Third meeting of the Informal Working Group on trade and biodiversity statistics

Background

The importance of biodiversity, trade and particularly trade in biodiversity-based products for global efforts to tackle biodiversity loss is recognized by internationally agreed objectives, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Data on commercialization and trade would help countries develop better informed policies related to the management and trade of biodiversity-based products and services. However, there is limited data publicly available on sustainable trade in biodiversity-based products and services, and the information available is not comparable and dispersed in many different databases.

In September 2022, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s BioTrade Initiative and Statistics Service launched the pioneer Trade and Biodiversity statistical tool (TraBio) as an initial step to enable open access to reliable trade-related information on biodiversity-based products. TraBio applies a product classification of biodiversity-based products covering 1814 HS sub-headings, a database on trade flow in these products and related indicators, and a visualisation tool.

With the aim to improve collection of data and analytical capacity for informed decision-making on trade in biodiversity-based products and support the monitoring and reporting under the SDGs and relevant processes such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, UNCTAD convened the Informal Working Group of Experts on Trade and Biodiversity Statistics.

The Informal Working Group is expected to convene between Autumn 2023 and Summer 2024, mainly through hybrid and/or virtual meetings. These meetings aim to advance on the development of statistics on biodiversity-based products (e.g., common definitions, data gaps, new data sources and technologies) and consider how the biodiversity-based goods data could best contribute to current initiatives and frameworks as an open-source asset. Experts are invited to discuss progress towards a comprehensive trade and biodiversity methodology and identify priorities and partners for knowledge of trade and biodiversity statistics by discussing ways to enhance related information.

UNCTAD’s BioTrade Initiative and Statistics Service kick-started the discussion with an Informal lunch event on trade and biodiversity statistics, organised at the margins of the Twentieth session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Joint Task Force on Environmental Statistics Indicators on 17 October 2023. The first Informal Working Group meeting (23 November 2023) allowed to open a platform of discussion and exchange of information on existing trade and non-trade related databases and their linkages to biodiversity issues, based on an initial mapping of databases prepared by UNCTAD.

The second Informal Working Group meeting allowed to identify and agree on a common understanding of what “Trade and Biodiversity statistics” shall cover: statistics on biodiversity-based products as defined by UNCTAD BioTrade, and an holistic approach to include aspects of the overall supply chain of such products, including harvesting and catch, cultivation and farming, production, trade and consumption. Statistics on the interactions with the environment and ecosystems and their management will also be covered.

Objective

The third session of the Informal Working Group of Experts on Trade and Biodiversity Statistics is expected to:

• Discuss about areas of identification/development of relevant indicators and relationship with relevant linkages with Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and existing measuring frameworks, such as the framework to Measure Circular Economy and the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA), among others.
• Learn from other experts/agencies experiences on the integration of biodiversity related data from integrated supply chain, showcasing interlinkages between different data areas and topics.
• Discuss how to structure statistical workstreams, on classifications, data and indicators, and use of new technologies and innovative inputs (ML, AI and big data) for data dissemination visual tools.

The expected outcome of the meeting will be the consensus on the overall lines of work that will contribute to the identification of relevant indicators and data. This will help making progress on possible concrete steps for the enhancement of trade and biodiversity statistics that can improve information for better evidence-based policy making. Similarly, this work will build on and strengthen ongoing work on other processes including the monitoring framework of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Target audience

The event targets members of the Informal Working Group of Experts on Trade and Biodiversity Statistics.

Membership to the WG is open to experts with interest in biodiversity, statistics and trade from developed and developing countries. It aims to ensure a broad participation, a balanced geographic and gender representation. Participants will have experience on the topic being discussed and agree with the Terms of Reference of the Informal Working Group.  If interested in joining or other related query, kindly send an email to biotrade@un.org with the Subject: Informal Working Group of Experts on Trade and Biodiversity Statistics.

UNCTAD’s work on trade and biodiversity statistics, including the Informal Working Group and this event, is developed under the Global BioTrade Programme “Linking trade, biodiversity and sustainable development” funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.

UNCTAD’s work on trade and biodiversity statistics, including the Informal Working Group and this event, is developed under the Global BioTrade Programme “Linking trade, biodiversity and sustainable development” funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.

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