News

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.

By Marisa Henderson, Chief, Creative Economy Programme, and Amy Shelver, Public Information Officer, UNCTAD

In 2021, the global economy will bounce back with growth of 5.3%, the fastest in nearly 50 years. The rebound is, however, highly uneven along regional, sectoral and income lines, according to UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2021.

The world needs more effective multilateral coordination, without which recovery efforts in advanced countries will damage development prospects in the South and amplify existing inequalities, says UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2021.

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.

Egypt needs to update its policy approach to economic transformation to fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area.

By Henrique Pacini, Economist, UNCTAD

Unsustainable trade is behind the biodiversity crisis threatening our existence. But done sustainably, international commerce can help protect our planet’s precious resources.

The sustainable use and trade of indigenous plants has created valuable economic opportunities for 2,500 Namibian women and their communities.

Drawing on a powerful new database that tracks and traces the plastic life cycle, UNCTAD shows where countries can apply trade policy pressure to reduce pollution.