green economy

UNCTAD Gender and Development Forum

UNCTAD Gender and Development Forum

Participation:

The two events are open to all member States of UNCTAD and to observers from the public. Speakers will include ministers and practitioners and representatives of civil society, the private sector and academia from all regions of the world. Registration for the Forum should be completed online at https://indico.un.org/event/1000156/.

The two UNCTAD-led events of the Forum will be held with remote participation, with simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish. These events will also be streamed live, in English only. Registration for these events should be completed online as follows:

High-level panel: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gQjtXzMWQ9KnO9zbBl–Nw

Workshop: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BVKquoVASfCy9xqNmKmRbg

High-level panel discussion: Shaping gender-responsive economies and societies – What role for trade?

27 September 2021, 4–6.30 p.m. (CEST)

This high-level panel will be results-oriented. Speakers will share their experiences in dealing with gender and economic issues. They will present the goals achieved and the shortcomings faced during their journeys, whether in policymaking, advocacy, business or research. They will also provide concrete ideas of how the work of UNCTAD with regard to trade and gender may further contribute to the goal of empowering women and creating equal opportunities for all in the current social and economic environment.

Session I: Gender equality and trade policymaking – The role of bilateral, regional and global trade policy initiatives alongside domestic policies

Session II: Essay competition on trade and gender

Session III: Trade as a driver of gender equality in the post-pandemic recovery – Perspectives from civil society, the private sector and academia

Closing: Gender and trade at UNCTAD – Future prospect

Gender and development workshop: Our work makes a difference

28 September 2021, 4–6.30 p.m. (CEST)

This workshop will showcase the impacts of hands-on activities conducted by UNCTAD to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the fields of trade and gender, trade facilitation, data and statistics, electronic commerce and entrepreneurship. It will also provide for concrete directions for the future role of UNCTAD in contributing to the goal of empowering women and creating equal opportunities for all, given the current social and economic environment

Session I: UNCTAD capacity-building initiative on trade and gender

Session II: Gender perspectives in trade facilitation reforms

Session III: Better data for gender inclusive trade policy

Session IV: eTrade for Women

Session V: Women’s entrepreneurship

For enquiries related to the programmes, please contact Ms. Simonetta Zarrilli, Chief, Trade, Gender and Development Programme, Division on International Trade and Commodities, email: simonetta.zarrilli@unctad.org. For enquiries related to registration and logistics, please contact gender@unctad.org.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit  ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org

UNCTAD Civil Society Forum

The hosting of UNCTAD 15 in October of 2021, by a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) offers a critical opportunity to ground the discussions in the present and future realities and prospects of the most vulnerable countries and their populations.

The theme of UNCTAD 15, From Inequality and Vulnerability to Prosperity for All, provides a platform to re-energize and refocus development efforts and commitments. It also presents a unique opportunity for member states to respond strategically by reinforcing the value of multilateralism and providing a renewed mandate for a strengthened UNCTAD.

This Civil Society Forum is intended to contribute to the transformative discourse that needs to take place to address some of the systemic and structural inequalities in the trade and development space. The Day 3 agenda includes:

Closing

14:45-15:00 (CEST) • 08:45–09:00 (AST)

Speakers:

  • Ms. Kozel Peters-Frazer, Caribbean Policy Development Centre and host country civil society coordinating organization
  • Ms. Arlette Verploegh, UNCTAD
  • Ms. Shantal Munro-Knight, Barbados UNCTAD15 Civil Society Forum Lead

Solidarity and system change are the only way forward to overcome the global economic, health, and human rights crisis: feminist perspectives from Asia and the Pacific

15:05–16:20 (CEST) • 09:05–10:20 (AST) | side event organized by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development

Exploring the divide between the global north and south

15:05–16:20 (CEST) • 09:05–10:20 (AST) | side event organized by Tax Justice Network Africa

Sustainable solutions to debt crisis, the role of UNCTAD 

16:25–17:40 (CEST) • 10:25–11:40 (AST) | side event organized by the Global Policy Forum

How do we build a just recovery from the COVID crisis?

