APO Group - Africa Newsroom / Press Release » United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Feb 08, 2024

The magic of Mali’s digital pharmaceutical registry

A digital transformation supported by UNCTAD in the west African nation's pharmaceutical industry is paving the way for quicker import and distribution of life-saving medicines – all online

Imagine living in a country where urgent medical supplies take 18 months to be imported and distributed, putting people’s lives at risk and medical personnel in difficult situations where they must make life-and-death decisions without the right medicines at hand. This could all change for Mali, a vast, landlocked west…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Jan 25, 2024

Chair of G77 and China in Geneva passes from Tanzania to Cambodia

Facing multiple and cascading crises, the world needs a strong and unified voice from the Global South more than ever, UNCTAD chief Rebeca Grynspan says at the handover ceremony

On 25 January, Cambodia succeeded Tanzania in assuming the chairmanship of the Geneva Chapter of the Group of G77 and China. The bloc, a coalition of 135 developing nations, has several permanent institutional structures at the UN, across Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome and Vienna. “It is encouraging to witness two least…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Dec 15, 2023

Kenya unveils e-commerce strategy to better harness the digital economy

UNCTAD supports the East African nation to tackle challenges and boost secure e-commerce for inclusive and sustainable development

Kenya launched a national e-commerce strategy on 13 December to fortify its position as a digital frontrunner in Africa by fostering inclusive and widespread utilization of trusted and secure e-commerce services based in the country. Its Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy and the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Industry…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Nov 08, 2023

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) joins hands with Nha Trang University of Vietnam to unlock Angola’s fisheries and aquaculture sector

The partnership is retuning the engine of Angola’s economy towards greener and more inclusive growth

Angola, the Southern African nation home to more than 35 million people, is one of the 46 least developed countries (LDCs). The commodity-dependent economy, which in 2022 relied on crude oil for 94% of its exports, urgently needs to advance efforts towards a green and inclusive diversification of the economy. Despite its…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Nov 02, 2023

Decades-old South-South trade deal offers new hope for sustainable future

Greater cooperation and policy coordination are key to reviving the landmark Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries for a greener and better tomorrow

The Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP) among Developing Countries, established in 1989, is not only a historic agreement but also an effective instrument for addressing today’s challenges. Created by the G77 bloc of developing countries, the GSTP aims to promote trade among nations in the Global South, primarily through preferential tariff reductions.…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Oct 09, 2023

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) sets out pathways to ease commodity dependence for greener, inclusive growth

Commodity-dependent developing countries can achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth by making their economic structures more diversified, resilient and prepared for a low-carbon future

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has called on the global community to provide support for green industrial policies in commodity-dependent developing countries to transform and diversify their economies amid the global quest for a low-carbon energy transition. These are sector-targeted policies that reshape a country’s economic production…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Sep 13, 2023

Angola: Unlocking the potential of creative industries

Angola boasts a rich cultural history of film, theatre, publishing and literature

The country’s nascent creative industries hold vast potential to help diversify its oil-dependent economy. To do so, greater investment and policy support are indispensable. Female street vendors, locally known as “zungueiras”, are a defining characteristic in many Angolan cities. These informal traders – often carrying a large plastic bowl of…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Aug 30, 2023

Improving statistics on gender and trade in developing countries

UNCTAD has published new guidelines to collect data to help policymakers tackle gender inequalities in trade

When it comes to understanding and fostering women’s economic empowerment, measuring the gender dimension of trade has emerged as an increasingly important endeavour. But for a long time, the lack of data on gender equality in international trade has posed a bottleneck, hampering countries’ abilities to apply the gender lens…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Jul 12, 2023

Improving debt management in Mauritania

UNCTAD and its partners help equip the African nation with the tools and knowledge to better manage its public debt and enhance transparency

A recently concluded UNCTAD project has helped Mauritania improve its public debt management. Implemented as part of UNCTAD’s Debt Management and Financial Analysis System (DMFAS) programme, the two-year project has helped improve the availability of the sub-Saharan African nation’s debt data. It lead to the publication of the country’s debt statistics…

Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | Jul 11, 2023

New strategy set to boost e-commerce in West Africa

With support from UNCTAD, the Economic Community of West African States has developed a regional e-commerce strategy to diversify economies and create jobs

The Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) endorsed a regional e-commerce strategy for the organization’s 15 member nations on 7 July. The strategy will boost e-commerce in West Africa through specific measures responding to the needs of ECOWAS, identified by UNCTAD’s recent eTrade readiness assessment for…