Greening Aid for Trade: Future priorities and pathways for a just transition to sustainable trade

The Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS), in collaboration with IISD, CUTS International Geneva, and the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, held a virtual session on "Greening Aid for Trade: Priorities and pathways for a just transition to sustainable trade” from 17:30 to 19:00 CEST on Thursday, July 28, 2022 during the 2022 Aid for Trade Global Review (July 27-29 2022) in Geneva. 

As governments and stakeholders work to promote the massive economic transformations that sustainability requires, trade and trade policy have a critical role to play. Amidst growing pressure for increased action on urgent global crises of biodiversity, climate, and pollution, there are also calls to “green” the global economy and trade. To support developing countries in a just transition to more sustainable trade, Aid for Trade has a key role to play in ensuring that trade serves all three dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social and environmental.

The importance of trade-related capacity building and technical assistance on matters of sustainability, including its environmental dimensions, is a recurring theme of discussions in the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment and its Committee on Trade and Development. In the Ministerial outcome document from the recent 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, members highlighted the importance of providing relevant support to developing country members, especially LDCs, to achieve sustainable development, including through technological innovations. In December 2021, the importance of Aid for Trade was also highlighted in Ministerial Statements on Trade and Environmental Sustainability (cosponsored by 74 WTO members) and on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (cosponsored by 72 WTO members). 

As WTO Members and stakeholders review progress to date and prepare the Aid for Trade (A4T) work program for 2022 onward, focused attention on how best to strengthen A4T and cooperation on environmental issues as a key pillar of sustainable trade will be critical to advancing a green, resilient and inclusive global economy.

Speakers:

• H.E. Chad Blackman, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations Office and other international organizations at Geneva
• H.E. Simon Manley, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
• H.E. Usha Chandnee Dwarka-Canabady, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mauritius to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva (tbc)
• H.E. Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Permanent Mission of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the WTO
• Carolyn Deere Birkbeck, Director, Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS)
• Steven Stone, Deputy Director, Economy Division, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Yasmin Ismail, Programme Officer, CUTS International Geneva

Moderators: 

• Alice Tipping, Lead, Sustainable Trade and Fisheries Subsidies IISD
• Rashid Kaukab, Executive Director, CUTS International Geneva