Multi-year Expert Meeting on Commodities and Development, eleventh session

The Nairobi Maafikiano calls upon UNCTAD to “strengthen the capacity of commodity-dependent and net food-importing developing countries to reduce the short-term negative effects of price volatility, through instruments for market risk management” (paragraph 76 (p)). Hence, the meeting will provide a forum for sharing country experiences in addressing the impacts of commodity price risk as well as weather-based risk particularly in commodity-dependent developing countries.

Better risk management is expected to stabilize and even increase incomes of commodity producers, helping them to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The meeting will identify policies that these countries may pursue to maximize development benefits from commodity production and trade. It will also evaluate the major risks facing the commodity sector in developing countries, with a view to identifying the challenges posed by the impact of large variations in commodity prices and commodity production on economic performance in these countries.

Participants will discuss policy options for managing risk in the commodity sector of commodity-dependent developing countries.

Participation

The meeting is open to all member States of UNCTAD. Representatives of other organizations, including specialized agencies, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations in the general and special categories, as well as academia and the private sector, may participate as observers.

Contributed Papers

Experts are encouraged to prepare and submit to the meeting brief papers (of about five pages) related to one or more of the issues contained in the provisional agenda and to their country’s experience.