BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6ae666ac874fb
DTSTART:20250917T113000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20250917T124500Z
LOCATION:WTO Library\, Geneva\, Switzerland
SUMMARY:WTO Public Forum 2025 session: Unlocking Africa’s trade potential
  - boosting resilience through digital transformation and regional integra
 tion
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:The World Trade Organization (WTO) will hold its annual Public 
 Forum 2025 on 17 and 18 September in Geneva. Against this backdrop\, UN Tr
 ade and Development (UNCTAD) will host a dedicated session discussing its 
 flagship publication\, the Economic Development in Africa Report (EDAR) 20
 24\, “Unlocking Africa’s Trade Potential: Boosting Regional Markets an
 d Reducing Risks.”Considering that Africa’s trade potential remains la
 rgely untapped due to exposure to external shocks and underutilized region
 al value chains\, EDAR 2024 provides a data-driven lens on how African eco
 nomies can de-risk trade\, shift from commodity dependence and build long-
 term resilience through regional integration\, smart infrastructure and fi
 rm-level risk management strategies.This session will address Africa’s n
 eed to build resilience in the face of increasing global uncertainty. It s
 eeks to enhance African market connectivity by reinforcing intra-regional 
 trade linkages and strengthening firm-level capacity to withstand shocks.
  It also aims to create new avenues for trade diversification and value a
 ddition within Africa through regional value chain development. By highli
 ghting the importance of proactive risk mitigation and resilience planning
 \, the session speaks to the need to preserve the gains made in African tr
 ade integration despite overlapping global crises. Finally\, the session 
 links these African-led strategies to the broader global trade architectur
 e\, particularly ongoing WTO discussions on trade facilitation\, digital t
 rade and inclusive governance mechanisms.H.E. Mrs. Fancy Chepkemoi Too\, P
 ermanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations Off
 ice in Geneva\, together with Prof. Wim Naudé of RWTH Aachen University w
 ill lead the discussion.&lt\;p&gt\;The World Trade Organization (WTO) will
  hold its annual Public Forum 2025 on 17 and 18 September in Geneva. Again
 st this backdrop\, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will host a dedicated
  session discussing its flagship publication\, the Economic Development in
  Africa Report (EDAR) 2024\, &lt\;em&gt\;“Unlocking Africa’s Trade Pot
 ential: Boosting Regional Markets and Reducing Risks.”&lt\;/em&gt\;&lt\;
 /p&gt\;&lt\;p&gt\;Considering that Africa’s trade potential remains larg
 ely untapped due to exposure to external shocks and underutilized regional
  value chains\, EDAR 2024 provides a data-driven lens on how African econo
 mies can de-risk trade\, shift from commodity dependence and build long-te
 rm resilience through regional integration\, smart infrastructure and firm
 -level risk management strategies.&lt\;/p&gt\;&lt\;p&gt\;This session will
  address Africa’s need to build resilience in the face of increasing glo
 bal uncertainty. It seeks to enhance African market connectivity by reinfo
 rcing intra-regional trade linkages and strengthening firm-level capacity 
 to withstand shocks.&amp\;nbsp\;&lt\;/p&gt\;&lt\;p&gt\;It also aims to cre
 ate new avenues for trade diversification and value addition within Africa
  through regional value chain development.&amp\;nbsp\;&lt\;/p&gt\;&lt\;p&g
 t\;By highlighting the importance of proactive risk mitigation and resilie
 nce planning\, the session speaks to the need to preserve the gains made i
 n African trade integration despite overlapping global crises.&amp\;nbsp\;
 &lt\;/p&gt\;&lt\;p&gt\;Finally\, the session links these African-led strat
 egies to the broader global trade architecture\, particularly ongoing WTO 
 discussions on trade facilitation\, digital trade and inclusive governance
  mechanisms.&lt\;/p&gt\;&lt\;p&gt\;H.E. Mrs. Fancy Chepkemoi Too\, Permane
 nt Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations Office in
  Geneva\, together with Prof. Wim Naudé of RWTH Aachen University will le
 ad the discussion.&lt\;/p&gt\;\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unct
 ad.org/meeting/wto-public-forum-2025-session-unlocking-africas-trade-poten
 tial-boosting-resilience-through
DTSTAMP:20261031T220740Z
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END:VCALENDAR