Stories

Trade for Sustainable Development Forum 2017

8 September 2017
ITC News
T4SD Forum to explore dynamics underlying existing and emerging models of collaboration

Watch it live: http://www.intracen.org/T4SD-Forum-2017/live/


The Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) Forum 2017 will be held on 25-27 September 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. As in previous years, the event will be held in conjunction with the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum.

Since its launch, the T4SD Forum has become one of the leading events focused on how voluntary sustainability standards can support sustainable value chains. This year, the Forum will explore the theme of partnerships and the different dynamics underlying existing and emerging models of collaboration in the sustainability landscape.

The opening sessions of the T4SD Forum will be held at ITC headquarters on 25 September, which will be followed by the ‘Partners Day’ at ITC (26 September). The T4SD Forum will close with a high-level panel during the WTO Public Forum on 27 September 2017.

Please make sure that you register for both the Trade for Sustainable Development Forum and the WTO Public Forum if you wish to attend the session on 27 September or any other session of the WTO Public Forum.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Gilbert Houngbo, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• Arancha González, Executive Director, International Trade Centre
• Marten van den Berg, Director-General for Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
• Dan Rees, Director, Better Work Programme
• Peter White, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
• Christian Ewert, Director General, Foreign Trade Association
• Anne Roulin, VP Nutrition, Health & Wellness and Sustainability within R&D, Nestlé

Event highlights

A highlight of this year’s T4SD Forum is the launch of new Sustainability Map platform. Sustainability Map is the new online gateway helping businesses chart the path to more sustainable trade. Developed by ITC’s Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) programme as a freely available platform, it offers access to wide-ranging information related to sustainability initiatives and standards, as they relate to international trade.

Sustainability Map builds on T4SD’s well-established online tools, such as Standards Map, and adds new ones, such as the Sustainability Network. The Sustainability Map enables users, regardless of their position in the value chain, to get better understanding of the sustainability initiatives landscape, and to connect with business partners.

Participants will also gain new insights and explore findings from a ground-breaking quantitative analysis with the European University Institute on voluntary sustainability standards looking into issues of harmonization and best practices.

A mini-hackathon on partnerships for sustainable development will also be held during this year’s T4SD Forum. During the hackathon, participants and moderators will work in teams to explore solutions to the challenges presented in the sessions.

For further information about the event, please contact:

Sibylle Neuhaus
Associate Events Adviser
Office of the Executive Director
P: +41 22 730 0123
E: neuhaus [at] intracen.org (neuhaus[at]intracen[dot]org)

Ana Patricia Batalhone
General Coordination and Organization
Trade for Sustainable Development
P: +41 22 730 0365
E: batalhone [at] intracen.org (batalhone[at]intracen[dot]org)