Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Team of Specialists cannot hold its annual session as originally planned. To advance the work of the Team while COVID-19 related restrictions remain in place, the members of the Team will hold informal consultations through a series of webinars during the period 21-27 October 2020.

As part of these consultations, an international policy dialogue on “Building Back Better after COVID-19: Innovation Policies for a Sustainable Future” will discuss how the power of innovation can be harnessed to turn the pandemic into an opportunity to build more resilient, more sustainable and more productive economies, and how Government policy can support this. The substantive segment will be held through two thematic webinars.

The first webinar, which will be held on 21 October, on “Building Back Better: Using Platforms to Enable Sharing and Progress towards the Circular Economy” will explore innovation policies for the “platform economy” in the context of the transition towards a circular economy, where we produce and consume in a sustainable manner.

The second webinar, which will be held on 23 October, on “Building Back Better: Innovation Enhancing Procurement” will explore how countries can better use the substantial potential of public procurement to catalyse innovation for the circular economy transition and for sustainable development more broadly.

In a third webinar on 27 October, the members of the Team of Specialists will review the work that has been done since the 12th session and discuss the implementation plan for 2020-2021.

To attend the informal consultations of the members of the Team of Specialists on Innovation and Competitiveness Policies, 27-28 October 2020, please register at the following web-link at: http://indico.un.org/e/TOS_ICP_13 and create your UNECE profile. In case of difficulties you may refer to online user manual at https://wiki.unece.org/display/OMR/Online+Meeting+Registration+Guidelines
If you have already participated in UNECE meetings, your profile may have some information pre-filled upon creation. In case of difficulties please contact the secretariat by email ([email protected]).
Documents for the meeting and information for Delegates are also available.