Advancing a Trade and Sustainable Development Agenda for African, Caribbean and Pacific States

This research paper proposes a comprehensive trade and sustainable development agenda for the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) within the multilateral trading system. It outlines a five-part plan to leverage the World Trade Organization (WTO) for green industrialization and suggests adopting partnership models, such as those used by the EU, to reduce commodity dependence and enhance renewable energy production.

• The author proposes a five-point plan for the OACPS to advance a trade and sustainability agenda at the WTO: negotiating a plurilateral agreement focused on green industrialization; using a 'rendez-vous clause' to later include sectors like the blue economy and renewable energy; creating a dedicated trade-related technical facility for developing countries; establishing a coherence platform to align trade with global sustainability initiatives (such as the UNFCCC and FAO); and developing innovative trade capacity building for green industrialization.
• The paper suggests that OACPS countries can model green industrialization partnerships on EU strategies, specifically the EU's strategic partnerships on critical raw materials and Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs). These models combine private sector investment, public financial guarantees, technology transfer, and infrastructure support to secure raw materials while promoting sustainable industrialization in partner countries.
• The OACPS faces significant economic vulnerabilities, including high commodity dependence—affecting 81% of landlocked developing countries, 74% of least developed countries, and 61% of small island developing states (SIDS)—and acute climate change impacts. An integrated green industrialization agenda is presented as a means to mitigate climate impacts and escape this commodity dependence.
• The author argues that OACPS countries must prioritize the development of integrated national and regional policies on trade and sustainable development to address a current 'policy lacuna' before they can effectively advocate for their agenda at the WTO.

APA

Lodge, J. (2025). Advancing a Trade and Sustainable Development Agenda for African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://tessforum.org/latest/advancing-a-trade-and-sustainable-development-agenda-for-african-caribbean-and-pacific-states

Chicago

Lodge, Junior. Advancing a Trade and Sustainable Development Agenda for African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2025. https://tessforum.org/latest/advancing-a-trade-and-sustainable-development-agenda-for-african-caribbean-and-pacific-states.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lodge |first1=Junior |title=Advancing a Trade and Sustainable Development Agenda for African, Caribbean and Pacific States |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=25 March 2025 |url=https://tessforum.org/latest/advancing-a-trade-and-sustainable-development-agenda-for-african-caribbean-and-pacific-states |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lodge2025advancing, author = {Lodge, Junior}, title = {{Advancing a Trade and Sustainable Development Agenda for African, Caribbean and Pacific States}}, institution = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://tessforum.org/latest/advancing-a-trade-and-sustainable-development-agenda-for-african-caribbean-and-pacific-states}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }