Waves of COVID-19 are sweeping through the world with tragic and uneven effects on recovery paths, increasing inequalities, financial instabilities and disconnect from the real economies, and putting the importance of trade in securing essential goods and services in the spotlight.
It compels us to reconsider the interdependence of our nations and the need for solidarity if we want to leave no one behind in the process of putting an end to this pandemic that impacts everyone and derailed the achievements of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Though there is a lot that countries can do, especially those with fiscal space, many of these issues require global solutions and need to be tackled in a multilateral inclusive and resilient way, which can only be done by giving empowering the poor and those most heavily affected by the triple health, economic, and environmental crises. We cannot afford to waste another crisis and must seize the opportunity offered by the pandemic to rebuild our economic, financial, and governance systems to deliver prosperity for all people and the planet in accordance with the 2030 Agenda.
This UN high-level political forum side event serves as a pre-event to the fifteenth UNCTAD Ministerial Meeting (UNCTAD15) where UN Member States will review how development has evolved over time and across regions, propose ways to support developing countries through a revigorated multilateralism that boost sustainable development and support the decade of actions. Join us for this pre-event where we will explore systemic SDGs aligned solutions including the necessary transformations of finance, how to leave no one offline – given the breath-taking speed of digital transformation, reshape global value chains, and boost economic structural transformation and diversification, all of which leading to more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economic and trading systems.
Acting Secretary-General, Isabelle Durant will brief member states on UNCTAD 15, providing an overview of its programme and status of the negotiations of the outcome document, which provide a roadmap for UNCTAD’s work over the next four years.
The pre-event will also offer an opportunity for New York-based delegates to exchange with the Acting SG and explore better Geneva-New York linkages in the areas of international trade, finance, investment, technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development aiming to improve SDGs aligned solutions that address inequalities, asymmetries, and vulnerabilities, and reach prosperity for all – the theme of UNCTAD 15.
Join on your computer or mobile app: Click here to join the meeting
Join with a video conferencing device: unitevc@m.webex.com l Video Conference ID: 123 443 020 2
Alternate VTC dialing instructions l Learn More | Meeting options
Ms. Isabelle Durant, of Belgium, is Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD. From February to 12 September 2021, she headed the organization as Acting Secretary-General before the appointment of a new UNCTAD Secretary-General on 13 September 2021. Prior to holding this position, she served the organization for over three years as UNCTAD’s Deputy Secretary-General.
Ms. Durant had a distinguished career in Belgian and European politics. She held the offices of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Energy and Senator in the Belgian Government. She also served as Vice-President of the European Parliament and Presidency of the European Union Council of Ministers of Transport.
Ms. Durant has a wealth of experience collaborating with civil society and the private sector as well, notably as the Vice-President responsible for relations between the European Parliament and civil society. Finally, Ms. Durant has held posts as a senior consultant on the empowerment of women in local government for the UNDP and as a member of Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium.
Related
Event
Contact
Chantal Line Carpentier
Chief, New York Office of the Secretary General
UNCTAD
Chantal.Line.Carpentier@unctad.org
+1 917-710-5672
