BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a8d90c45d655 DTSTART:20211110T090000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20211110T120000Z LOCATION:\, SUMMARY:Webinar on the launch of the UNCTAD publication: “Implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area for BioTrade\, Challenges and Opp ortunities” CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement came into force in 2019 and has been signed by 54 out of 55 countries and rati fied by 37 countries in the African region to date. Its establishment culm inates the creation of an African economic community in line with the Abuj a Treaty of 1991 and in harmony with Agenda 2063 – both of which envisag e a continent that prioritises\, amongst other things\,  inclusive social and economic development through continental and regional economic integr ation.\n\nAs the largest global free trade area in terms of the number of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organizatio n (WTO)\, AfCFTA indeed has the greatest potential to drive Africa’s aim to attain inclusive and sustainable development in the next 50 years. Wit h the key objective to  create a single pan-African market for [agricultu ral] goods and services coupled with free movement of business people and capital\, the AfCFTA is envisaged to mainstream trade as a tool for indust rial diversification and development. \n\nThis shift to a new policy and regulatory paradigm coincides with the significant urbanisation\, populati on growth and economic development in Africa in the last decades. Such imp ressive development has had unsustainable and negative consequences on the environment though. The continent has seen progressive (and rapid)  decl ine of biodiversity\, loss of species and habitats and ecosystem degradati on exacerbated by human-induced factors and negative impacts of climate ch ange and the COVID-19 pandemic. The link between social and economic devel opment and natural capital in Africa has never been so explicit.\n\nYet\, commitments negotiated so far under the landmark AFCTA barely mention the environment. \n\nUNCTAD’s recently e-published study “Implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area for Trade and Biodiversity: Polic y and Regulatory Recommendations  presents this current context as a pote ntial missed opportunity to achieve sustainable development through trade integration in Africa. The study investigates the link between trade and b iodiversity and the existing parties’ commitments under the AfCFTA as we ll as recommends ways of transforming AfCFTA into an enabler of sustainabl e trade in biodiversity\, creator of a ‘green’ development pathway and a key driver of post-COVID\n\nObjectives\n\nThe webinar will focus on spe cific topics related to trade including tariffs and non-tariff measures (N TMs)\, intellectual property rights\, investment\, competition policy as w ell as analyses of treaty provisions from a trade in biodiversity/BioTrade perspective. Specifically\, it aims to: \n\n\nPresent the main findings and recommendations of the  BioTrade AfCFTA study\, especially to the neg otiators of the AfCFTA and the governments who are part of the agreement.  \nBring together experts in trade and biodiversity as well as the AfCFTA Secretariat to exchange and discuss ways on how the region can positively harness its rich biodiversity and increase its production and trade capac ity which promote both economic recovery and environmental sustainability.  \nExplore current/potential issues (beyond the publication) on what the current challenges and opportunities provided by the AfCFTA are for trade and biodiversity\, especially considering the many difficulties that Afric an countries face due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n\nThis 3-hour virtual w ebinar will be hosted by UNCTAD and ABS Capacity Development Initiative an d will consist of two round table formats featuring the main authors\, con tributing authors/organizations\, experts\, and academics as speakers. \n \nThis online event is organized under the global BioTrade programme “Li nking trade\, biodiversity and sustainable development” with the financi al support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO. UNCTA D also gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Deutsche Gesellsch aft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit\, GIZ\, under the ABS Capacity Dev elopment Initiative / the ABS compliant Biotrade in Southern Africa Projec t (supported by Germany\, the European Commission\, Norway and Switzerland ) and the BioInnovation Africa Project (supported by Germany). \n \n<\ ;p>\;The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement came int o force in 2019 and has been signed by 54 out of 55 countries and ratified by 37 countries in the African region to date. Its establishment culminat es the creation of an African economic community in line with the Abuja Tr eaty of 1991 and in harmony with Agenda 2063 – both of which envisage a continent that prioritises\, amongst other things\, &\;nbsp\;inclusive social and economic development through continental and regional economic integration.<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;As the largest global free trade ar ea in terms of the number of participating countries since the formation o f the World Trade Organization (WTO)\, AfCFTA indeed has the greatest pote ntial to drive Africa’s aim to attain inclusive and sustainable developm ent in the next 50 years. With the key objective to &\;nbsp\;create a s ingle pan-African market for [agricultural] goods and services coupled wit h free movement of business people and capital\, the AfCFTA is envisaged t o mainstream trade as a tool for industrial diversification and developmen t.&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;This shift to a new policy and re gulatory paradigm coincides with the significant urbanisation\, population growth and economic development in Africa in the last decades. Such impre ssive development has had unsustainable and negative consequences on the e nvironment though. The continent has seen progressive (and rapid) &\;nb sp\;decline of biodiversity\, loss of species and habitats and ecosystem d egradation exacerbated by human-induced factors and negative impacts of cl imate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. The link between social and econom ic development and natural capital in Africa has never been so explicit.&l t\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;Yet\, commitments negotiated so far under the lan dmark AFCTA barely mention the environment.&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;\n\n< \;p>\;UNCTAD’s recently e-published study “Implications of the Afric an Continental Free Trade Area for Trade and Biodiversity: Policy and Regu latory Recommendations &\;nbsp\;presents this current context as a pote ntial missed opportunity to achieve sustainable development through trade integration in Africa. The study investigates the link between trade and b iodiversity and the existing parties’ commitments under the AfCFTA as we ll as recommends ways of transforming AfCFTA into an enabler of sustainabl e trade in biodiversity\, creator of a ‘green’ development pathway and a key driver of post-COVID<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;h4>\;Objectives<\;/h4& gt\;\n\n<\;p>\;The webinar will focus on specific topics related to tr ade including tariffs and non-tariff measures (NTMs)\, intellectual proper ty rights\, investment\, competition policy as well as analyses of treaty provisions from a trade in biodiversity/BioTrade perspective. Specifically \, it aims to:&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;ol>\;\n<\;li>\;Presen t the main findings and recommendations of the &\;nbsp\;BioTrade AfCFTA study\, especially to the negotiators of the AfCFTA and the governments w ho are part of the agreement.&\;nbsp\;<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;Bring together experts in trade and biodiversity as well as the AfCFTA Secretari at to exchange and discuss ways on how the region can positively harness i ts rich biodiversity and increase its production and trade capacity which promote both economic recovery and environmental sustainability.&\;nbsp \;<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;Explore current/potential issues (beyond the publication) on what the current challenges and opportunities provided by the AfCFTA are for trade and biodiversity\, especially considering the man y difficulties that African countries face due to the COVID-19 pandemic.&l t\;/li>\;\n<\;/ol>\;\n\n<\;p>\;This 3-hour virtual webinar will be hosted by UNCTAD and ABS Capacity Development Initiative and will consi st of two round table formats featuring the main authors\, contributing au thors/organizations\, experts\, and academics as speakers.&\;nbsp\;<\ ;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;This online event is organized under the global Bio Trade programme “Linking trade\, biodiversity and sustainable developmen t” with the financial support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economi c Affairs SECO. UNCTAD also gratefully acknowledges the contributions of t he Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit\, GIZ\, under the ABS Capacity Development Initiative / the ABS compliant Biotrade in S outhern Africa Project (supported by Germany\, the European Commission\, N orway and Switzerland) and the BioInnovation Africa Project (supported by Germany).&\;nbsp\;<\;br />\;\n&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;\n\n\nView me eting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/webinar-launch-unctad-publ ication-implications-african-continental-free-trade-area-biotrade DTSTAMP:20260825T125532Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR