Expert Group Meeting on Inclusive and job-enhancing trade: Asia-Pacific opportunities

The event will bring together policymakers, academics, analysts and practitioners from a wide range of countries to discuss and make stock of the latest findings and issues relevant for making trade an instrument of inclusive, equitable and stable development. The event will provide a golden opportunity to sharpen the understanding of mechanisms by which trade is linked to better access to productive employment and entrepreneurship and thereby to the reduction of poverty and fairer distribution of income. The insights and applied policy messages will be incorporated in the 2013 issue of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report. This Report is a major analytical work of the Trade and Investment Division and provides independent and innovative policy options for emerging policy issues. It also doubles as background papers for discussion at the ESCAP’s Committee on Trade and Investment. In the aftermath of the Rio+20 outcome document “Future for all” and in the context of internationally accepted development goals, making trade compatible with inclusive growth has emerged as a priority concern in the region (and globally). This event will help the Secretariat to formulate a positive agenda for moving forward with Inclusive and job-enhancing trade, building up on available empirical research and policy experiences.