Trade and vulnerability

The Trade and Development Commission

1. Reiterates the importance of international trade as a key means of economic growth, poverty eradication and implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals, and calls upon UNCTAD to continue to assist developing countries to gain benefits from their participation in it;
    
2. Reaffirms the importance of a non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive, rules-based multilateral trading system that supports sustainable development;
    
3. Recognizes the importance of incorporating a gender perspective in the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and the key role that gender-responsive trade policies can play in realizing the social and economic targets embodied in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and requests the UNCTAD secretariat to continue its efforts to mainstream gender into its work;
    
4. Stresses the importance of synergies between UNCTAD, the relevant organizations of the United Nations system and the World Trade Organization, within their respective mandates and resources, with regard to inclusive international trade, with a view to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no one behind;
    
5. Acknowledges the note on trade and vulnerability, and underlines that vulnerability can challenge the developmental path of all developing countries;
    
6. Welcomes the first-ever United Nations Trade Forum: Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change, on 9–13 September 2019, as a new platform to explore options to accelerate the design and implementation of trade and climate-resilient policies and measures in developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable;
    
7. Calls upon the UNCTAD secretariat to continue its work on trade and development while keeping in mind the impact of climate change, disasters and natural catastrophes as cross‑cutting issues;
    
8. Calls upon UNCTAD to continue supporting developing countries, in particular structurally weak and vulnerable small economies, to build resilient economies by supporting their trade diversification efforts;
    
9. Notes with concern the weak participation in the value chain of local producers of certain commodities, and highlights the importance of cooperation between private and public sector and other stakeholders to enhance their participation in global value chains;
    
10. Recalls the commitment by the international community in the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, and reaffirms that small island developing States remain a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities, and that they remain constrained in meeting their sustainable development goals, reaffirming the commitment to strengthening cooperation with and support to small island developing States in the context of sustainable development, in line with their national development strategies and priorities;
     
11. Welcomes UNCTAD research on commodity dependence and its implications for development;
     
12. Expresses concern about rising uncertainties regarding future trade prospects in light of tensions in trade relations among countries and rising protectionism which negatively affect international trade flows, and place the multilateral trading system at risk, and highlights the importance of multilateralism;
     
13. Calls upon the UNCTAD secretariat to continue to monitor and report on trade trends and trade policy, including tensions affecting the multilateral trading system;
     
14. Further calls upon the UNCTAD secretariat to continue its analysis of the contribution of international trade to sustainable development in the context of environmental vulnerabilities and rising inequalities within and between countries;
     
15. Recognizes the relevance of, inter alia, environmental and economic vulnerabilities in determining finance access for developing countries;
     
16. Commends the in-depth policy research and analysis conducted by the UNCTAD secretariat on trade and sustainable development and its innovative work on emerging issues, including the gender impact of trade reforms, and encourages the UNCTAD secretariat to continue its work;
     
17. Notes with appreciation the capacity-building initiatives carried out by the UNCTAD secretariat in all developing regions on issues such as non-tariff measures, the green and the blue economy, trade and gender, as well as the aspects related to youth and young people of education and empowerment for entrepreneurship promotion, electronic commerce readiness promotion, competition law and policy, consumer protection and voluntary sustainable standards, and encourages UNCTAD to continue its work on these areas;
     
18. Expresses concern about the vulnerabilities of developing countries in transport and trade facilitation, in particular the negative effects and vulnerabilities caused by inherent systemic vulnerabilities such as low transport connectivity and high transport costs as well as external shocks causing disruptions to transport and supply chains, notably climatic factors such as extreme weather events and rising sea levels, in particular when it comes to highly exposed countries with low adaptive capacity;
     
19. Welcomes initiatives taken by small island developing States, including those aimed at reducing emissions from the transport and maritime transport sector, increasing the efficiency of shipping fleets and switching to hybrid fuels, as well as protecting vulnerable coastal communities and infrastructure from rising sea levels and extreme weather events;
     
20. Welcomes trade facilitation reforms undertaken by developing countries as a useful mechanism to improve the trading conditions of developing countries;
     
21. Acknowledges the market concentration in the container shipping industry and the relevance of the appropriate policies, national capacity-building and regional and multilateral cooperation to prevent potential anticompetitive practices;
     
22. Reiterates the importance of holistic approaches underpinned by effective mainstreaming of climate change and sustainable transport considerations into countries’ broader developmental policies and plans;
     
23. Calls upon the UNCTAD secretariat to continue its policy-oriented analytical work and capacity-building activities to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other relevant international agreements;
     
24. Appreciates UNCTAD research, consensus-building and technical assistance work on sustainable and climate-resilient transportation systems, as well as trade facilitation, as key for the sustainable economic growth of developing countries and their integration in the global economy;
     
25. Recognizes with appreciation the role of technical cooperation provided by UNCTAD, such as the port management programme, Train for Trade and the Automated System for Customs Data, and invites partners for continuous support;
     
26. Underlines the importance of technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, to allow developing countries to face climate change threats and their economic impact, in line with the technology framework established by the Paris Agreement;
     
27. Commends UNCTAD on the Review of Maritime Transport, published since 1968, and the importance of its analysis, insights and maritime statistics for sound maritime transport policymaking, and acknowledges with appreciation the usefulness and pertinence of the maritime country profiles derived from this important publication, and encourages the continuation of the work on climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries;
     
28. Emphasizes the relevance of UNCTAD support to member States in the definition and analysis of policy options to overcome their vulnerabilities.