News

The theme of UNCTAD's fifth Global Commodities Forum is: "Global value chains, transparency and commodity-based development".

With the WTO's Bali Package on trade facilitation now in force, UNCTAD held a workshop in the Dominican Republic to help Latin American and Caribbean countries develop trade facilitation (TF) project proposals based on their national TF implementation plans.

The ideas of the former UNCTAD Secretary-General, who died in 2013, were discussed in light of current global economic challenges at a special event held in Geneva.

Only 8% of the value created by international supply chains flows to 100-plus developing countries, analysis by UNCTAD suggests, placing the role of "global value chains" in developing countries' strategies among discussions to be held at UNCTAD’s upcoming Global Commodities Forum.

According to preliminary estimates by UNCTAD and WTO, in the fourth quarter of 2013, world exports of services grew by 6%, as compared with the same quarter of the year before (balance-of-payments basis, current prices).

The third Session of the UNCTAD Working Group on a Debt Workout Mechanism was held in Geneva on 19 March 2014. The discussions reflected an attempt to provide indicators signalling the necessity to engage in a sovereign debt restructuring process as well as helping negotiators during this process.

UNCTAD's Twelfth Investment Policy Monitor has shown that the trend towards improving entry conditions, reducing restrictions and facilitating foreign investment continues.

​Post-2015 development framework: UNCTAD's views on promoting gender equality and using trade as an enabler for development

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have joined forces to assist developing countries in the implementation of the recent WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement reached in Bali, Indonesia. The two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding 4 March reaffirming this collaboration.

New UNCTAD-EIF study of the fisheries sector in The Gambia shows trade policies have to be inclusive if they are to reduce poverty.