BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6af339694eb0e DTSTART:20210902T100000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20210902T104500Z LOCATION:Online (registration link below) / Geneva\, Switzerland SUMMARY:high-level event: How can cooperation on trade contribute to the UN EA process on plastic pollution? CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:UNCTAD\, UNEP\, the Forum on Trade\, Environment and the SDGs ( TESS)\, and the Government of Ecuador are organizing a high-level event & #039\;How can cooperation on trade contribute to the UNEA process on plast ic pollution?” on 2 September\, 12h00-12h45.In 2021\, over 100 countries are calling for a new global treaty to tackle plastics pollution. In earl y September\, a diverse group of governments will come together in Geneva for a Ministerial Meeting to devise next steps and galvanize momentum. Me anwhile\, the challenges of plastics pollution have spurred work in a rang e of international organizations and processes. Central among these are se veral resolutions and ongoing discussions on plastic pollution in the cont ext of the UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA). Over time\, plastics-focused discussions under the UNEA have evolved from effects on marine ecosystems \, to environmental impacts along the life-cycle of plastics\, on land and in the air\, including climate impacts as well as the impacts of plastic pollution on public health and economic development. There is also growing recognition of the need to tackle the ‘upstream’ sources of plastic p ollution alongside efforts to address ‘downstream’ ‘waste.’Alongsi de the UNEA process\, over 190 countries have signed new ‘plastic waste ’ amendments to the Basel Convention\, which seek to better regulate tr ade in plastic waste and became effective in January 2021. Meanwhile\, a g roup of WTO Members launched an Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution an d Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade in November 2020\, which aim s to promote cooperation on trade and trade policies in ways that can supp ort and complement international cooperation to reduce plastic pollution.T his event will highlight where and how trade and trade policies are releva nt to plastic pollution\, and the potential for stronger cooperation on tr ade to support and complement international efforts to tackle plastic poll ution\, including through a proposed new global treaty. It will bring toge ther high-level representatives of three international organizations worki ng at the intersection of plastic pollution and trade – UNCTAD\, UNEP an d the WTO — as well as Ambassadors from countries advancing proposals fo r enhanced cooperation in this area\, including through processes leading to UNCTAD 15 and the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.Topics to be addresse d include: Relevance of trade policies to reducing the use of avoidable\, problematic and environmentally harmful plastic products\, hazardous plas tic wastes\, and additives.Relevance of trade policies to promoting the us e of plastic substitutes\, environmentally sound waste management technolo gies and supportive circular economy approaches that benefit developing co untries.Importance of transparency of trade flows of plastic products and wastes and their environmental implications\, including through cooperatio n on international standards on plastics.WelcomeH.E. Mr. José Valencia\, Ambassador of Ecuador to the WTO in GenevaSpeakersMs. Isabelle Durant\, Ac ting Secretary-General\, UNCTAD Mr. Jean-Marie Paugam\, Deputy Director-G eneral\, WTO Ms. Susan Gardner\, Director\, Ecosystems Division\, UNEP H .E. Mr. Gustavo Manrique\, Ecuador'\;s Minister for Environment and Wa ter\, co-convener of the Ministerial Conference on Marine Litter and Plast ic PollutionH.E. Mr. George Mina\, Ambassador\, Permanent Representative o f Australia to the WTO in GenevaH.E. Mr. Chad Blackman\, Ambassador\, Perm anent Representative of Barbados to the UN and WTO in GenevaH.E. Ms. Tine Mørch Smith\, Ambassador\, Permanent Representative of Norway to the UN a nd other international organizations in Geneva (UNEA Chair) Closing remar ksH.E. Mr. Simon Manley\, Ambassador\, Permanent Representative of the Uni ted Kingdom to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva H.E . Mr. Didier Chambovey\, Ambassador\, Permanent Representative of Switzerl and to the WTO in Geneva. <\;p>\;<\;strong>\;UNCTAD<\;/strong&g t\;\, <\;strong>\;UNEP<\;/strong>\;\, the <\;strong>\;Forum on Trade\, Environment and the SDGs (TESS)<\;/strong>\;\, and the <\;s trong>\;Government of Ecuador <\;/strong>\;are organizing a&\;nbs p\;high-level event '\;How can cooperation on trade contribute to the UNEA process on plastic pollution?” on 2 September\, 12h00-12h45.<\;/p >\;<\;p>\;In 2021\, over 100 countries are calling for a new global treaty to tackle plastics pollution. In early September\, a diverse group of governments will come together in Geneva for a Ministerial Meeting&\ ;nbsp\;to devise next steps and galvanize momentum. Meanwhile\, the challe nges of plastics pollution have spurred work in a range of international o rganizations and processes. Central among these are several resolutions an d ongoing discussions on plastic pollution in the context of the&\;nbsp \;UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA). Over time\, plastics-focused discussio ns under the UNEA have evolved from effects on marine ecosystems\, to envi ronmental impacts along the life-cycle of plastics\, on land and in the ai r\, including climate impacts as well as the impacts of plastic pollution on public health and economic development. There is also growing recogniti on of the need to tackle the ‘upstream’ sources of plastic pollution a longside efforts to address ‘downstream’ ‘waste.’<\;/p>\;<\; p>\;Alongside the UNEA process\, over 190 countries have signed new&\ ;nbsp\;‘plastic waste’ amendments&\;nbsp\;to the Basel Convention\, which seek to better regulate trade in plastic waste and became effective in January 2021. Meanwhile\, a group of WTO Members launched an&\;nbsp \;Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable P lastics Trade&\;nbsp\;in November 2020\, which aims to promote cooperat ion on trade and trade policies in ways that can support and complement in ternational cooperation to reduce plastic pollution.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\ ;This event will highlight where and how trade and trade policies are rele vant to plastic pollution\, and the potential for stronger cooperation on trade to support and complement international efforts to tackle plastic po llution\, including through a proposed new global treaty. It will bring to gether high-level representatives of three international organizations wor king at the intersection of plastic pollution and trade – <\;strong> \;UNCTAD<\;/strong>\;\, <\;strong>\;UNEP<\;/strong>\; <\;str ong>\;and the<\;/strong>\; <\;strong>\;WTO<\;/strong>\; — as well as Ambassadors from countries advancing proposals for enhanced coo peration in this area\, including through processes leading to UNCTAD 15 a nd the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Topics to be addressed include:&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;<\;ul>\;<\;li data-list-i tem-id="\;ef4a13a6247e73e5cc4c2ee14e432ac30\n\nView meeting on unctad. org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/high-level-event-how-can-cooperation-trade -contribute-unea-process-plastic-pollution DTSTAMP:20261110T153401Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR