Technology as a Driver of Structural Transformation in the LDCs

mbuldys — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:15:00 +0000

Wednesday, 28 July 2021 - 8:15am to 9:45am

Registration

Please join us via Zoom at: https://bit.ly/3i2391D

Background

The COVID‑19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of agility and of harnessing the power of technology. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data and drones can help enterprises in the least developed countries (LDCs) to enhance their productivity and competitiveness, and to move up the value chain ladder in agriculture, industry and the services sector. In the coming decade, we need to ensure that technology is harvested appropriately as a driver of structural transformation in the LDCs.

Similarly, digital trade – in both goods and services - enhances the opportunity for small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises to participate in global trade, and FinTech can help enhance their financial inclusion. By supporting traceability and trade facilitation, blockchain technology can help to enhance the transparency and trustworthiness of trade transactions at speed. Technology in agriculture can revolutionize systems and help in adjusting to the impacts of climate change.

Join us to engage with experts and practitioners from global support initiatives and LDCs who will explore modes through which the LDCs can achieve structural transformation by harnessing the power of technology and trade, and also outline how the LDCs can best access capacity‑building initiatives in technology for trade.

Objectives

The session will be based around a panel discussion, together with questions, answers and discussions with participants. The session will:

Highlight the progress made to date in technology and structural transformation in the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action
Support the LDCs to leverage the power of trade, technology and structural transformation in preparing for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs
Share experiences on specific areas such as financial inclusion and digital agriculture in the LDCs for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Identify areas for further support, collaboration and action in favour of the LDCs in the fields of trade, technology and structural transformation
Better link the LDCs and development partners through dedicated and LDC‑focused initiatives

Speakers

Mr Joshua Setipa, Managing Director, UN Technology Bank
Dr Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Managing Director, Directorate of Digitalization, Technology and Agri-Business; and Director, Department of Digitalization, Technology and Innovation, UNIDO
Dr Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh
Ms Dorothy Tuma, Former Chair of the East Africa Women in Business platform
Dr Maxwell Otim Onapa, Director, Science, Research and Innovation, Government of Uganda

The session will be moderated by Dr Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director, Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced Integrated Framework at the WTO.

Other Resources:

EIF: https://bit.ly/3y5i7tl

UNIDO: https://bit.ly/2UNj6Qg

tags:

EIF

UNIDO

Structural Transformation

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Events

Productive Capacities for the New Decade

mbuldys — Sun, 23 May 2021 19:42:00 +0000

Wednesday, 26 May 2021 - 11:30am to 1:00pm

Registration

The event will be held online in English via WebEx.

Please join using the following link: https://bit.ly/2QM5Nxy

Objectives

This event aims to provide a dialogue space to explore innovative strategies to undertake a Productive Capacities Gap Assessment so as to reach a common understanding of its role in the context of a smooth transition strategy for graduation with momentum.

It further helps foster an exchange of views and define modalities to further assist the LDCs by articulating new-generation policies and strategies centered on the fostering of productive capacities and structural economic transformation.

Expected Outcomes

The event will answer the following questions:

What opportunities are there for LDCs to build back better from COVID-19 in strengthening productive capacity?
How can LDCs, with the support of development partners, place productive capacities at the centre of their domestic policies and strategies?
How can the LDC5 conference contribute to expanding productive capacities of LDCs for sustainable development as a key part of the new programme of action?

Speakers

H.E. Perks Clemency Ligoya, Ambassador of Malawi to the UN in New York and Chair of the LDC Group
Ms. Isabelle Durant, Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD
Mr. Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director of the Enhanced Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat
Mr. Joshua Setipa, Managing Director, UN Technology Bank for LDCs
Mr. Taffere Tesfachew, Principal Advisor, Ethiopian Investment Commission and leader of the Committee for Development Policy Sub-Group on LDCs.

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