Green technologies: Coherent policy action needed for developing countries to reap the benefits

A new UNCTAD report calls on governments and the global community to ensure consistency across international agreements on trade, intellectual property and climate change to close the green tech gap

Green technologies – those used to produce goods and services with smaller carbon footprints – are growing and providing increasing economic opportunities but many developing countries could miss them unless national governments and the international community take decisive action. UNCTAD’s Technology and Innovation Report 2023 published on 16 March warns that economic inequalities…

Time to unlock the creative potential of least developed countries

Creative industries can play a critical role in building more resilient, sustainable and inclusive economies in the world’s most vulnerable countries

The fifth UN conference on least developed countries (LDCs), taking place in Doha, Qatar from 5 to 9 March, is an opportunity to emphasize how creative industries can offer these countries opportunities to leapfrog into emerging high-growth areas of the world economy. The Doha Programme of Action, which outlines a roadmap for accelerating…

Training helps more women in least developed countries benefit from trade

UNCTAD’s online courses equip participants to design and implement policies to bridge gender gaps in trade

Women drive trade in least developed countries (LDCs), with many running small businesses across borders. But they face security risks and significant constraints in accessing productive and financial resources. To help more women in these countries benefit from trade, UNCTAD trains policymakers on how to design and implement policies that…

Project set to help Indo-Pacific region fight plastic pollution

Funding from the United Kingdom extends to the region UNCTAD’s work on sustainable manufacturing and plastic substitutes

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and UNCTAD have extended to the Indo-Pacific region a joint programme that works with governments, researchers and businesses to reduce manufacturing’s environmental footprint in developing countries.   The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) programme, which the FDCO and UNCTAD have been implementing in…

Çoronavirus: Countries focus on protecting consumers amid and after COVID-19

Stakeholders gather to share experiences and exchange information to advance the welfare of consumers in open markets

Countries have taken various steps to protect consumers as they implement measures to overcome the adverse health and economic impacts of COVID-19. At the 8th United Nations Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection slated for 19 to 23 October, ministers, heads of competition and consumer protection authorities and civil society representatives will chart…

Coronavirus: International transport and supply chains key to COVID-19 recovery - UN agencies

Eight UN organizations urge governments to take a risk-based approach to restoring maritime, air, and inland connectivity with minimal restrictions

The social and economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting countries’ efforts to improve livelihoods and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The early responses to restraining the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted all transport operations, leading to severe disruptions of supply chains and trade flows worldwide. …

Coronavirus: UN Report shows How Public Procurement is a Powerful Tool for Sustainable Development

Strategic government spending on goods and services can increase the uptake of sustainability standards in the wake of COVID-19

As governments respond with unprecedented spending to combat the coronavirus pandemic, a new report released by the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS), urges them to ensure public procurement does no harm to people and the planet. The report entitled “Scaling up Voluntary Sustainability Standards through Sustainability Public Procurement and Trade Policy” explores…

Coronavirus - Africa: Life after lockdown - Rebuilding tourism globally, sustainably

The global tourism standstill due to COVID-19 has cost the sector dearly, especially in countries heavily reliant on it, like small island nations. A new UN report maps how tourism could be rebuilt. For Mahmood Patel, 2020 was supposed to be a bumper year for his Barbados-based, tourism-dependent small business…

Coronavirus: Ugandan e-commerce platforms power recovery from COVID-19 crisis

Partnerships with development agencies and government efforts to boost the digital economy are helping soften the economic blow of the pandemic

David Akanshumbusha sells groceries at a stall in Nakawa market on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. He’s also on SafeBoda, a motorcycle (‘bodaboda’) taxi hailing app that recently launched an e-commerce platform to connect market vendors with customers after the country went on lockdown to control the spread of…

Coronavirus - Angola: COVID-19 affirms urgency of trade facilitation reforms in Angola

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s blow to global oil prices has re-emphasized the need for Angola to wean its economy off volatile fuel exports

The nation’s oil-dependent economy has been hit by low demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s banking on trade facilitation reforms to improve competitiveness in other sectors. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s blow to global oil prices has re-emphasized the need for Angola to wean its economy off volatile fuel exports.…