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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6a518744d46ea
DTSTART:20230508T081500Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20230508T100000Z
LOCATION:Geneva\, Switzerland
SUMMARY:The South-South trade partnership for accelerating the SDGs achieve
 ment
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:South-South trade has incredible potential to accelerate the ac
 hievement of the SDGs by developing countries. Its value passed from US$60
 0 billion in 1995 to US$5.3 trillion in 2021 and its volume is now higher 
 than that of North-South trade\, growing faster than the world average. In
  addition\, South-South trade fosters trade in non-traditional exports\, i
 ncluding higher value added and technology-intensive manufactured goods.\n
 \nIn this framework\, the Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP) repres
 ents a great opportunity for developing countries to increase South-South 
 trade and cooperation by reducing trade barriers (both tariff and non-tari
 ff) and diversify their exports. In fact\, this is the only trade agreemen
 t covering the Global South\, currently encompassing 42 countries\, formin
 g a US$16 trillion market with a population of 4 billion. UNCTAD estimates
  suggest that implementation of the latest round of negotiations of the GS
 TP by all its current signatories would result in potential shared welfare
  gains of US$14 billion. \n\nWithin the current context of multiple crise
 s\, the GSTP provides an incredibly valuable platform to address challenge
 s such as climate crisis and food security through trade cooperation. Desp
 ite the little historical responsibility of CO2 emissions of developing co
 untries\, these are the countries that are feeling the impact of climate c
 hange the most\, both financially and in terms of human lives. A revival o
 f the GSTP offers an opportunity for a wide sectoral decarbonization in de
 veloping countries. Addressing renewable energy-related goods and services
  trade and related NTMs among GSTP participants would allow a faster renew
 able energy transition and would help countries meet the National Determin
 ed Contribution under the Paris Agreement. \n\nThere is now a fresh windo
 w of opportunity for breaking the logjam in the implementation of the past
  negotiating results and moving ahead to embark on a new South-South trade
  agenda. Within the current context of “polycrisis”\, the GSTP provide
 s a vehicle to address pressing global challenges through trade cooperatio
 n to accelerate the achievement of SDGs. What is the role of South-South t
 rade on the path for sustainable development? How can the GSTP be better u
 tilized to enable further trade and economic integration among developing 
 countries? In which policy areas or sectors can trade cooperation be stren
 gthened in a manner supportive of the achievement of SDGs? \n\nKeynote\n\
 nGlobal System of Trade Preferences (GSTP) among developing countries in a
 ccelerating SDGs in the current global context\n\n\nMr. Rubens Ricupero\, 
 former UNCTAD Secretary-General (video)\n\n\nModerator\n\n\nMr. Pedro Manu
 el Moreno\, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD\n\n\nCommentators\n\n\nH.E.
  Mr. Federico Villegas\, President of the GSTP Committee of Participants\,
  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary\, Permanent Representative o
 f the Permanent Mission of the Argentine Republic to the United Nations Of
 fice and other international organizations in Geneva \nMs. Miho Shirotori
 \, Acting Director\, Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC
 )\,UNCTAD\nMr. Máximo Torero\, Chief Economist\, Food and Agriculture Org
 anization (FAO)\nMs. Trudi Hartzenberg\, Executive Director\, tralac\, and
  Member of the UN Committee on Trade Policy\nMs. Vahini Naidu\, Programme 
 Coordinator\, Trade for Development Programme\, South Centre\nMr. Craig Va
 nGrasstek\, Trade Consultant and Adjunct Lecturer\, John F. Kennedy School
  of Government\, Harvard University\n\n\n \n\nWatch the session on UN Web
  TV\n\n \nhttps://unctad.org/topic/trade-agreements/global-system-of-trad
 e-preferences\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/so
 uth-south-trade-partnership-accelerating-sdgs-achievement
DTSTAMP:20260710T235900Z
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