16:25–17:40 (CEST) • 10:25–11:40 (AST) | side event organized by Friends of the Earth International

Discussion on the Civil Society Declaration

17:40–19:40 (CEST) • 11:40–13:40 (AST) | The session will provide for discussion and confirmation of the Civil Society Declaration. The Caribbean Policy Development Centre is the host country civil society organization.

Access the sessions here: wtvglobal.6connex.eu/event/UNCTAD15-Barbados/login

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com.

NIFEA e-conference “Degrowth – Living Sufficiently and Sustainably”

Dear friends,

Warm greetings from Geneva. On behalf of our Economic and Ecological Justice Programme, please consider yourselves invited to attend the upcoming

Online NIFEA (New International Financial and Economic Architecture) E-Conference on “Degrowth – Living Sufficiently and Sustainably”

Taking place on Friday 1st October 2021, from 10:00-12:00 CEST and from 14:00-16:00 CEST

For additional information, please see the following link: https://www.oikoumene.org/events/nifea-e-conference-degrowth-living-sufficiently-and-sustainably 

Please register for Session 1: https://bit.ly/3EEquQ0

Please register for Session 2: https://bit.ly/3hSxnU8

Interpretation into Spanish will be available for Session 2.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com.

Panel Discussion on Deepening Inequalities Exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic and their Implications for the Realization of Human Rights

Join us at HRC48 for this half-day panel discussion on 28 September from 15:00 to 17:00 CET.

Background documents, the concept note and full agenda are available here: ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Panel_Discussion_Inequalities_COVID19.aspx

Date and venue:

Tuesday, 28 September 2021, 3 to 5 p.m. Room XX, Palais des Nations, Geneva and online platform (Zoom)

To be webcast live and archived at http://webtv.un.org

Objectives:

As States work to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic, this panel discussion will address inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic and their implications for the realization of human rights. This discussion aims to identify ways to alleviate inequality within and among States by sharing best practices, solutions to challenges and lessons learned, including in the context of integrated approaches to the promotion and protection of human rights and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – paying particular attention to Goal 10 on reducing inequality. The meeting will also address the role of greater international cooperation in further reducing inequalities within and among States.

The objectives are:

  • To highlight and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the goal to reduce inequality, with a particular emphasis on the requirement of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health to eliminate vaccine inequality. Recognition that no one is safe until everyone is safe will also be looked at from a human rights perspective as will the necessity of vaccine equality in promoting and protecting all human rights;
  • To identify the role of the promotion and protection of human rights and technical cooperation in setting priorities and addressing gaps in the global vaccine roll out. The focus will be on the importance of the human rights approach in addition to the moral and ethical case;
  • To understand how to better use the United Nations human rights mechanisms to advance vaccine equality as a necessary step in the promotion and protection of all human rights and how to provide technical cooperation in this regard;
  • To address how the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the digital divide – using education to illustrate how the divide detrimentally affects the realisation of human rights – and to engage in a constructive dialogue among States and other stakeholders about sharing good practices and experience with regard to overcoming the digital divide and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all;
  • To identify concrete steps for building back better, including by reversing the impact of austerity and economic inequalities and realising a human rights-based economy.

Organized by:

Development Economic Social issues Branch
Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org.

From UNGA to COP26 & Beyond: The Future of Climate Governance

The recent Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows that the world has little chance to achieve agreed climate change mitigation targets in our lifetimes given the continued degradation of the environment.
The climate action timelines of many nations are not ambitious enough and current global governance approaches remain weak, lack accountability mechanisms, and are fragmented and siloed. Against this backdrop, this UNGA side event will discuss what new approaches and governance innovations might the international community wish to consider, as a matter of priority for climate action? And what strategies can be considered to ensure that these innovations are implemented?
Speakers:
  • Maja Groff, Convenor, Climate Governance Commission
  • Richard Ponzio, Senior Fellow and Director, Global Governance, Justice and Security Program at the Stimson Center, and Member of the Climate Governance Commission
  • Jimena Leiva Roesch, Senior Fellow and Head of Peace and Sustainable Development at the International Peace Institute, and Member of the Climate Governance Commission
  • Arunabha Ghosh, CEO at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, Member of the Climate Governance Commission
  • Dhabia Al-Mohannadi, Professor, Texas A&M University at Qatar
  • Katharine Rietig, Associate Professor in International Politics at Newcastle University, and Member of the Climate Governance Network
  • Michael Collins, Executive Director for the Americas at the Institute for Economics and Peace
  • Magnus Jiborn, Head of Research, Global Challenges Foundation and Member of the Climate Governance Commission

