News

By Daniel Hopp, UNCTAD, and Ryan Maia and Himanshu Sharma, UNEP

During the four-day conference, world leaders, ministers of trade, leading economists and heads of UN agencies and global financial institutions called for a new development model, with socioeconomic transformation and sustainability at its centre.

Barbados, Belize and Costa Rica are looking beyond the pandemic and climate shocks by developing and implementing national trade strategies strongly linked to resilience, conservation and the sustainable use of their marine resources.

Around one third of the food produced is never eaten, even as 10% of the world population faces hunger each day. The resources used, including water, land and energy, also go to waste.

With about 75% of all the plastic ever produced becoming waste, countries are exploring how to use trade and development policies and negotiations in the fight against plastic pollution.

The science-based innovative plan uses a multispecies approach to make coastal fishing in the Caribbean nation sustainable and expand livelihood opportunities.

New study shows how to transform the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement into an enabler of sustainable trade in biodiversity as a key driver of an environmentally friendly recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The mechanism could help avoid “carbon leakage”, but its impact on climate change would be limited – only a 0.1% drop in global CO2 emissions – with higher trade costs for developing countries.

By Henrique Pacini, Economist, UNCTAD

Policymakers and experts call on UNCTAD to play a leading role in research, finance and technical assistance to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas and marine resources.