UNCTAD Needs to Send Strong Message to Rio+20

During a special event on the fourth day of UNCTAD XIII, government officials and business leaders discussed the role that UNCTAD can play at the Rio+20 Summit in June 2012.

The panel discussion “Mainstreaming Sustainability into Trade and Development Policies: Towards Rio+20 Summit” provided an opportunity to disseminate analysis, share reflections and develop recommendations to frame discussions on the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty alleviation that will come up for review at Rio+20.

Speaking at the event, His Excellency Paul Magnette, Minister for Public Enterprises, Scientific Policy and Development Cooperation, in charge of policy for Large Cities, Belgium, emphasized the need to address coherence on the path towards the green economy at a domestic and international level. The Minister called for “equitable access to natural resources, and the adoption of policies that would connect local produce to wider markets”.

His Excellency Mr. Herbert Tassano Velaochaga, President, INDECOPI, Head of the Peruvian delegation, said that: “The challenge facing UNCTAD is to adapt to this new reality, and provide new leadership on the green economy; ensuring that trade and development are an integral part of this”.

Participants in the panel discussion included Mr. Guillermo Valles, Director, Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities, UNCTAD; and His Excellency Mr. Faizal Ismail, Ambassador of South Africa to the World Trade Organization (WTO).