Trade integration provides many development opportunities, but its benefit for sustainable development is not automatic. Understanding and managing the risks that come with trade openness is not straightforward. It requires at least a conceptual understanding of the linkages between trade and the opportunities and threats it has on sustainable development. 

This workshop aims to enhance the general public and policymakers' understanding of the relationship between trade and SDGs. It gives a broad perspective on trade's enabling and disenabling roles in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Consumer-side trade measures and the SDGs: evidence and discussion

The world trading system continues to move in the direction of “tailored” agreements at bilateral, multilateral or regional levels. Agreements involving North-South trade increasingly come bundled with non-trade conditions concerning human rights, labor rights, governance, environment, and other issues. In return for meeting compliance conditions in these areas, developing countries gain preferential or tariff-free access to large markets such as the EU or the USA. Examples of such agreements include the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative. In other areas, regulations in purchasing countries have more direct impact. For example, the EU’s 2023 rules limiting imports of products associated with deforestation, land degradation or biodiversity loss pose a direct threat to exporters of palm oil products from exporters like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and thus to the communities that depend on those industries for their livelihood.

How well do these measures align with efforts to meet SDG targets in the developing world? Do they require tradeoffs among different SDG targets? What happens to SDG progress when preferential arrangements, such as EBA, are suspended? What are the possible, and feasible, policy responses in exporting countries? Our expert panel will confront these issues, drawing on their own extensive research and policy experience.  

Workshop format and content

The workshop consists of 15 pre-recorded modules (approximately 15 minutes each) and three interactive live sessions.

There will be 3 interactive live sessions:

• The first session on 24 November: The first live session provides an introduction to the online course. Participants will be introduced to the workshop structure and get familiarized with the tools used in this workshop on the ESCAP Community platform. For each module, participants should watch the video presentations, review supplemental materials and take the quizzes. The four introductory “A” modules and the first group of “B” modules (B.1.1, B.1.2 and B.1.3), at a minimum, should be completed before the second live session (November 27). All remaining modules should be completed before the third live session (November 29).
• The second session on 27 November: The second live session will discuss content and allow participants to ask questions. We will cover all parts of the course and welcome questions from participants. This session will also include a briefing on global rice markets by Dr. Joe Glauber (IFPRI), as well as live presentations and discussion by Dr. Yann Duval (ESCAP) and Dr. Alexey Kravchenko (ESCAP) on the subject of trade in agriculture and food products. There will be opportunity for live Q&A with the panelists.
• The third session on 29 November: The third live session will address topics covered in the entire course with particular focus on the remaining “B” modules. This session will also include a live panel discussion on the theme of consumer-side trade regulations (such as the Generalized System of Preferences) and their effects on progress toward SDG targets in the Asia-Pacific developing countries. Once again there will be opportunity for live Q&A with the panel.

Participants are requested to note down any feedback on the workshop for improvement. A UN ESCAP-IDE certificate of completion will be issued to each registered participant who completes all modules (A, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, C2) and passes the quizzes with at least 75% score, attends the live sessions, and provides feedback.

Access to the self-learning materials

To access the self-learning materials, please CLICK and register for the course on “Trade and Sustainable Development Goals” which is hosted on the ESCAP Community platform.

For more information about the course, please visit ESCAP E-learning course CLICK.

Access to the workshop

Register by 17 November 2023 at HERE