The Global Services Forum (GSF) is a biennial Forum that has been linked to UNCTAD quadrennial conferences. UNCTAD launched the Global Services Forum at UNCTAD 13 in Doha (Qatar, 2012). Since then, the Forum took place in Beijing (China, 2013), at UNCTAD 14 in Nairobi (Kenya, 2016) and in Buenos Aires (Argentina, 2018). The Global Services Forum seeks to advance the development agenda linked to the services’ economy and trade and promote partnerships between stakeholders.
The 5th edition of the GSF addressed the role of services in structural transformation and diversification to reduce vulnerability to economic shocks and promote a more resilient post-pandemic recovery. The Global Services Forum 2021 aimed to increase awareness on these topics and identify policy options, strategies and partnership opportunities. This event contributed to the fifteenth session of the Ministerial Conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 15) in October 2021, which theme was “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”.
The GSF brought together key relevant stakeholders from all regions - policy makers, business leaders, academics, coalitions of services industries and others – who shared their views and experiences on ways to unlock the development potential of services.
The co-organizers of the Global Services Forum 2021 issued a joint communiqué to invite UNCTAD to provide a platform within the GSF to promote dialogue, partnership prospects and other initiatives among the global services community. The platform will also focus on identifying opportunities and challenges for developing countries to use the transformative potential of services for diversification and post-pandemic recovery.
Download: Joint Communiqué
Download: Concept Note and Programme
Events in the Global Services Forum 2021
A series of events will take place in the Global Services Forum 2021, including:
- Services-led transformation for post-pandemic recovery
High-level pre-event to the 15th Ministerial Conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
22 September 2021 - FIREFLY Cultural Exhibit
Barbados Coalition of Service Industries cultural event with the participation of performers from Barbados
22 September 2021 - Governance and export performance of modern services in Latin America and India
Book presentation
22 September 2021 - Create, Innovate, Recover: digitalizing creative industries for a sustainable recovery in Africa
High-level event
23 September 2021 - More resilient and sustainable tourism for the post-pandemic recovery
23 September 2021 - Promoting the participation of developing regions in global information and communications technology-enabled services trade
23 September 2021 - Towards a New Framework for Services Policy Review
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Brainstorming Workshop, by invitation only
24 September 2021 - Business opportunities in the new era of Global Services
24 September 2021
This event is also supported with International Sign Language.
Related
Topic
Trade agreements 
Trade analysis Programme
Meeting series
Event
- Global Services Forum - Session 1: High-level segment: Services-led transformation for post-pandemic recovery
- Global Services Forum - Session 2: Governance and export performance of modern services in Latin America and India
- Global Services Forum - Session 3: Create, innovate, recover: Digitalizing creative industries for a sustainable recovery in Africa
- Global Services Forum - Session 4: More resilient and sustainable tourism for the post-pandemic recovery
- Global Services Forum - Session 5: Promoting the participation of developing regions in global information and communications technology-enabled services trade
- Global Services Forum - Session 6: Business opportunities in the new era of Global Services
Contact
Miho Shirotori, Head, TNCDB
[email protected]
Dong Wu, Chief, Trade in Services and Development Section, TNDCB
[email protected]
Bruno Antunes, Economic Affairs Officer, TNCDB
[email protected]