GEG Seminar with Elisabeth Türk, Director, Economic Cooperation and Trade Division, UNECE

Students, alumni, friends and partners of the World Trade Institute are invited to attend a new Global Economic Governance lecture. This time, we have the honour to welcome Elisabeth Türk, Director, Economic Cooperation and Trade Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - and Alumna of the WTI.

To register to attend online (Zoom meeting) please email communication@wti.org

Digital transformation and trade: opportunities and challenges for the circular economy transition

Abstract

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has a 75-year history of fostering cooperation and economic integration throughout Europe and beyond. From rebuilding post-war Europe to integrating former USSR economies, the UNECE has a strong tradition of normative and analytical work and capacity building. Since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs in 2015, UNECE’s overarching priority has been sustainable development for its 56 member States.

As primary users of natural resources, the UNECE member States at the 69th Commission session in 2021 have launched a joint call to accelerate the transition to a circular economy alongside a more responsible use of resources. In this regard, UNECE member States have also adopted a number of solutions and tools, such as the UNECE “Sustainability Pledge” (including UN/CEFACT Policy Recommendation N°46, implementation guidelines and an information exchange standard). And, they are seeking to harness the power of digital solutions for sustainability and circularity objectives.

For example, if linked to sustainability norms and standards, blockchain technologies can help verify compliance with circularity requirements and, in so doing, enable responsible consumers' choices. To support the objective of supply chain traceability, UNECE launched a pilot project to develop a blockchain system for the cotton value chain.

In this lecture, Ms. Türk will elaborate on the practical implications of integrating digital solutions to support circular economy transition based on her work with transition economies in the region and ahead of the 70th Commission session in 2023, which will focus on digital and green transformations. She will also reflect on the challenges associated with digital transformation, including the ones related to the digital divide.

Speaker's biography

Ms. Türk is Director of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division (ECTD) at UNECE and leads the Division’s work across its four Sections: Cooperation and Partnerships, Innovative Policies Development, Market Access and Trade Facilitation as well as the cross-cutting themes on circular economy and digitalization. In addition to servicing the organization’s trade-related normative machinery, the Division supports UNECE’s 17 programme countries in Central Asia, Southern Caucasus, Western Balkans and Eastern Europe through capacity-building and technical assistance.

Prior to that, Ms. Türk acted as Chief of the Section on International Investment Agreements (IIAs) in UNCTAD’s Division on Investment and Enterprise (DIAE), where she led the Section's work across the three pillars of UNCTAD activities: research and analysis, capacity-building and consensus-building, as well as contributions to the annual World Investment Report (WIR). 

Ms. Türk’s earlier professional activities included functions in UNCTAD’s Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC), covering e.g., WTO accessions and GATS negotiations, in the Geneva office of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ms. Türk holds a master’s degree from the World Trade Institute (WTI) in Bern, Switzerland, and both a degree in international management and a degree in law from the Karl-Franzens Universität in Graz, Austria