UNCTAD and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) organized a UNFCCC COP22 side-event on "Supporting green sectors in Islamic countries: National Green Export Reviews", wherein they announced their collaboration in launching a National Green Export Review for Senegal in 2017.
Opening the event, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) noted the Bank's demonstrated commitment to supporting member states to build national capacity on trade and its plans to assist them in seizing new export opportunities in regional and global markets for green products.
The Bank emphasized its distinct South-South approach to technical assistance and called upon members with developed capacities to work with the Bank to transfer know-how and experience in the area of trade in green goods to other members in the future.
The side-event served to introduce UNFCCC delegates and representatives of international organizations to UNCTAD's National Green Export Review (NGER) methodology and informed participants of practical results from NGER projects underway in Morocco and Oman.
National Green Export Reviews (NGERs) are UNCTAD's response to emerging country demand for assessments of national potential to advance the development of national green sectors to generate new employment and export opportunities while promoting sustainable development.
- COP 22 Side Event on National Green Economy Reviews, in cooperation with Islamic Development Bank (14 November 2016)
National experts from the latter countries described their rationale for focusing their efforts on particular green products and sectors of national comparative advantage.
Both emphasized the importance of including a wide range of national stakeholders in their NGER projects to gain practical insights into sectoral challenges and to secure stakeholder participation in the validation and implementation of national actions to increase and diversify production and export in green sectors.
They further summarized the social and environmental benefits that would accompany export growth, especially in rural communities.
Following questions from the floor and discussion, the IsDB announced that it would provide financial support for an NGER in Senegal where national authorities have expressed their interest in pursuing a project not only to gain commercial benefits but also to strengthen implementation of Senegal's nationally determined contributions ( NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
Both the Bank and UNCTAD said that they looked forward to their collaboration in supporting Senegal with its NGER beginning in early 2017.
