

Saving the SDGs through the lens of trade
When I was appointed co-chair of the UN working group on Our Common Agenda by UN Secretary-General António Guterres two years ago, it opened a door to strengthen multilateralism and boost the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the lens of trade.
That’s because you can’t have sustainable development without trade. And you can’t have trade without sustainable development.
With the Summit of the Future soon taking place on 21-23 September 2024 in New York, today we are looking to strengthen our multilateral system on the road to 2030 but also the future beyond it.
The Secretary-General’s report “Our Common Agenda” gave us more than a blueprint for global cooperation in the face of climate change, inequality, pandemics and escalating conflicts. It is also a call for economic transformation. We must do more to support countries to transform their economies, so they are greener, more digitally connected and able to create decent jobs for the most vulnerable. We need to ensure the multilateral blueprint includes a real focus on how to make economies more connected, sustainable and inclusive.
The Summit’s aspirations are high, and the road is long. But there is hope. The Pact for the Future that Member States will adopt serves as a starting point for ambitious actions, of which some are at the core of our work here at ITC: sustainable development and financing for development; science, technology and innovation, digital cooperation; and youth and future generations.
This edition of Trade Forum explores some of the key elements for achieving the goals of this Pact, demonstrating the importance of innovation, digital trade and technology, youth and fragile communities. This time we have put an emphasis on contributions by small businesses and young, innovative entrepreneurs, so you can hear directly from them about how trade is making a difference to their lives, their communities, and their efforts to support a more sustainable future for generations to come.
We also hear from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Youth Envoy, who in their respective areas advocate for a better future that can tackle current and future global challenges, while the contribution by the UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan reminds us of the importance of collaboration and partnerships – without which we wouldn’t be able to reach our shared goals.
Several texts are set to emerge from the Summit of the Future. Where can and should we focus? How do we ensure that multilateralism can and will deliver change for vulnerable communities in developing countries that need change the most?
This is where our two staff contributions shed some light on ITC’s work: how we support the Pact of the Future, and how we work in conflict-led fragile settings to ensure that we take the SDGs into the future in a practical, efficient and lasting way.
I hope this special edition of the Trade Forum inspires you to take action.