Expert Group Meeting on Methodology for Creating an Impact-Index of NTMs on Progress of SDGs

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) are organizing this expert group meeting which will discuss methodology and data requirements towards a construction of an impact-index of non-tariff measures (NTMs) on progress with (selected) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 31 May to 1 June 2017, Bangkok, Thailand.

The purpose of the project is to strengthen capacity in developing countries to measure and monitor the impact of NTMs in general and on the progress towards the SDGs more specifically. The objective is to develop a composite index (comprised of indicators) to measure countries' effective and coherent use of NTMs in achieving economic, social and environmental development. The index will thus complement and integrate existing SDGs indicators and thereby allow government officials to monitor their countries’ progress towards achieving the SDGs. In addition to experts from ESCAP and UNCTAD, the EGM will benefit from contributions by officials and academia from OECD, local universities and research institutions from APTA countries.