Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference

The Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference will take place from 14 to 16 October 2021, in Beijing, China. It will bring together representatives of Governments, UN system and other international organizations, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to discuss opportunities, challenges and solutions towards achieving sustainable transport worldwide and indicate a way forward for sustainable transport to help achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change in the Decade of Action.

The Conference programme, link to registration, related concept notes and other background documentation are available on the Conference website: un.org/en/conferences/transport2021

Due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the Conference will be held in a “hybrid format” with virtual and in-person participation. The in-person participation will be limited to delegations and other participants who are already in Beijing. Registration for in-person participation is open from 1 September to 1 October 2021 at the link above.

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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 Migration, please visit ngo-migration.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.

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.

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.

[registration deadline] Course on non-tariff measures and their relevance to the pandemic

The UNCTAD secretariat is pleased to inform the permanent missions of member States in Geneva that the UNCTAD Trade Analysis Branch will organize the first edition of an online course on economic analysis of non-tariff measures of 2021. This edition of the course will be held from 4 October to 19 November 2021.

The objective of this course is to introduce the main empirical approaches used to assess the impact of non-tariff measures on bilateral trade flows. The course targets audiences who are working in trade and/or development field, such as government officials, researchers and representatives of the private sector. We especially encourage participants who want to strengthen their understanding of non-tariff measures, use non-tariff measures data and/or who are or may be involved in the design or negotiation of policies related to non-tariff measures. The course may also be of benefit to participants involved in the regulatory cooperation and harmonization of non-tariff measures across countries/sectors and participants involved in the resolution of trade frictions related to non-tariff measures.

A limited number of applications will be considered from the stakeholders of developed countries. Qualified women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should apply by following the instructions available at research.net/r/EconNTMs. The deadline for applications is 26 September 2021.

To obtain assistance with the online application process, please contact elearningtrade@un.org. Requests for further information or clarifications about the course may be sent to Ms. Chi Le Ngo, Trade Analysis Branch, UNCTAD Division on International Trade and Commodities; email: ntm.training@unctad.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-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org.

Climate Investment Summit 2021: Accelerating Green Investments

Climate Investment Summit 2021 is a leading summit aimed at increasing investments in climate and green recovery – built on the experience of practitioners, best practice business models and cross-sector collaboration.

Read full program here.

The Climate Investment Summit is a pivotal milestone in the Climate Investment Coalition’s investment roadmap leading to a historical COP26 and beyond. The Summit will showcase the UK’s leading global position, commitment to net zero and the investment opportunities that this provides across the whole of the UK to catalyse billions of pounds of investment for the Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution.

Participate virtually here: climateinvestmentsummit.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 the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. 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.

UNCTAD Trade and Development Board 32nd special session

The thirty-second special session of the Trade and Development Board will start on Monday, 6 September 2021 in hybrid format. The session will open at 10 a.m. in room XVIII of the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The provisional agenda for the session, together with the secretariat’s annotations thereto, will be contained in document TD/B(S-XXXII)/1.

Nominations and participation

Registration should be completed online and is required in order to be included in the list of participants. To register, please use the following link: Thirty-second special session. Other participants (i.e. representatives of members of UNCTAD that are not members of the Board and representatives of specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental bodies wishing to attend as observers) are also eligible to participate in the session as observers and should register online by the same date using the link above. Any enquiries concerning registration should be sent to the UNCTAD secretariat, Intergovernmental Support Service, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10; email: meetings@unctad.org.

Logistics

Preparations to organize the meeting through a remote simultaneous interpretation platform with the six official languages of the United Nations are at an advanced stage. The link to the formal virtual meeting will be sent to the email address used for registration one day in advance of the start of the session.

Further information and contact details

Questions on preparations for the thirty-second special session of the Trade and Development Board should be addressed to Lisanne Losier, Deputy Secretary of the Trade and Development Board, Intergovernmental Support Service, email: correspondence@unctad.org; tel.: 41 22 917 4054.

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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 Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. 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.

South-South Sharing of Experiences in Macro-Financial Policies for Structural Transformation

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

Meeting the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is inextricably linked with the process of structural transformation. Macroeconomic and financial policies are a key area in which many developing countries face limitations in their capacity to effectively design, manage, coordinate, implement, and evaluate the policy levers of structural transformation. South-South sharing of experiences, including by drawing lessons from success stories such as China’s development strategy, can help to address this shortcoming and assist national capacity-building.

China’s successful development experience over the past 40 years has been based on a pragmatic, gradual and experimental approach to development. Many other developing countries adopted policy strategies that emphasize reducing state influence over key macroeconomic policy levers such as exchange rates and interest rates, combined with broad-based liberalization and privatization at the sectoral level. This latter approach did not result in structural transformation. As such, China’s experience may act as a reference point from which other developing countries can assess alternative economic policy options that are consistent with their own objectives for structural transformation and adapted to their own specific circumstances.

This webinar looks at macroeconomic and financial policies from a comparative cross-country perspective. It aims at fostering a better understanding of the key macroeconomic and financial policy challenges that developing countries face and the extent to which China’s development strategy, trajectory and dynamics can inform other countries’ macroeconomic and financial policy strategies.

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ryV6dH_4SsKEuaGb7o44tw

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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.

World Youth Skills Day

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day, to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. Since then, World Youth Skills Day events have provided a unique opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, firms, employers’ and workers’ organizations, policymakers and development partners.

World Youth Skills Day 2021 will take place in a challenging context, with the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in the widespread disruption of the TVET sector. While vaccination rollouts offer some hope, TVET still has a long road to recovery, especially in those countries which continue to be overwhelmed by the spread of the disease. Youth skills development will face a range of unfamiliar problems emerging from a crisis where training has been disrupted in an unprecedented manner on a virtually universal scale.

Young people aged 15-24 are particularly exposed to the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. School and workplace closures are leading to learning and training losses. Major life-cycle transitions are made difficult if not impossible, including graduation from general education or TVET at secondary or tertiary level, residential autonomy, and labour market insertion.

TVET has a key role to play in fostering the resilience of young people. It is crucial for all stakeholders to ensure the continuity of skills development and to introduce training programmes to bridge skills gaps. Solutions need to be reimagined in a way that considers not only the realities of the present, but also the full range of possibilities for the future.

To learn more about how and why the UN commemorates this day, check out un.org/en/observances/world-youth-skills-day.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity, please email the vice chair at susanneseperson@gmail.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Children’s Rights-NY, please visit childrightsny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

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