PROMOTING
TRADE, INCLUSIVENESS AND
CONNECTIVITY
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
11-13 JULY 2017
Draft
Programme
2 OVERVIEW
The Aid for Trade Global Review 2017 looks at the theme of "Promoting Trade, Inclusiveness and
Connectivity for Sustainable Development". By addressing the supply-side capacity and traderelated infrastructure constraints of developing, and in particular least developed countries, Aid for
Trade can help promote trade, inclusiveness and sustainable development – and so advance the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A particular focus will be placed on women's economic
empowerment.
The Aid for Trade Global Review 2015 highlighted how high trade costs slow growth and
development by pricing many suppliers in developing and least developed countries out of global
markets. The 2017 Global Review develops this theme further by extending analysis of trade costs
into the area of digital connectivity. The Review will discuss the economic consequences of the
digital divide and strategies to help policymakers, firms, women and SMEs to bridge this divide.
One tool at the disposal of trade policymakers to reduce logistics trade costs is the WTO Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) that entered into force on 22 February 2017. The 2015 World Trade
Report outlined the inclusive trade outcomes that may be achieved though trade facilitation
reforms. This issue will be further examined during the 2017 Global Review.
Discussions will be informed by the Aid for Trade at a Glance report, published jointly by the World
Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, with
contributions from Business for eTrade Development, the Enhanced Integrated Framework, the
International Telecommunications Union, the International Trade Centre, the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development and the World Bank Group. Additional analysis will be
contributed by regional development banks and other stakeholders.
How to attend:
Register here before 26 June 2017.
Get involved:
Follow updates on WTO's social media channels. Watch the event live on the WTO website and
Facebook at @worldtradeorganization. Tweet your comments and questions at #aid4trade and
#connectivity. Follow @WTO.
3 DAY 1: TUESDAY, 11 JULY
9.30-11.30
OPENING PLENARY SESSION
Room – CR
PROMOTING TRADE, INCLUSIVENESS AND
CONNECTIVITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
11.30-13.00
Thematic Focus Session: SDGs
Room – W
11.30-12.30
Development Hub
Room – Atrium
11.30-13.00
Side event
Room – D
11.30-13.00
Side event
Room – E
Aid and inclusive trade:
financing trade connectivity and the SDGs
The Physical Dimension
to Digital Connectivity
Clicks need bricks:
Promoting trade through
quality infrastructure
Sustainable Tourism and
Trade Development
eTrade for All
UNWTO, EIF, ITC
Germany, WBG,
UNCTAD, ICTSD
13.00-14.30
Side event
Room – D
13.00-14.30
Side event
Room – S3
13.00-14.30
Side event
Room – S2
13.00-14.30
Side event
Room – E
13.00-14.30
Side event
Room – S1
Digital Trade: Taking
account of private sector
driven technologies and
approaches to facilitate
trade
Inclusiveness and
Connectivity of EU-ACP
Trade and Development
Co-operation
How can Aid for Trade
strengthen the
connectivity of SMEs to
green value chains?
Enhancing Connectivity
in the Bay of Bengal
Region and Beyond
EU, ACP
EBRD
Financing sustainable
transport infrastructure
and services as a key
enabler for South-South
trade: the role of
development finance
institutions
CUTS
Australia
14.30-16.00
Regional Focus Session
Room – CR
14.30-16.00
Regional Focus Session
Room – E
14.30-16.00
Regional Focus Session
Room – D
African Development
Bank/UNECA
Islamic Development Bank
Group
Asian Development Bank
UNCTAD, G-NEXID
14.30-16.00
Regional Focus Session
Room – W
Inter-American Development
Bank
16.00-17.30
Thematic Focus Session: LDCs
Room – CR
16.00-17.30
Development Hub
Room – Atrium
16.00-17.30
Side event
Room –E
16.00-17.30
Side event
Room – D
Promoting connectivity for least developed countries
Trade, refugees and
migrants: How trade can
unlock the economic
potential of people in
