ITC @ UNGA78
Overview
Halfway to 2030, the promises enshrined in the SDGs are in peril. The SDG Summit, taking place during the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, provides a crucial opportunity to bring the global goals back on track.
Join ITC at UNGA78 for the SDG Action Weekend, the Good Trade Summit, the Global Africa Business Initiative and the Women's Entrepreneurship Accelerator.
SDG Action Weekend
16 – 17 September 2023
As preparation for the SDG Summit, the Secretary-General is convening the SDG Action Weekend to help ramp up momentum and facilitate the contribution of all relevant actors towards the SDG Summit. The SDG Action Weekend is open to representatives of all Member States, the UN system, and relevant organizations.
Local and Regional Governments, “Action and Leadership from the Ground Up: Towards the Rescue Plan for People and the Planet”
Saturday, 16 September 2023, 11:15-12:00 EST
Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 1
Organizers: Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments, UN DESA, UNDP
The Local and Regional Government Forum (LRGF) will highlight the commitments of the local and regional government constituency towards the 2030 Agenda. A special focus will be placed on local acceleration and local accountability through the lenses of the 12 transitions and crosscutting enablers of the High Impact Initiatives and their relationship with action taking place at sub-national level.
ITC speaker: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director
Find further details here.
Bridging the Financing Gap: Unleashing the Potential of SMEs
Saturday, 16 September 2023, 16:00-18:00 EST
Venue: UN Headquarters, Trusteeship Council
Organizers: ITC, UNCTAD
SMEs are the SDG drivers on the ground and make a significant contribution to global trade flows, economic value and job creation within countries – including for women and youth – and provide solutions to local and regional challenges. Access to affordable and timely financing and participation in value chains (global, regional, and domestic) are crucial for their growth and their economic and social contribution, as well as for the promotion of innovation, sustainable and green of industries.
Find further details here.
Regaining lost ground in the LLDCs: The role of trade and digitalization
Sunday, 17 September 2023, 10:00-11:30 EST
Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 6
Organizers: ITC, UN-OHRLLS
The objective of this high-level side event is to discuss the role of financial and technology solutions to overcome the finance constraints that MSMEs face, with a view to fostering innovation, productivity, industrial development, structural transformation, and international trade in LLDCs.
The side event will focus on a) market-based approaches, as well as opportunities and challenges arising from the rapid expansion of fintechs and b) the role of government, multilateral development banks and international financial institutions on improving LLDCs’ lending infrastructure in the face of growing trade complexities.
ITC moderator: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director
Find further details here.
Special Event: SDG Digital Day
Sunday, 17 September 2023, 10:15-16:30 EST
Venue: UN Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber
Organizers: ITU, UNDP
The SDG Digital Day puts data and digital technologies front and centre to catalyse greater action on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals – from eradicating poverty and reducing inequalities to ensuring access to clean water and sanitation and providing affordable and clean energy for everyone worldwide.
ITC speaker: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director
Find further details here.
Wednesday, 20 September 2023, 8:30-11:30 EST
Venue:
Organizers: International Trade Centre, Business Council for International Understanding
The event will engage key stakeholders, from governments, multilateral organizations, and the private sector, including small businesses, brands, and retailers. The event will focus on amplifying the voice of small businesses as active contributors to the SDGs in setting the policy agenda.
Opening remarks by: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director
Register here by 20 September.
Wednesday, 20 September 2023, 9:00-17:00 EST
Venue: Westin Grand Central Hotel, New York
Organizers: United Nations Global Compact, UNDP, ITU, ITC, Office of the Special Advisor on Africa, Sustainable Energy for All
Africa has staked its position as the cornerstone of the world’s future. The continent is now positioned to be the most important driver of global business with a $3 trillion market opportunity. The Global Africa Business Initiative, with its theme “Unstoppable Africa”, puts the private sector at the centre of the discussions and the solutions. GABI is a platform that places Africa in its rightful place in the global economy and positions the continent as the premier destination for business, trade, and investment.
Find further details here.
Thursday, 21 September 2023, 18:00-22:30 EST
Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 2
Organizer: UN Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator initiative
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) event will bring together leaders from the private sector and UN agencies to spotlight the critical gap in financing for women businesses. The “Inclusive Capital: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs on a Global Scale” event will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders within the women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem to discuss the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs to access finance, emphasize the critical importance of inclusive investing, and generate institutional and corporate commitments to better serve women businesses through applying a gender-inclusive lens to their decision-making.
ITC speaker: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director
Find further details here.
Friday, 22 September 2023, 13:00-15:00
Organizer: UNIDO
To firmly anchor Africa on a path towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development requires the transformation of African countries into locations of competitive industrial production. The necessary enabling framework conditions for this industrial transformation include the strengthening of key elements of industrial productive capacity such as infrastructure, innovation and technology transfer, industrial financing, industrial knowledge and skills, and the support from public and private sector institutions that regulate and advocate industrial development.
ITC speaker: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC Executive Director
Find further details here.