus to developing country economies, especially if anchored on a mutually supportive approach to sustainable development.

The Ad hoc Expert Meeting is being organized in close collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

It aims to explore ways in which the green economy, through trade-led growth, could become a pro-development income-generating instrument that will directly contribute to meeting the sustainable development imperative, universally adopted at the 1992 Rio Summit.

The outcome of the meeting will be submitted as a substantive input to UNCTAD-XIII and the Rio+20 preparatory process.

Inputs from experts

Experts are encouraged to submit brief papers dealing with one or several of the following issues relating to their country´s experience in transitioning towards a greener and low-carbon economy. These papers will be made available to the meeting in the form and the language in which they are received.

Experts are kindly requested to submit their papers by 21 October to lucas.assuncao@unctad.org.

Agenda

Documents

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Programme Timetable

03/11/2011 - 3 page(s) - 91 KB

Report of the Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on "The Green Economy: Trade and Sustainable Development Implications"

(UNCTAD/DITC/TED/2011/8) - 01/12/2011 - 162 KB

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Notification

An Ad hoc Expert Meeting on the Green Economy: Trade and Sustainable Development Implications will be held from 8 to 10 November 2011 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. It will commence at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 November, in room XXVI.

Participation

Member States of UNCTAD are requested to nominate experts at an early date and not later than 21 October 2011. Experts, who will be participating in the meeting in a personal capacity, are expected to have proven expertise in the subject and may be selected from governmental or non-governmental organizations, private entities or academia. The meeting may be of particular interest to government officials and representatives of the private sector dealing with the energy, climate change, technology, agriculture and trade sectors. In addition, experts from international organizations dealing with issues related to the topic will be invited.

Specialized agencies and intergovernmental bodies wishing to participate in the Ad hoc Expert Meeting, as well as non-governmental organizations in the General Category and those in the Special Category wishing to participate as observers, are requested to inform the UNCTAD secretariat of the names of their representatives by 21 October 2011.

Logistics

The meeting will take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in the six official languages of the United Nations.

Upon arrival, participants are requested, before entering the Palais des Nations, to collect their badges at the United Nations Security Service, Pregny Gate entrance, 14 Avenue de la Paix. The Security Service is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because of the security measures in force, participants are strongly advised to arrive before 9 a.m. in order to complete entry procedures in good time and proceed to the meeting in the E Building (Bâtiment E) of the Palais. Participants are requested to carry a passport or similar national identity card with them. Taxis are not allowed to enter the grounds of the Palais des Nations, and visitors will therefore be dropped off at the entrance gates. Furthermore, luggage may not be brought into the buildings unless the Security Service gives special clearance.

Further information and contact details

All communications concerning representation at the meeting should be sent to the UNCTAD secretariat, Intergovernmental Support Service, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10 (fax: +41(0)22 917 0056; e-mail: meetings@unctad.org).

All other enquiries should be addressed to the coordinator in the substantive division, Lucas Assunção, (tel: +41 (0) 22 917 5731; fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0247; e-mail: lucas.assuncao@unctad.org).

(signed)

Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
12 September 2011

MEETINGS

Key Issues

Agenda

Documents

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