17 July 2019: An event on the sidelines of the 2019 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) addressed the ways in which trade can contribute to equitable and sustainable development. The organizers – the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), known collectively as the Geneva Trade Hub agencies – launched a joint website to provide comprehensive information regarding progress on trade-related SDG targets.Yonov Frederick Agah, WTO, highlighted a report on the role of trade in SDG implementation. Agah said WTO reform can contribute to achieving sustainable development by advancing WTO negotiations, particularly on fisheries subsidies, as they impact social and environmental policies.

Isabelle Durant, UNCTAD, underscored the need to: adopt better regulations and policies; strengthen multilateralism; reinforce dispute settlement mechanisms; and address climate change impacts on trade. Marion Jansen, ITC, said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can have a positive impact on approximately 60% of the SDG targets.

Mauricio Trujillo, UN Major Group for Children and Youth, stressed the need to implement economic reforms to achieve the SDGs, including by changing how we evaluate economic growth. He recommended considering equity and human rights in trade regulations, and the effects of digitalization in trade rules.

Participants also: recalled the ways in which some countries, such as China, have benefited from free trade to achieve middle-income status; highlighted the Geneva Trade Hub agencies’ collaboration and investment in, for example, trade-related indicators; and agreed that strengthening multilateral systems to continue supporting the SDGs and to combat poverty, in particular, is critical.

The HLPF convened in New York, US, from 9-18 July 2019. [IISD RS Coverage of Trade and Sustainable Development Side Event] [Side events covered by IISD Reporting Services]