Moderator: Adriana Erthal Abdenur, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Plataforma CIPÓ and Member of the Climate Governance Commission

Event Co-Sponsors: Climate Governance Commission⎯Global Challenges Foundation, the Stimson Center, Global Governance Forum, Global Governance Innovation Network, Group of Women Leaders for Change & Inclusion, CIVICUS, Doha Forum, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, Plataforma CIPÓ, Baha’i International Community, International Environment Forum, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung New York Office, We The Peoples Campaign, Together First, ACUNS, Common Home of Humanity, the Institute for Economics and Peace, and the Coalition for the UN We Need

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org.

Sixth Annual SDG Business Forum

The sixth annual SDG Business Forum will take place virtually on Wednesday, 22 September 2021 from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM, EDT in conjunction with Uniting Business LIVE, during the High-Level week of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Co-hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the UN Global Compact, SDG Business Forum is one of the largest annual gatherings of business leaders at the United Nations.

It offers a unique opportunity to drive pivotal momentum towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and leveraging the power of the private sector in co-creating lasting solutions for some of the most critical issues of our times, such as sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; climate change and nature loss; social inequality and economic exclusion. This year’s event will be closely related to the themes of several United Nations conferences in 2021, including the High-Level Dialogue on Energy, the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, while building momentum for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Confirmed speakers for the 2021 programme include the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit Dr. Agnes Kalibata, HRH Princess Noura Turki Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Honorable Prime Minister of Fiji Mr. Commodore Josaia V. Bainimarama and several senior ministers from Member States, as well as prominent business leaders such as Executive Chairman of Mastercard Mr. Ajay Banga, Executive Director of ITC Ms. Pamela Coke Hamilton, CEO of Alecta Mr. Magnus Billing, Chairperson and CEO of Kokusai Kogyo Ms. Sandra Wu, CEO of GIST Advisory Mr. Pavan Sukhdev, among others.

Registration

Registration for the SDG Business Forum can be accessed through the Uniting Business Live digital venue. One day access to the SDG Business Forum is complimentary. Participants from Governments, UN System, civil society organizations and other stakeholder groups also have the option to sign up for complimentary access to all three days of Uniting Business Live with the code DESAGUEST.

For more information on the event, topics, and confirmed speakers, please visit the SDG Business Forum webpage: http://sdgbusinessforum.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org

Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2021: Demanding Justice Beyond Rhetoric

Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have exacerbated rather than reduced global inequalities. The most visible example of this is the global disparity in the distribution of vaccines. So far more than 60 percent of people in high-income countries have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but less than 2 percent have done so in low-income countries. In view of this dramatic disparity, the “leave no one behind” mantra of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains hollow. In fact, the vested interests of economic elites continue to dominate political decision-making. Given the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis and the other unresolved global problems, most notably the climate emergency, it is high time for transformative policies, strategies and structural changes.

This year’s Spotlight on Sustainable Development Report describes the highly uneven socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis and analyses the policy responses to it. It explores beyond the rhetoric, highlighting deepening inequalities, self-serving and hypocritical policies and governance failures at national and international level. Addressing the imbalance in global vaccine production and distribution, the report also examines a few key areas where political and structural changes are necessary to correct the limited and asymmetric recovery. With this virtual launching event, we will present key findings of the report.

Brief snapshots by:

  • K.M. Gopakumar, Third World Network
  • Vanita Mukherjee, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
  • Roberto Bissio, Social Watch

Policy conclusions by:

  • Kate Donald, Center for Economic and Social Right
  • Daria Cibrario, Public Services International (PSI)
  • Isabel Ortiz,Global Social Justice

Moderators:

  • Bodo Ellmers, Global Policy Forum
  • María Graciela Cuervo, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)

Register here: rsvp.globalpolicy.org/report-launch-spotlight-on-sustainable-development-2021-demanding-justice-beyond-rhetoric.

