RIPESS has a leading role in the #TradeDay of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), which takes place on 26 October 2024 in Cali, Colombia. Our Executive Secretary, Sandra Moreno, will represent the network in the session ‘Trade for inclusive and sustainable social development: Strengthening the participation of women, indigenous peoples, local communities and small farmers’, which will address how the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) can strengthen the participation of indigenous communities, women and small producers in the global economy.

Trade Day’ will be celebrated on 26 October in the framework of the UN-led#COP16Colombia. For the first time ever, this biodiversity conference is dedicating a thematic day to highlight the critical role of trade in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The event is organised by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the WTO secretariats, the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNEP, together with other global partners.

With one million plant and animal species at risk of extinction, global biodiversity is in a critical situation. The #TradeDayCOP16 seeks to explore how international trade and the Solidarity, Popular and Alternative economies can be a key tool to reverse this trend. The aim of the event is to promote discussions among negotiators and stakeholders on best practices and solutions that enable trade policies to promote biodiversity and support the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (#KMGBF).

Trade Day is further supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Global BioTrade Programme, which links trade with biodiversity and sustainable development, as well as UNEP’s TRADE Hub initiative.

During her intervention, Sandra Moreno will highlight indigenous economic models as successful examples of the SSE. These economies, based on sustainability and respect for the natural environment, represent inspiring solutions at the intersection between trade, biodiversity and inclusive development.

For more information on the event and its programme, visit UNCTAD’s official website: Trade Day COP16.

The event will be livestreamed: livestream link: bit.ly/3ZpCvWr