Abstract
How can we use efforts to rebuild trade after Covid-19 as an opportunity to encourage more sustainable and resilient global value chains that make sustainable production the ‘new normal,’ as envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
This multi-stakeholder panel will share experiences, lessons learned, new initiatives and practical efforts on the ground to promote more sustainable production through trade and value chains in sectors such as gold, seafood, forestry, coffee and clothing.
It will offer recommendations on where trade policy and standards can help enable, promote, and scale up more sustainable production, where updates to trade and broader economic rules are necessary, and what needs to be done to better support developing country producers.
The panel will also review the enabling role that innovation and new technologies, such as Blockchain, can play to enhance trust in sustainability claims and the prospect of stronger due diligence requirements for environmental performance across supply chains.
The session will draw on perspectives from international organizations, non-governmental organisations, the business community and government, with examples from countries as diverse as France, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
PANEL - Key Questions
- What are practical steps trade policy makers and regulators can take to encourage environmentally sustainable production?
- Are there updates to international rules that could smooth the transition to sustainability?
- What role does innovation and the rise of new technologies play in supporting this transition?
- What are some best practices and lessons learned from around the world?
Moderator
Elisabeth Tuerk, Director Economic Cooperation Trade Division, UNECE
Speakers:
- Maylis Souque, French Ministry of Economics and Finance, Secretary General to the National Contact Point to the OECD
- Kevin Wilkins, Senior Technical Advisor, Specialty Crops, ELAN DRC
- Gregory Mthembu-Salter, Political Economy and Conflict Analysis (PECA) Advisor, ELAN DRC
- Jason Clay, Senior Vice President & Executive Director, Markets Institute, WWF-UK
- Clara Brandi, Senior Researcher, German Development Institute
- Carolyn Deere Birkbeck, Associate Fellow, Chatham House Hoffmann Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy, and Senior Researcher, Graduate Institute, Geneva
AUDIENCE DISCUSSION - Guiding questions
- What was the measure that proved effective in supporting innovation for sustainable production and trade in key sectors for your country?
Registration link: https://genevatradeweek.ch/member-register/
Geneva Trade Week Agenda: https://genevatradeweek.ch/agenda/
Online Webex Link: To join on the day (1 October 2020)