Participants will receive the login details one day before the event. Further information on the Spotlight Report 2021 will be available shortly at www.2030spotlight.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit congocsd.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

Reclaiming Industrial Policy: Putting Policymaking Theory into Practice

UNCTAD15 pre-event:

Reclaiming Industrial Policy – Putting Policymaking Theory into Practice

Event co-organized with the OECD Development Centre

This webinar is the fourth of a four-part webinar series aimed at assessing what the emerging new consensus around industrial policymaking means and involves, particularly for developing countries. Tapping into the expertise of the recently launched Oxford Handbook on Industrial Policy and using the case studies offered by the Productive Transformation Policy Reviews (PTPRs), this fourth webinar will explore how the key principles that characterize the “new consensus” enshrined in the handbook shall be put into practice in countries that differ along several economic, political and social dimensions, and that face very different constraints.

Purpose and key objectives

The purpose of this event is to discuss how the key principles that characterize the “new consensus” around industrial policymaking enshrined in the Oxford Handbook on Industrial Policy shall be put into practice in countries that differ along several economic, political and social dimensions, and that face very different constraints. The case studies offered by the UNCTAD initiatives such as the PTPRs will serve as an anchor for the more general debate. The event will also represent the closure of a series of webinars that, tapping into the expertise of the recently launched Oxford Handbook on Industrial Policy, explore some of the challenges and areas of debate around industrial policy making.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4wJBII2oR8iiN1vMKMDMrg

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org

9th Global Commodities Forum: Strengthening resilience in commodity dependent countries

Ninth Global Commodities Forum: Strengthening resilience in commodity dependent countries

The Global Commodities Forum will be held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, with physical and remote participation, from 13 to 15 September 2021. It will commence at 3pm on Monday, 13 September 2021. The ninth meeting of the Global Commodities Forum is jointly organized by UNCTAD and the Government of Barbados, in collaboration with their partners. It is held in the lead up to the 15th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, hosted by Barbados, to be held with remote participation from 3 to 7 October 2021 and the theme of which is “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all.”

The Global Commodities Forum is a major multi-stakeholder meeting, at which participants can discuss pragmatic solutions to perennial problems in the commodity economy. It offers a unique platform at which to debate issues at the intersection of commodities and development, including food security, water management, the transition from fossil fuels and the greening of the mining sector. The theme of the 2021 Global Commodities Forum is “Strengthening resilience in commodity dependent countries.” Responding effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting development needs in the context of accelerating climate change processes are challenging many commodity dependent developing countries. How countries will adapt to a constantly evolving environment depends on their capacity to promote innovative economic and social development programmes. In this regard, international cooperation is crucial. The Global Commodities Forum will connect policymakers with practitioners to address current challenges and future opportunities for commodity dependent economies.

The Global Commodities Forum will help to frame international policy discussions on commodities, highlighting challenges and opportunities for developing countries, in particular commodity dependent developing countries. In this regard, four thematic sessions and a high-level round table will be organized. On day 1, the first session will be dedicated to agriculture, with a focus on the policy actions required to ensure food security, and the second session will examine the challenges related to access to water in the twenty-first century. On day 2, the third and fourth sessions will examine issues related to energy commodities and minerals, with a focus on energy transitions. On day 3, a high-level round table will be held on strengthening resilience.

Register & view the full program, including speaker biographies, here: unctad15.org/commodities-forum.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com

SDG Investment Fair: Facilitating Private Investment for SDG Impact [registration deadline]

Facilitating Private Investment for SDG Impact | 28 – 29 September 2021 

The SDG Investment (SDGI) Fair is a platform for scaling up investment in sustainable development by facilitating direct interaction between representatives of governments of developing countries, private sector and multilateral agencies.

The Fair is evolving from an annual event to a year-round program. The September 2021 Fair seeks to introduce new countries to the SDGI Fair program and to increase interaction between investors and participating countries. Three countries will have a chance to present their projects to potential investors.

The event will also feature one-on-one matchmaking sessions between the investors and countries, online investor exchanges, knowledge sharing and capacity building.

Further details, including the participating countries and event’s agenda, will be published at a later date. However, registration is now open.

Please register here: cognitoforms.com/UNDESA1/September2021SDGInvestmentFair2?v2

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org.

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