While a number of internationally agreed documents such as the Copenhagen Accord (2009) state that “new and additional” climate finance will be needed, it still remains unclear what this actually means and how climate finance additionality should be defined and recorded in statistics on official development assistance (ODA). This Policy Brief seeks to clarify this concept.
Risk assessment is critical to well-functioning capital markets. Yet reliance on the “big three” credit rating agencies has increased with the rise of international capital flows. Their assessments have been strongly pro cyclical and have missed systemic risks. Insufficient competition, conflicts of interest and ideological bias are some of the reasons for this, says UNCTAD Policy Brief.
UNCTAD's Handbook of Statistics 2015 reveals that global trade in services grew by 5 per cent as merchandise trade stagnates and foreign direct investment falls.
