Trade within the Scope of Sustainable Development Goals
Although the word "sustainability" evokes an "ecological" concept, its scope has a much broader meaning. There is no definition that everyone agrees on, but we can summarize it as acting without risking the capacity of future generations to meet their needs while meeting our own. For this reason, in addition to the environmental dimension of sustainability, its economic and social aspects should not be overlooked.
Although the word "sustainability" evokes an "ecological" concept, its scope has a much broader meaning. There is no definition that everyone agrees on, but we can summarize it as acting without risking the capacity of future generations to meet their needs while meeting our own. For this reason, in addition to the environmental dimension of sustainability, its economic and social aspects should not be overlooked. The World Trade Organization (WTO) published a report for the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to be held in July. The report emphasizes the contributions that trade offers and can offer to achieve the five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be discussed at the Forum this year. These five SDGs are quality education, gender equality, life below water, life on land, and partnerships for the goals. It is argued that trade contributes/will contribute to these goals as follows: With the pandemic, the demand for online learning services increased globally. In recent years, the rapid development of information and communication technology has enabled online education. However, the lack of digital infrastructure and necessary digital skills can increase inequalities in education. The WTO report emphasizes the importance of trade agreements for quality education and states that international trade agreements such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) can help increase the supply of education services, including online education. Agreements can reduce barriers for foreign online education providers. The reduction of the education gap in developing countries also depends on benefiting from online education and making complementary regulations regarding quality assurance. GATS allows members flexibility for the liberalization of trade in services, as well as safeguarding goals regarding the protection of quality. The WTO's Information Technology Agreement has played a role in reducing the prices of products such as information and communication hardware and computers over the years, and has made online education products more accessible by lowering their cost. Trade also plays a role in ensuring gender equality, which is one of the sustainability goals. According to the report, the proportion of women in the workforce of exporting firms is 33%, while this rate is 24% in non-exporting firms. The proportion of women working in firms in global supply chains is also 36%, 11 points higher than those outside the chain. Trade is also a factor that reduces the risk of informal employment. The report states that trade policies and agreements can also contribute to women's employment and working conditions. Some trade policies provide financial support for women's employment in key export sectors or set women's employment as a condition for providing grants to businesses. Gender awareness is also gradually increasing in the WTO. The Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, established in 2020, is one of the milestones in this transformation. The working group aims to increase women's participation in global trade. The "Joint Ministerial Declaration on Gender Equality and Women's Economic Empowerment," supported by over 120 members, is another initiative for gender equality. Let's move on to the two goals related to environmental sustainability among the SDGs to be discussed: life below water and life on land. Within the scope of life below water, trade can also contribute to the protection…