A/RES/75/203 International trade and development Recognizing the need to ensure that the benefits of trade are more widely shared, Reaffirming World Trade Organization decision WT/MIN(15)/48-WT/L/982 of 19 December 2015 on the implementation of preferential treatment in favour of services and service suppliers of the least developed countries and increasing their participation in services trade and decision WT/L/508/Add.1 of 25 July 2012 on accession by the least developed countries, encouraging progress on the implementation of the World Trade Organization work programme on small economies, which supports their efforts towards sustainable development, as also reflected in the outcome document of the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, 1 and stressing that Aid for Trade and targeted trade-related capacity-building are essential to integrating developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, into the international trading system, Recognizing the critical role of women as producers and traders and the need to address their specific challenges in order to facilitate their equal an d active participation in domestic, regional and international trade, Recognizing also that multilateral rules and disciplines are the best guarantee against protectionism and are fundamental to the transparency, predictability and stability of international trade, Noting the commitments to working to ensure that bilateral, regional and plurilateral trade agreements complement the multilateral trading system, recognizing that they can play an important role in complementing global liberalization initiativ es, and in this regard recalling the entry into force of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, on 30 May 2019, Noting with great concern the threat to human health, safety and well-being caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the severe disruption to societies and economies and the devastating impact on lives and livelihoods, and that the poorest and most vulnerable are the hardest hit by the pandemic, reaffirming the ambition to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by designing sustainable and inclusive recovery strategies to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to help to reduce the risk of future shocks, and recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic requires a global response based on unity, solidarity and renewed multilateral cooperation, Deeply concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to its severe disruptions to societies, economies, employment, global trade, supply chains and trave l, as well as to agricultural, industrial and commercial systems, is having a devastating impact on sustainable development and humanitarian needs, including on poverty eradication, livelihoods, ending hunger, food security and nutrition, education, enviro nmentally sound waste management and access to health care, especially for the poor and people in vulnerable situations, in particular in developing countries, including countries in special situations and those countries most affected by the pandemic and its socioeconomic consequences, and is making the prospect of achieving all Sustainable Development Goals more difficult, including eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions by 2030, ending hunger and achieving food security and improved nutritio n, Reiterating the pledge that no one will be left behind, reaffirming the recognition that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, and the wish to see the Goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society, and recommitting to endeavour to reach the furthest behind first, __________________ 1 2/4 Resolution 69/15, annex.