During the World Trade Organization Seventh Global Review of Aid For Trade, UNCTAD is co-organizing a side-event with the Mission of Ecuador, European Commission (DEVCO), and the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO).
The meeting, which will be conducted in discussion format, will focus on what types of global partnerships and Aid for Trade that are needed to support developing countries in capturing “green” market opportunities, in a manner that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs, particularly SDGs 12, 15 and 17.
This is especially crucial as the market for “green” goods and services (i.e. those that are produced sustainably by addressing their social and environmental dimensions) has been growing rapidly in developed countries and in emerging economies. This presents an opportunity for developing countries to strengthen synergies between export growth and sustainable development. This is particularly true for the biodiversity-rich countries, where a bio-based economy can be a powerful engine for an economic and inclusive growth. Entering into growing and potentially lucrative green markets can be challenging, as producers and exporters are increasingly requested to meet voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in addition to meeting SPS and TBT requirements.
The discussions will draw from country experiences as well as from a perspective of civil society and donor countries.
This side event is open to the public but must be registered as a participant for the Aid for Trade event:
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/a4t_e/gr19_e/gr19_reg_e.htm
https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/Trade-Analysis/TAB-Project-1617AI.aspx
https://unfss.org/
