Perspectives and approaches to sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery | CTE Side Event

About the Event

The ongoing pandemic has shown how deeply interconnected the world is and how global challenges require global response. The economic and trade impact on many developing countries, especially the LDCs and small and vulnerable economies, has been severe. Countries are urgently planning how to finance the recovery and how to direct the stimulus packages to benefit the society the best possible way.

Trade is a key contributor to recovery: it plays an essential role in economic development and is an engine for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The investments made now to boost the recovery will determine the direction of the economies for decades to come. Sustainable recovery measures are essential in rebuilding the economies in a way that also helps to tackle climate change. The session will tentatively examine the following questions:

• How are countries rebuilding the economies and societies after the crisis and what kind of recovery approaches are there?
• How should the recovery packages/finance, trade and other policy measures be designed in order to better support sustainable recovery and tackle climate change?
• What could sustainable, better recovery look like and how could trade policy and  recovery measures support or advance transition to circular economy?

Speakers

• Bernice Lee, Research Director and Hoffmann Distinguished Fellow for Sustainability, Chatham House (moderator)
• Pekka Morén, Special Representative, Ministry of Finance, Finland
• Saara Tamminen, Leading Specialist, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra
• Jocelyne Landry Tsonang, Executive Team Member, African Circular Economy Network (ACEN)
• Brian O´Callaghan, Researcher, the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE), University of Oxford
• Concluding remarks: Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, WTO
• Additional speakers may be confirmed.

Registration

Please register on WTO Zoom platform.