BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a51ed90ed004 DTSTART:20221024T130000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20221024T160000Z LOCATION:Geneva and Online\, Switzerland SUMMARY:Expert meeting on revisiting development strategies for small islan d developing states in the post-pandemic competitive landscape CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:The COVID-19 pandemic represents a global health and economic c risis. Initially understood as an acute shock\, from which countries could recover back to a “normal”\, pre-pandemic state\, the persistence of the virus and its variants\, as well as the sanitary measures used to comb at them\, make increasingly clear that the pandemic will permanently trans form the global economy.\n\nThe changes to the structure of the global eco nomy\, provoked by the pandemic\, represent a disproportionate threat to d eveloping countries with poor integration in global value chains (GVCs) an d low technology adoption rates\, such as small island developing States ( SIDS). Protracted disruptions to supply chains pose a major risk to the fu nctioning of their economies\, which depend on imports of food\, energy an d intermediate goods. Even prior to the pandemic\, most SIDS struggled to compete in higher-value industries\, especially those based on exporting p hysical goods\, due to their limited productive capacity\, small size\, na rrow resource base and geographic isolation. As a result\, SIDS are poorly integrated in global value chains and rely on external aid and borrowing to finance public investments and spending.\n\nIn this context\, and respo nding to its renewed mandate under the Bridgetown Covenant to assist SIDS “addressing their specific vulnerabilities\, build resilience and promot e structural economic transformation and productive capacities”\, UNCTAD proposes to hold a single-year expert meeting on the theme “Revisiting development strategies for SIDS in the post-pandemic competitive landscape ”.\n\nProgramme\n\nOpening:\n\n\nMs. Rebeca Grynspan\, Secretary-General \, UNCTAD\nMr. Paul Akiwumi\, Director\, Division for Africa\, Least Devel oped Countries and Special Programmes\, UNCTAD\n\n\nPanellists:\n\n\nThe R t Hon Patricia Scotland\, Secretary-General\, Commonwealth Secretariat\nDr Hyginus Leon\, President\, Caribbean Development Bank\nH.E. Mr. Chad Blac kman\, Senior Advisor to the Director-General\, ILO\, and former Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations Office and other interna tional organizations in Geneva and Coordinator of the SIDS Group in Geneva \nH.E. Mrs. Usha Chandnee Dwarka-Canabady\, Permanent Representative of th e Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations Office and other internation al organizations in Geneva\nH.E. Mrs. Mereswalesi Falemaka\, Permanent Obs erver\, Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations Offi ce and other international organizations in Geneva\nH.E. Mr. Umej Singh Bh atia\, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapore to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva\n\n\nMain issues for discussion\n\nSessions and expected outcomes will respond to so me fundamental questions facing SIDS\, including:\n\n\nHow can SIDS struct ure their recovery to build their resilience to external shocks and foster inclusive development?\n \nIn an altered post-pandemic competitive lands cape\, how\, and in what industries\, can SIDS compete and build productiv e capacity\, as the basis for their development strategies?\n \nWhat is n eeded in terms of external debt relief and a new generation of internation al support measures\, to support COVID-19 recovery and new development str ategies in SIDS?\n \n\n\nContributions from experts\n\nTo facilitate disc ussion\, experts are encouraged to prepare case studies on the subject und er discussion.\n\nThese papers will be made available at the meeting in th e form and language in which they are received.\n\n \n<\;p>\;The COVI D-19 pandemic represents a global health and economic crisis. Initially un derstood as an acute shock\, from which countries could recover back to a “normal”\, pre-pandemic state\, the persistence of the virus and its v ariants\, as well as the sanitary measures used to combat them\, make incr easingly clear that the pandemic will permanently transform the global eco nomy.