BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6a7a32af52ced
DTSTART:20210830T120000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20210830T130000Z
LOCATION:Online\, 
SUMMARY:Better Trade for Sustainable Development: The role of Voluntary Sus
 tainability Standards (VSS)
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:This webinar will launch the UNCTAD report: Better Trade for Su
 stainable Development: The Role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS
 ).\n\nThe event discusses the potentials and constraints of VSS in making 
 international trade more sustainable in particular with regards to develop
 ing countries development opportunities. it seeks to foster the debate on 
 the means of maximizing VSS contribution to sustainable development and mi
 nimizing their risks.\n\nBuilding a way forward to understand the associat
 ion between VSS and sustainability concerns is one of this dialogue&#039\;
 s main objectives.\n\nThe discussion is compounded with questions such as:
 \n\n\nWhat are the possibilities and limitations of VSS to make internatio
 nal trade more sustainable\, in particular with regards to developing coun
 tries development opportunities?\n \nWhat evidence do we have on the econ
 omic\, social and environmental impacts of VSS on the ground?\n \nWhat ar
 e the barriers to VSS uptake specifically in the context of developing cou
 ntries\, and how to overcome these barriers?\n \nWhat are the roles of po
 licymakers and other stakeholders (NGOs\, donors\, etc) in overcoming thes
 e barriers and assist in maximizing the favourable impacts of VSS?\n \n\n
 \nProgramme\n\nOpening and Chair\n\n•    Ms. Isabelle Durant\, Deputy
  Secretary-General\, UNCTAD\n\nPresentation of the report Better Trade for
  Sustainable Development: The Role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards\n
 \n•    Mr. Axel Marx\, Deputy Director\, Leuven Centre for Global Gov
 ernance Studies\, University of Leuven\n•    Mr. Santiago Fernandez D
 e Cordoba\, Senior Economist\, Trade Analysis Branch\, DITC\, UNCTAD\n\nDi
 scussants\n\n•    Ms. Mercedes Aráoz Fernández\, Professor of Econo
 mics\, Universidad del Pacifico\n•    Ms. Monica Rubiolo\, Head Trade
  Promotion\, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs\, Swtizerland\n•  
   Mr. Chad Blackman\, Ambassador\, Permanent Representative\, Permanent M
 ission of Barbados to the United Nations Office at Geneva\n&lt\;p&gt\;This
  webinar will launch the UNCTAD report: &lt\;em&gt\;Better Trade for Susta
 inable Development: The Role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)&l
 t\;/em&gt\;.&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;The event discusses the potentials 
 and constraints of VSS in making international trade more sustainable in p
 articular with regards to developing countries development opportunities. 
 it seeks to foster the debate on the means of maximizing VSS contribution 
 to sustainable development and minimizing their risks.&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\
 ;p&gt\;Building a way forward to understand the association between VSS an
 d sustainability concerns is one of this dialogue&#039\;s main objectives.
 &lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;The discussion is compounded with questions suc
 h as:&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;ul&gt\;\n&lt\;li&gt\;What are the possibilities 
 and limitations of VSS to make international trade more sustainable\, in p
 articular with regards to developing countries development opportunities?&
 lt\;br /&gt\;\n&amp\;nbsp\;&lt\;/li&gt\;\n&lt\;li&gt\;What evidence do we 
 have on the economic\, social and environmental impacts of VSS on the grou
 nd?&lt\;br /&gt\;\n&amp\;nbsp\;&lt\;/li&gt\;\n&lt\;li&gt\;What are the bar
 riers to VSS uptake specifically in the context of developing countries\, 
 and how to overcome these barriers?&lt\;br /&gt\;\n&amp\;nbsp\;&lt\;/li&gt
 \;\n&lt\;li&gt\;What are the roles of policymakers and other stakeholders 
 (NGOs\, donors\, etc) in overcoming these barriers and assist in maximizin
 g the favourable impacts of VSS?&lt\;br /&gt\;\n&amp\;nbsp\;&lt\;/li&gt\;\
 n&lt\;/ul&gt\;\n\n&lt\;h4&gt\;Programme&lt\;/h4&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;&lt\;em
 &gt\;Opening and Chair&lt\;/em&gt\;&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;•&amp\;nbs
 p\;&amp\;nbsp\; &amp\;nbsp\;Ms. Isabelle Durant\, Deputy Secretary-General
 \, UNCTAD&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;&lt\;em&gt\;Presentation of the report
  Better Trade for Sustainable Development: The Role of Voluntary Sustainab
 ility Standards&lt\;/em&gt\;&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;•&amp\;nbsp\;&amp
 \;nbsp\; &amp\;nbsp\;Mr. Axel Marx\, Deputy Director\, Leuven Centre for G
 lobal Governance Studies\, University of Leuven&lt\;br /&gt\;\n•&amp\;nb
 sp\;&amp\;nbsp\; &amp\;nbsp\;Mr. Santiago Fernandez De Cordoba\, Senior Ec
 onomist\, Trade Analysis Branch\, DITC\, UNCTAD&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;
 &lt\;em&gt\;Discussants&lt\;/em&gt\;&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n&lt\;p&gt\;•&amp\;nb
 sp\;&amp\;nbsp\; &amp\;nbsp\;Ms. Mercedes Aráoz Fernández\, Professor of
  Economics\, Universidad del Pacifico&lt\;br /&gt\;\n•&amp\;nbsp\;&amp\;
 nbsp\; &amp\;nbsp\;Ms. Monica Rubiolo\, Head Trade Promotion\, State Secre
 tariat for Economic Affairs\, Swtizerland&lt\;br /&gt\;\n•&amp\;nbsp\;&a
 mp\;nbsp\; &amp\;nbsp\;Mr. Chad Blackman\, Ambassador\, Permanent Represen
 tative\, Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations Office at Gen
 eva&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meetin
 g/better-trade-sustainable-development-role-voluntary-sustainability-stand
 ards-vss
DTSTAMP:20260810T202103Z
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