displacement
Aid for Trade Donor
Strategies and the SDGs
Structural
Transformation, Green
Economy and
Connectivity in the
African Union,
Germany
AUC
Sweden, ITC
17.30-19.00
Thematic Focus Session: Tourism
Room – W
17.30-19.00
Side event
Room – S2
17.30-19.00
Side event
Room – D
17.30-19.00
Side event
Room – E
Tourism and Travel Facilitation
and Connectivity
The need for ex-ante
gender assessment of
trade reforms: The Trade
and Gender Toolbox
New trends in digital
economy & connectivity,
innovation & assistance
Structuring of value
chains and aid for trade:
opportunities for
integration of actors
cotton-textile-clothingEurasia-Africa
United States
Sweden, UNCTAD]
OIF
19.00-21.00
WTO Garden
Social event
UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
4 DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, 12 JULY
9.30-11.00
PLENARY SESSION
CR
PROMOTING INCLUSIVE TRADE THROUGH GENDER EMPOWERMENT
11.00-12.30
Thematic Focus Session: TFA
Room – CR
11.00-12.30
Development Hub
Room – Atrium
11.00-12.30
Side event
Room – D
11.00-12.30
Side event
Room – E
Trade facilitation in action
Hacking the Pacific:
Bringing the Hackathon to
Aid for Trade
Enhancing connectivity
to Enable Graduation
with Momentum in LDCs
Academic Chair
Programme
Australia
12.30-14.00
Side event
Room – E
UNCTAD, COMSEC
12.30-14.00
Side event
Room – D
Maximizing inclusive
economic transformation
through gender-sensitive
trade policy
Connecting agriculture
and trade in LDCs
WTO
12.30-14.00
Side event
Room – CR
12.30-14.00
Side event
Room – W
Trade Facilitation
Africa's industrial
transformation: the
role of digital
connectivity and the
need for innovative
financing
EU, SIECA, IADB
UNIDO, WBG, ITU
14.00-15.00
Focus Session: The Gambia
Room – W
Aid for Trade
12.30-14.00
Side event
Room – S2
E-Commerce,
Connectivity and
Development
EIF, FAO
Chinese Taipei
Zambia
14.00-15.00
Development Hub
Room – Atrium
14.00-15.00
Side event
Room – S2
14.00-15.00
Side event
Room – D
Closing the Digital Gender
Divide
How can e-Ping improve
transparency on product
requirements and
promote SME
connectivity for export
markets?
Australia
15.00-16.30
Side event
Room – S1
Implementing trade
facilitation and paperless
trade for sustainable
growth
How can Asia seize the
opportunity of foreign
direct investment to
achieve inclusive
growth?
AsDB
16.30-18.00
Side event
Room – S3
Leveraging Trade
Facilitation and ECommerce
EIF impact report launch
Connecting African
Markets: Lowering trade
costs to expand exports
and the role of
transport, FDI and SEZs
Round Table for The Gambia
GSMA, eTrade for All
15.00-16.30
Thematic Focus Session: Standards & STDF
Room – S1
15.00-16.30
Side event
Room – E
"Trade and Food Standards"
Joint FAO-WTO publication launch
&
Side Event
Transitioning from paper-based to digital-based
SPS control systems
16.30-18.00
16.30-18.00
Side event
Side event
Room – CR
Room – E
Sustainable Supply Chains
Australia
16.30-18.00
Side event
Room – D
Promoting inclusive
economic transformation
through GVCs: aid for
trade and private
sustainability standards
Trade facilitation for a
More Inclusive and
Connected Asia-Pacific
Region: Progress and
Way Forward
From commodity
dependence to value
addition: Novel
approaches to inclusive
trade
Lesotho
AsDB, UNESCAP
ACP
EIF
UN Regional
Commissions
15.00-16.30
Side event
Room – CR
WCO, Finland
16.30-18.00
Side event
Room – S2
18.00-19.30
Thematic Focus Session: TFA
Room – Atrium
18.00-19.30
Side event
Room – D
18.00-19.30
Side event
Room – S1
International Growth
Centre
18.00-19.30
Side event
Room – S2
Trade Facilitation
Case Story Competition Finalists
Small states, big
challenges – the case of
the ACP region
CFTA: Ensuring Human
Rights in the Agriculture
Sector and for Informal
Cross-Border Traders
Fostering trade,
inclusivity, and
connectivity through
dimensions of PTAs
UNECA
UNESCAP
ACP
19.30-21.00
WTO Garden – Social Event
Trade Facilitation
5 DAY 3: THURSDAY, 13 JULY
9.30-10.45
PLENARY SESSION
Room – W
ENHANCING CONNECTIVITY AND ADVANCING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
11.00-13.00
CLOSING PLENARY SESSION
Room – CR
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