Providing a platform for officials, experts, the private sector and other stakeholders to meet and review emerging and long-standing trade-related issues.
The Commonwealth Secretariat will convene the Commonwealth Trade Symposium between 23-24 June 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa, providing a platform for officials, experts, the private sector and other stakeholders to meet and review emerging and long-standing trade related issues.
The objective of the Symposium is to highlight issues and perspectives that are critical to ensure an inclusive global trade support architecture for development. The forum will facilitate a better understanding of interlinked issues and support the sharing of country perspectives on the process of achieving trade development objectives and setting global priorities.
The year 2015 is pivotal for the global trading landscape, in view of the following major events:
- The 5th Global Aid for Trade review (30th July-2nd July 2015) with a focus on reducing trade costs for sustainable development,
- The UN adoption of the Post-2015 agenda (25-27th September 2015) and shift from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes trade as a cross-cutting thematic issue and a key driver of structural economic change,
- Negotiations for a new international climate change deal under the auspices of the UNFCCC,
- The Post-Bali work program will be addressed at WTO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Nairobi, Kenia.
The Symposium will enable officials and other stakeholders to evaluate current processes and developments, and where appropriate, help prepare and adapt in the run up to these events.
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