Today, Global Value Chains (GVCS) have become a reality for most countries. Fragmented production models are a powerful transformative force that can present both opportunities and challenges for least developed (LDCs) and low-income countries (LICs). ICTSD has developed a series of innovative research studies intended to unpack the complex relationship between GVCs and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This session therefore presented a synthesis of ICTSD’s recent analyses on how GVCs interact with SDGs while taking into consideration the high-level of heterogeneity with regard to the sustainable development implications of value chains across the world. Looking at various sectors, geographies and types of value chains, the discussion suggested how certain sustainable development dynamics could be fostered in value chains through targeted trade policy and trade-related policy changes. Additionally, the extent to which sustainability standards can produce positive and negative sustainable development outcomes for developing countries in the context of value chains.
