7 February 2013
UNTT Releases Think Pieces on Trade Partnerships
story highlights

The UN Task Team for the Post-2015 Development Agenda (UNTT), along with several UN agencies, has released two new thematic think pieces, describing the challenges of the current multilateral trading system, and offering recommendations for enhanced trade partnerships for more inclusive development in the post-2015 agenda.

UN DESAJanuary 2013: The UN Task Team for the Post-2015 Development Agenda (UNTT), along with several UN agencies, has released two new thematic think pieces, describing the challenges of the current multilateral trading system, and offering recommendations for enhanced trade partnerships for more inclusive development in the post-2015 agenda.

Titled “Trade and Development and the Global Partnership beyond 2015” and “Trade in the Global Partnership for Development beyond 2015,” the papers highlight the need for a more equitable global trading system.

They focus on: limitations of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations; the development partnerships in the UN system’s Aid-for-Trade initiative (AFT); and the integration of least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing States (SIDS) into development partnerships. Both papers stress improved transparency, regulation, and inclusivity as important factors for creating sustained economic growth.

A need for coherence between trade and broader public policy goals also is emphasized, including within environmental and human rights frameworks. Gender-based trade evaluations are recommended to increase stakeholders’ commitments and funding for female training and education programmes.

The first piece was written by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), while the second was written with contributions from: UNCTAD, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

These papers are two of nine new Think Pieces published by the UNTT’s working group on the global partnership for development beyond 2015. The papers will be synthesized in a report to be published in March 2013. [Publication: Trade and Development and the Global Partnership beyond 2015] [Publication: Trade in the Global Partnership for Development beyond 2015] [UNTT Think Pieces] [UNTT Resources]

related posts