The UN Trade Forum 2023, hosted by UNCTAD on 8 and 9 May, will concentrate on designing trade policies that can help countries grow their economies, tackle pressing global challenges, and accelerate progress towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The forum will particularly focus on developing countries, which have been severely affected by multiple global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the climate emergency.
Over 100 trade experts, policymakers, international organization officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives will gather in Geneva and online to discuss policies and initiatives aimed at making trading systems more inclusive, environmentally friendly, and resilient. Topics to be covered include new opportunities in the ocean economy, promoting trade preferences among developing countries, ensuring equal benefits for women in e-commerce growth, and encouraging businesses and consumers to adopt more sustainable practices.
UNCTAD will launch its Trade and Environment Review 2023 during the two-day event, highlighting the potential of the ocean economy for developing countries to recover from current crises and build innovative, resilient economies. The forum will also explore the global system of trade preferences (GSTP) among developing countries, which has been rekindled with Brazil’s recent ratification.
Furthermore, the forum will showcase new analysis on competition and consumer protection policies for promoting sustainable practices and present a new study examining e-commerce from a gender and development perspective. Participants will discuss policies needed to ensure that digital technology and online trade growth benefits are shared equally between men and women. The forum’s discussions and report will contribute to key global events such as the Summit of the Future, COP28, and the World Trade Organization’s 13th ministerial conference.
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