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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6a729d59a6d7f
DTSTART:20231123T120000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20231123T133000Z
LOCATION:Online\, 
SUMMARY:First meeting of the Informal Working Group on trade and biodiversi
 ty statistics
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:The importance of biodiversity\, trade and particularly trade i
 n biodiversity-based products for global efforts to tackle biodiversity lo
 ss is recognized by internationally agreed objectives\, including the Sust
 ainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodivers
 ity Framework.\n\nData on commercialization and trade would help countries
  develop better informed policies related to the management and trade of b
 iodiversity-based products and services. However\, there is limited data p
 ublicly available on sustainable trade in biodiversity-based products and 
 services\, and the information available is not comparable and dispersed i
 n many different databases.\n\nIn September 2022\, the United Nations Conf
 erence on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s BioTrade Initiative and Stati
 stics Service launched the pioneer Trade and Biodiversity statistical tool
  (TraBio) as an initial step to enable open access to reliable trade-relat
 ed information on biodiversity-based products. TraBio applies a product cl
 assification of biodiversity-based products covering 1814 HS sub-headings\
 , a database on trade flow in these products and related indicators\, and
  a visualisation tool.\n\nWith the aim to improve collection of data and 
 analytical capacity for informed decision-making on trade in biodiversity-
 based products and support the monitoring and reporting under the SDGs and
  relevant processes such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Frame
 work\, UNCTAD convened the Informal Working Group of Experts on Trade and 
 Biodiversity Statistics.\n\nThe Informal Working Group is expected to conv
 ene four times between Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024\, mainly through hybrid
  and/or virtual meetings. These meetings aim to advance knowledge of trade
  and biodiversity statistics by discussing ways to enhance data collection
  and compilation (e.g.\, common definitions\, data gaps\, new data sources
  and technologies) and consider how the biodiversity-based goods data coul
 d best contribute to current initiatives and frameworks as an open-source 
 asset. Experts are invited to discuss progress towards a comprehensive tra
 de and biodiversity methodology and identify priorities and partners for t
 he development of statistics on biodiversity-based products.\n\nIn order t
 o kick-start the discussions\, UNCTAD’s BioTrade Initiative and Statisti
 cs Service organised an Informal lunch event on trade and biodiversity sta
 tistics on 17 October 2023.  At the event\, experts shared information on
  priorities and other relevant initiatives/events on biodiversity and trad
 e statistics as well as discussed the findings of a survey conducted to id
 entify relevant gaps and opportunities. This event was part of the Twentie
 th session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Joint 
 Task Force on Environmental Statistics Indicators.\n\nObjective\n\nThe fir
 st session of the Informal Working Group of Experts on Trade and Biodivers
 ity Statistics aims to:\n\n\nFinalise the Informal Working Group Terms of 
 Reference (ToR) based on the feedback received from members.\nExchange inf
 ormation on existing data sources\, databases and initiatives related to t
 rade and biodiversity statistics.\n\n\nThe output of the meeting will be a
  common understanding of the work to be undertaken by the members of the W
 orking Group\, as well as a mapping of the different data sources/database
 s and initiatives. We expect to focus on other priorities from the second 
 meeting\, such as finding bridges between different definitions and measur
 ements.\n\nWhat will take place?\n\nThe first session of the Informal Work
 ing Group will be organized virtually on 23 November 2023 from 13:00 to 14
 :30 CET.\n\nTarget audience\n\nThe event target members of the Informal Wo
 rking Group of Experts on Trade and Biodiversity Statistics.  \nMembershi
 p to the WG is open to all demonstrating expertise and interest in biodive
 rsity\, statistics and trade from developed and developing countries. It a
 ims to ensure a broad participation\, a balanced geographic and gender rep
 resentation. Participants will have experience on the topic being discusse
 d and agree with the Terms of Reference of the Informal Working Group. If 
 interested in joining or other related query\, kindly send an email to bio
 trade@un.org  with the Subject: Informal Working Group of Experts on Trad
 e and Biodiversity Statistics.\n\n \n\nThis event is organized as part of
  the Global BioTrade Programme “Linking trade\, biodiversity and sustain
 able development” with the financial support of the Swiss State Secretar
 iat for Economic Affairs SECO.\n\n \nhttps://unctad.org/project/global-bi
 otrade-facilitation-programme-linking-trade-biodiversity-and-sustainable\n
 \nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/first-meeting-inf
 ormal-working-group-trade-and-biodiversity-statistics
DTSTAMP:20260805T021801Z
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