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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6aa806653ea33
DTSTART:20240912T150000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20240912T161500Z
LOCATION:Geneva\, Switzerland
SUMMARY:WTO Public Forum 2024 session: The new plastics economy – how to 
 make a transition possible
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:National and international efforts are underway to curb plastic
  pollution. With global plastics trade reaching $1.2 trillion\, internatio
 nal trade in goods and services will necessarily play an important enablin
 g role in those efforts.With plastic pollution being one of the major glob
 al anthropogenic challenges of this century\, tackling this challenge need
 s\, reuse\, recycling\, and\, where possible and practicable\, replacement
  of plastics with sustainable substitutes or more environmentally friendly
  alternatives.Different perspectives on the transition to a new plastics e
 conomy necessarily involve the role of trade\, ranging from the negotiatio
 ns for a new multilateral treaty to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution
 \, to plastics-related discussions at the World Trade Organization (WTO)\,
  to innovative business cases enabling such transition on the ground.The o
 ngoing negotiations within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (IN
 C) on Plastic Pollution show that the alignment of trade policies and the 
 objective of reducing plastic pollution is important\, reinforcing the WTO
 &#039\;s role in promoting not only efficient global trade but also facili
 tating trade of sustainable goods\, thus contributing to the three pillars
  of sustainable developmentAs part of the 2024 World Trade Organization (W
 TO) Public Forum\, this session examines how sustainable trade solutions c
 an facilitate the global transition to a New Plastics Economy\, where mate
 rials are produced and traded in a way to prevent harm to human health and
  the environment.  The event will bring together representatives of the p
 ublic and the private sectors to discuss the role of trade in enabling imp
 ortant services for plastic pollution control\, as well as promising non-p
 lastic substitutes that can deliver similar function while assisting sunri
 se industries.The discussion will focus on several overarching questions\,
  including:What role should the WTO and existing international trade rules
  play in a new circular plastics economy?How do trade considerations infor
 m the INC negotiations on plastic pollution? How could the WTO and the UN
  better coordinate on plastics-related trade issues to ensure synergy and 
 avoid duplication of efforts?Is anything missing from the current discussi
 on on how trade in goods and services can contribute to the transition to 
 a better circular materials economy?What are the main challenges for innov
 ative business solutions in this space and what trade-related measures are
  necessary to support them?RegistrationThis session is part of the 2024 Wo
 rld Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum\, Re-globalization: Better Trade
  for a Better World. Participation is in-person only and requires registra
 tion via the WTO Public Forum 2024 webpage.ProgrammeModeratorMs. Tetyana P
 ayosova\, Senior Associate\, Van Bael &amp\; BellisSpeakersMr. Henrique Pa
 cini\, Economic Affairs Officer\, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)Ms. Hel
 oisa Pereira\, Undersecretary for International Trade\, Brazilian Foreign 
 Trade Chamber\, BrazilMs. Elzette Henshilwood\, SMEP Portfolio Manager\, S
 outhSouthNorth\, South AfricaMr. Alexander Sobolenko\, CEO and Co-Founder\
 , Releaf Paper\, Ukrainehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/asobolenko/\n\nView me
 eting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/node/46086
DTSTAMP:20260914T143621Z
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