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International Trade and Health Conference 2024
04.07.2024

"Enhancing Trade and Health Policy Coherence to Support Sustainable Development"
Monday 4 - Tuesday 5 November 2024 | Bangkok, Thailand


REGISTRATION

1. Background and rationale

1.1 International Trade and Health Conference

The International Trade and Health (ITH) Conference has been organized annually since 2014 by the National Commission on International Trade and Health Studies (NCITHS) together with the International Trade and Health Programme and partners. The conference provides a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, capacity building, and policy recommendations. The outcomes of the conference have been provided to relevant agencies as input for policy decisions and their relevant work.


1.2 Rationale


1.3 ITH Conference 2023

The ITH Conference held on 25-26 January 2023 discussed evidence, actions and capacity needed to make a paradigm shift towards future international trade and health development. This covered the issues of trade and health preparedness for public health threats; geopolitics and international trade and its implications on health; global governance of international trade as challenges and opportunities for health; and the capacity building needs at the national level. Recommendations from the Conference reflect the need for collective actions at all levels as follows:

1. At the regional level:

2. At the country level:

- Strengthening knowledge and understanding of the current world situation in order to gain a clear understanding of the connection between trade and health
 - Generating and using evidence for policy decision and negotiation position for maximum benefit of both trade and health sectors
 - Studying the impact of globalization, deglobalization, digitalization, and entrepreneurship, both in the short term and in the long term


1.4 ITH Conference 2024

The 2024 Conference will advance the discussion considering the current trade and health situation and above recommendations and identify actions need to be taken to achieving a paradigm shift in trade and health, maximising trade for health development and vice versa. In addition, the conference will also discuss trade and health policy coherence to support sustainable development.


2. Objectives of the conference

1. To revisit the new trade issues relevant to health and their landscape

2. To discuss the opportunities of international trade and health in support of sustainable development

3. To identify evidence, actions and capacity needed to make a paradigm shift towards trade and health policy coherence

4. To expand network on international trade and health


3. Details of sessions

Session 0 : Setting the scene: Contribution of trade and health policy coherence to support sustainable development [the keynote speech]
 
Session 1 : Current and future international trade and health:  its landscape and its contribution to sustainable development
 
Session 2 : Developing a strategy to foster synergies between trade and health: Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
 
Session 3 : Revitalising trade in health services for sustainable development
 
Session 4 : Geopolitics and implication for international trade and health: The US election 2024
 
Session 5 : Actions envisaged at the national level to promote synergies between trade and health
 
Session 6 : Power of evidence to promote trade and health policy coherence


4. Expected outcomes

- Knowledge sharing and joint research and collaboration
 
- Policy recommendations for global, regional and national initiatives to improve international trade and health policy coherence
 
- ITH Call for Action “Enhancing Trade and Health Policy Coherence to support sustainable development”

- Expanded network and collaboration on international trade and health

 
5. Participants

Representatives from government agencies, academic researchers, civil society organisations, private sector, international participants and partners from global health community.


6. Dates and Venue

Monday 4 to Tuesday 5 November 2024, Bangkok, Thailand


7. Main co-organisers

8. Tentative Programme


  DAY 1:  Monday 4 November 2024  


Time

Session

08.00 - 09.00

Registration

09.00 - 09.10

Conference opening

 

Conference Introduction

Opening remarks

09.10 - 09.45

Setting the scene: Keynote address

 

“Contribution of trade and health policy coherence for sustainable development

09.45 - 11.00

Session 1:  Current and future international trade and health:  its landscape and its contribution to sustainable development

 

Key issues:

- Current trade issues related to health such as addressing climate change and human health, policy dimension for international trade, technology disruption, cooperation and synergies between trade and health at all levels.

- Preparation for the pandemic response, covering issues such as the need for the pandemic agreement, WTO ministerial declaration, and technical barriers to trade,

- Ongoing discussion in various forum on the current and future trade issues

- What is missing in the current landscape of the trade issues mentioned above.

11.00 - 11.15

Coffee and networking

11.15 - 12.30

Session 2: Developing a strategy to foster synergies between trade and health: Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

 

Key issues:

- Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response clearly need the synergies between trade and health at all levels

- This session will discuss how the trade and health sectors can work together on the issues related to health under the new pandemic agreement

- The session will also provide case analysis

(1) the current governance and WHO Pandemic Agreement,

(2) analysis of intellectual property rights, law and governance of Pathogen Genomics Data Sharing

12.30 - 13.30

Lunch and networking

13.30 - 14.45

Session 3: Revitalising trade in health services for sustainable development

 

Key issues:

- The rise of trade in services

Structural shifts in the world economy brought on by rapid technological developments have placed services and services trade at the heart of economic transformation.”

“…services account today for 50 per cent of global trade in value-added terms, compared to 16 per cent for agriculture and 34 per cent for industry.” [1]

As quoted above, trade in health services should be looked into details. During the pandemic services delivered through digital technology, such as cross-border health services, and online technology transfer, became increasingly important.

 - How trade in services can contribute to sustainable development.

 - Related research and development

13.45 - 15.00

Coffee and networking

15.00 - 16.15

Session 4: Geopolitics and implication for international trade and health: The US election 2024

 

Key issues:

- The geopolitical changes resulting from several elections in 2024 such as in Indonesia, India, the European Parliament, Russia, south Africa, and the United States further adds to the complexity of the global challenges and the landscape that may have implication for trade and health

- The US elections have led to changes in international trade direction. During the current Biden administration, the Indo Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) was introduced and covers issues beyond traditional scope of economic cooperation but with trade elements.

- Enhancing trade and health policy coherence beyond geopolitical factors

16.15 - 16.30

Wrapping up for Day 1

17.00 - 18.00

Site visit (optional) on trade in services – medical tourism


  DAY 2: Tuesday 5 November 2024  


Time

Session

8.30 - 09.00

Registration

09.00 - 09.05

Key messages from Day 1 and introduction to Day 2

09.05 - 10.20

Session 5: Actions envisaged at national level to promote synergies between trade and health

 

Key issues:

- How trade and health sectors work together to maximise benefit for both health and economy (including country experience such as NCITHS / public hearing process in Thailand; experience from the UK, Canada, Brazil… and to draw recommendations on enabling factors)

- Strengthening the capacity of the health sector to support the implementation of future trade and health related mechanism such as the new pandemic agreement, new standards, green trade, etc.

- How policy can support coherence

- Other sectors such as food security, the environment, the finance sector/ bankers, e commerce

- Shifting the function of the health sector to be an enabling factor

10.20 - 10.35

Coffee break and networking

10.35 - 11.50

Session 6: Power of evidence to promote trade and health policy coherence

 

Key issues:

- This session is the follow up on the recommendations from the previous meeting in 2023 such as the regional trilateral cooperation

- Highlighting the importance of using scientific evidence to address the health and trade linkages and identify capacity needed.

- The importance of using scientific evidence to address the health and trade linkages

- Research capacity strengthening; and establishing regional platform for evidence generation

- Using evidence to identify capacity needed

- The International Trade and Health Conference as a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, capacity building, and policy recommendations to support trade and health policy coherence

11.50 - 12.10

Conference summary and recommendations

 

Providing the audience with the key summary and recommendations from the conference for further discussion.

12.10 - 12.20

Final words and Conference closing

12.20 - 13.30

Lunch and networking

13.30 - 15.00

Meeting of the Conference Organizing Subcommittee

REGISTRATION

Please contact chaaim@ihpp.thaigov.net  / or  ith.programme@gmail.com for more information.

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