The Sustainable Development Goals Trade Monitor was launched on 20th October by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The online portal collates the latest progress in achieving the trade-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
Launched on World Statistics Day, the portal allows users to conduct customized analysis of the trade-related SDG indicators, with the objective of improving understanding of the relationship between trade and development in the SDG agenda and highlighting the latest state of play in achieving the relevant SDG targets.
Deputy Director-General, Yonov Frederick Agah, who oversees development matters in the WTO, said at the launch event at the WTO that;
“Trade has an important role to play in the attainment of these goals. Over the last 15 years, trade has been an engine for economic growth and has unlocked massive poverty reduction gains and socio-economic development across the globe, particularly in developing countries.
“The SDG Trade Monitor is the result of a collective effort between UNCTAD, ITC and the WTO. This multi-agency collaboration is an example of the hard work and the value proposition of the Geneva trade hub, further proving that multilateral efforts in trade are possible and worthwhile.”
Another prominent person who added his voice to that of the Deputy Director-General was UNCTAD’s Deputy Secretary-General, Isabelle Durant. She said at the launch that;
“We have designed the SDG Trade Monitor to be a one-stop-shop. Users can easily obtain the most updated, official figures of trade-related SDG indicators. Hence, it is a critical contribution in the spirit of William Deming, the father of quality assurance systems, who said: “In God we trust; all others must bring data.”
The ITC‘s Executive Director, Pamela Coke-Hamilton, also said: “Statistics matter. Data matters. Intelligence matters. For micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) — ITC’s core constituency — data and intelligence is what keeps them afloat. It is what helps them to understand what to produce, when to produce it and where to sell it.
“We all agree that trade is one of the most crucial means of implementing the SDGs. Everything from productive capacity to market access to the cross-border movement of food and medical goods and services is recognised and reflected in the targets established by the 2030 Agenda.”
The WTO stated that the new SDG Trade Monitor gathers information on the following SDG targets:
“Goal 2.b on correcting and preventing trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets.
“Goal 10.a on implementing special and differential treatment provisions for developing countries and LDCs.
“Goal 17.11.1 on increasing the exports of developing countries and LDCs; and
“Goal 17.12.1 on implementing long term duty-free and quota-free market access for LDCs”.