<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;The changes to the structure of the global economy\, provoked by the pandemic\, represent a disproportionate threat to developing countries with poor integration in global value chains (GVCs ) and low technology adoption rates\, such as small island developing Stat es (SIDS). Protracted disruptions to supply chains pose a major risk to th e functioning of their economies\, which depend on imports of food\, energ y and intermediate goods. Even prior to the pandemic\, most SIDS struggled to compete in higher-value industries\, especially those based on exporti ng physical goods\, due to their limited productive capacity\, small size\ , narrow resource base and geographic isolation. As a result\, SIDS are po orly integrated in global value chains and rely on external aid and borrow ing to finance public investments and spending.<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\; In this context\, and responding to its renewed mandate under the Bridgeto wn Covenant to assist SIDS “<\;em>\;addressing their specific vulner abilities\, build resilience and promote structural economic transformatio n and productive capacities<\;/em>\;”\, UNCTAD proposes to hold a si ngle-year expert meeting on the theme “<\;em>\;Revisiting developmen t strategies for SIDS in the post-pandemic competitive landscape<\;/em&g t\;”.<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;h4>\;<\;strong>\;Programme<\;/strong&g t\;<\;/h4>\;\n\n<\;p>\;Opening:<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;ul>\;\n<\; li>\;<\;strong>\;Ms. Rebeca Grynspan<\;/strong>\;\, Secretary-Ge neral\, UNCTAD<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;<\;strong>\;Mr. Paul Akiwumi& lt\;/strong>\;\, Director\, Division for Africa\, Least Developed Countr ies and Special Programmes\, UNCTAD<\;/li>\;\n<\;/ul>\;\n\n<\;p& gt\;Panellists:<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;ul>\;\n<\;li>\;<\;strong>\;T he Rt Hon Patricia Scotland<\;/strong>\;\, Secretary-General\, Commonw ealth Secretariat<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;<\;strong>\;Dr Hyginus Leo n<\;/strong>\;\, President\, Caribbean Development Bank<\;/li>\;\n <\;li>\;<\;strong>\;H.E. Mr. Chad Blackman<\;/strong>\;\, Seni or Advisor to the Director-General\, ILO\, and former Permanent Representa tive of Barbados to the United Nations Office and other international orga nizations in Geneva and Coordinator of the SIDS Group in Geneva<\;/li> \;\n<\;li>\;<\;strong>\;H.E. Mrs. Usha Chandnee Dwarka-Canabady< \;/strong>\;\, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva& lt\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;<\;strong>\;H.E. Mrs. Mereswalesi Falemaka&l t\;/strong>\;\, Permanent Observer\, Delegation of the Pacific Islands F orum to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva<\;/li>\;\n<\;li>\;<\;strong>\;H.E. Mr. Umej Singh Bhat ia<\;/strong>\;\, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapor e to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Ge neva<\;/li>\;\n<\;/ul>\;\n\n<\;h4>\;<\;strong>\;Main issue s for discussion<\;/strong>\;<\;/h4>\;\n\n<\;p>\;Sessions and expected outcomes will respond to some fundamental questions facing SIDS\, including:<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;ol>\;\n<\;li>\;How can SIDS structur e their recovery to build their resilience to external shocks and foster i nclusive development?<\;br />\;\n&\;nbsp\;<\;/li>\;\n<\;li> \;In an altered post-pandemic competitive landscape\, how\, and in what in dustries\, can SIDS compete and build productive capacity\, as the basis f or their development strategies?<\;br />\;\n&\;nbsp\;<\;/li>\;\ n<\;li>\;What is needed in terms of external debt relief and a new gen eration of international support measures\, to support COVID-19 recovery a nd new development strategies in SIDS?<\;br />\;\n&\;nbsp\;<\;/li >\;\n<\;/ol>\;\n\n<\;h4>\;<\;strong>\;Contributions from exp erts<\;/strong>\;<\;/h4>\;\n\n<\;p>\;To facilitate discussion\ , experts are encouraged to prepare case studies on the subject under disc ussion.<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;These papers will be made available at t he meeting in the form and language in which they are received.<\;/p>\ ;\n\n<\;p>\;&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;\n\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\n https://unctad.org/meeting/expert-meeting-revisiting-development-strategie s-small-island-developing-states-post DTSTAMP:20260711T071528Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR