- Home
- Working Paper Series
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Policy Briefs
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Policy Briefs
UNCTAD Policy Briefs provide authoritative data and analysis on trade, investment, finance and technology, offering solutions to the major challenges facing developing countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable nations. Beyond tailored analysis and policy recommendations, our research has also generated global standards that govern responsible sovereign lending and borrowing, investment, entrepreneurship, competition and consumer protection and trade rules towards achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
1 - 20 of 28 results
-
-
Strategy for Graduation with Momentum: Bridging Pre-graduation and Post-graduation Development Processes in the Least Developed Countries
Publication Date: April 2022More LessThe development path followed by a country prior to graduation from the least developed country category has significant implications with regard to the challenges to be faced after graduation. The current conceptualization of a smooth transition strategy primarily aims to create a short-term post-graduation “soft landing” and ease concerns with regard to preparation for engaging in economic relations as a non-least developed country. Therefore, the concept currently does not have a focus on preparing countries for graduation with momentum. UNCTAD has maintained that the post-graduation success of a country significantly depends on the foundations built prior to graduation. Graduating countries need a new strategy, one that prepares them for the challenges ahead by linking the graduation process with the development of productive capacities and sustainable development. UNCTAD has proposed an alternative policy framework to help refocus the objectives and strategic direction of graduation strategies, as well as a new time frame for implementation.
-
-
-
Integrating a Gender Perspective into Trade Facilitation Reforms
Publication Date: April 2022More LessWomen cross-border traders face significant challenges, including time constraints, costs of burdensome procedures, discrimination and harassment at borders. Despite multilateral calls to address those issues and to make trade policies gender-responsive, notably the Revised Buenos Aires Declaration, limited progress has been made on gender equality in trade. This policy brief outlines key gender-based barriers for women traders and provides 10+1 policy recommendations to address them.
-
-
-
The Least Developed Countries Need a New Generation of International Support Measures to Face the Development Challenges of the 2020s
Publication Date: April 2022More LessThe least developed countries find themselves at a crossroad. Beset by long-standing structural weaknesses, shortcomings in international support and widening inequalities within and among all countries, they have to confront new or intensifying problems worsened by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, climate change, the rapidly evolving character of globalization and the new technological realities of the digital age. Developing productive capacities is the key to unlocking the potential of the least developed countries achieving structural transformation to face these new realities. To be able to rise to both old and new challenges, the least developed countries need a new generation of international support measures that are fit for purpose in a fast-changing global environment. These new international support measures need to be effective, relevant and closely tailored to least developed country aspirations if international support measures are to change the course of the development trajectories of these countries.
-
-
-
Why Robust Digital Identity Systems Are Essential in Fostering Trade and Development
Publication Date: March 2022More LessThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated the shift toward a more digital world in a way that will have long-lasting effects. Lockdown measures have led to a surge in electronic commerce (e-commerce), as consumers look for alternatives to in-person shopping. Such shifts in global consumer behaviour mean that a robust e-commerce framework is rapidly becoming an essential component of a regionally integrated economy. Moreover, e-commerce and other economic activities enabled by information and communications technology have the potential to accelerate progress towards all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. However, many developing countries face challenges when it comes to the promotion and implementation of e-commerce. Leading these challenges are consumer concerns over the cybersecurity infrastructure that underpins electronic transactions, especially the lack of strong methods of authentication to tackle fraud-related issues. To address such challenges, countries should establish policies that lead to the implementation of a robust national digital identity framework.
-
-
-
The Least Developed Countries Need to Strengthen and Broaden State Capacity to Operationalize Policy Space and Achieve Development Goals
Publication Date: March 2022More LessState capacity both drives improved development outcomes and is accumulated as a by-product of positive progression in the development process. However, the least developed countries have experienced attrition on both fronts. Development challenges among the least developed countries in the 2020s require them to develop and strengthen State capacity. These countries need the support of development partners through the implementation of programmes that intentionally reinforce and expand State capacity.
-
-
-
Export Potential Under the African Continental Free Trade Area: Limited Prospects for the Least Developed Countries in Africa?
Publication Date: February 2022More LessFree trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area commenced in January 2021. Countries agreed to remove tariffs on 90 per cent of goods, progressively liberalize trade in services and eliminate non-tariff barriers, to improve regional cohesion, create a single large African market and promote gross domestic product (GDP) growth through trade. With the objective of guiding feasible policies and sectoral strategies at the national and regional levels, this policy brief highlights how countries in Africa, in particular the least developed countries, benefit differently from tariff liberalization and the removal of non-tariff barriers.
-
-
-
Emerging Strategies for Ports During the Pandemic
Publication Date: February 2022More LessThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on humankind and on global commerce. Ports and port communities have experienced major changes to normal operating environments. The strategies used by ports to remain open and continue to facilitate sustainable economic development throughout the pandemic may provide useful lessons for policymakers, particularly in relation to the protocols and innovative measures that have been employed to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the movement of imports and exports as well as ships’ crew and essential port workers.
-
-
-
Digital Trade: Opportunities and Actions for Developing Countries
Publication Date: January 2022More LessDigital trade is increasingly important and comprises both digitally ordered trade in goods and services (cross-border electronic commerce (e-commerce)) and digitally delivered trade (services delivered internationally through the Internet or other networks). However, countries vary greatly in their readiness for digital trade. If the share of developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, in world trade is to increase, as envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, actions are needed to strengthen their capacity to benefit from digital trade. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has made this need even more urgent.
-
-
-
Strengthening International Response and Cooperation to Address the Seafarer Crisis and Keep Global Supply Chains Open During the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic
Publication Date: December 2021More LessBorder closures, restrictions and other measures taken by countries to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have caused large numbers of seafarers – peaking at an estimated 400,000 in September 2020 – to remain stranded at sea, far beyond contract expiration dates and the 11-month maximum period of continuous service on board ships. This has caused a humanitarian crew change crisis and brought working conditions in the shipping sector into the spotlight. Governments and industry should continue to collaborate with all other relevant stakeholders to address the crew change crisis and ensure that seafarers are designated as key workers and are prioritized for vaccinations.
-
-
-
Facilitating Access to Opensource Technologies
Publication Date: October 2021More LessEnsuring easy and affordable access by developing countries to appropriate technologies is critical in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Open-source technologies can provide a means of effective technology transfer. Countless open-source designs and technologies are shared by innovators worldwide, yet there is currently no central repository of such technologies and this makes it difficult for producers or consumers in developing countries to locate and access them. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations recently adopted resolution 2021/30 on open-source technologies for sustainable development. In this policy brief, an explanation of why developing countries need access to such technologies and proposals of ways to move forward in implementing the resolution are provided.
-
-
-
Implementing Supportive Policies to Build a Vibrant Private Sector as a Driver of Structural Transformation
Publication Date: September 2021More LessThe private sector – one of the eight categories of the UNCTAD Productive Capacities Index – can be a catalyst for productive capacity development and structural transformation, required to achieve sustainable development. Fostering entrepreneurship and stimulating private sector development and competitiveness through supportive policies and strategic actions should be a priority in the least developed countries (LDCs), to catch up with other country groups. Building on the private sector category of the Index, which reports on cross-border trade facilitation, access to finance and business support, this policy brief looks at how the private sector contributes to the development of productive capacities and at the policies that can be used to support its growth.
-
-
-
Enhancing Productive Capacities and Transforming Least Developed Country Economies Through Institution-building: Upcoming United Nations Conferences and the Way Forward
Publication Date: August 2021More LessIn this policy brief, UNCTAD intends to shed light on the role of institutions in fostering productive capacities, and examines Institutions as one of the eight categories of the UNCTAD Productive Capacities Index. In the context of the formulation and implementation of policies and strategies in support of LDCs, recommendations are provided to support the building of stronger and more effective institutions, a prerequisite for fostering productive capacities.
-
-
-
Embracing a New Conceptual Framework for the Statistical Measurement of Illicit Financial Flows
Publication Date: July 2021More LessThis policy brief examines illicit financial flows linked to the export of extractive resources from Africa, methodologies to measure them and their relationship to the new conceptual framework for the statistical measurement of illicit financial flows as part of the measurement of progress towards Goal 16, target 16.4. It highlights opportunities to curb illicit financial flows using improved methodologies for customs fraud detection and to enhance resource governance with regard to metals that will be in high demand for the battery-storage technology needed in the transition to a low-carbon future.
-
-
-
Placing Productive Capacities at the Heart of Least Developed Countries’ Development Policy and Strategy
Publication Date: July 2021More LessThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought to light not only the systemic interdependence of countries, but also the socioeconomic fragility of the global economy. From a trade and development perspective, this has been felt most acutely in the most vulnerable developing countries – the least developed countries (LDCs). Even prior to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, LDCs faced complex development challenges, compounded with economic growth patterns that have failed to translate into accelerated poverty reduction and job creation. As the international community prepares for the upcoming fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XV) and the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UNLDC V), innovative strategies and approaches to enhance economic growth and address underlying vulnerabilities are urgently needed. This policy brief is a call to action for LDC Governments and the broader international community of development partners to take concerted action in the fostering of productive capacities for sustainable development.
-
-
-
Curbing Illicit Financial Flows to Finance Sustainable Development in Africa
Publication Date: July 2021More LessCurbing illicit financial flows (IFFs) can help African countries mobilize capital to finance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and other national priorities. IFFs contribute to US$88.6 billion of capital flight per year from Africa. Reducing these outflows can increase the stock of capital available for businesses to build productive capacity and create jobs. Increased tax revenues can provide governments additional fiscal space to, for example, invest in infrastructure, spend on poverty reduction programmes, or assist citizens during emergencies, such as the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This policy brief examines IFFs in Africa, including how they contribute to capital flight and tax evasion. We then recommend specific actions governments can take to curb IFFs and use the proceeds to finance sustainable development.
-
-
-
Small Island Developing States: Maritime Transport in the Era of a Disruptive Pandemic - Empower States to Fend Against Disruptions to Maritime Transportation Systems, Their Lifeline to the World
Publication Date: June 2021More LessThe coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have had less noticeable impacts on small island developing States (SIDS). However, the impacts may be longer lasting and more critical. The pandemic has exacerbated the unique and overwhelming challenges in these States related to connectivity; a high level of dependence on external trade; remoteness and prohibitive transport costs; food security; infrastructure gaps; resilience; sustainability; and access to finance. This policy brief builds on the findings in Review of Maritime Transport 2020 and of the ongoing United Nations-wide project “Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics: Contactless, seamless and collaborative solutions”, launched in 2020 amid the pandemic. It highlights key priority actions and policy recommendations to support SIDS in strengthening their ability to respond to shocks and disruptions that undermine their maritime transportation systems and to future proof their maritime supply chains through sustainability and resilience-building efforts.
-
-
-
Container Shipping in Times of Covid-19: Why Freight Rates Have Surged and Implications for Policy Makers
Publication Date: June 2021More LessAt the start of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, expectations were that seaborne trade, including containerized trade, would experience a strong downturn. However, changes in consumption and shopping patterns triggered by the pandemic, including a surge in electronic commerce, as well as lockdown measures, have in fact led to increased import demand for manufactured consumer goods, a large part of which is moved in shipping containers. As at the third quarter of 2020, lessening of lockdown measures and varying speeds of recovery worldwide, as well as stimulus packages supporting consumer demand, inventory-building and frontloading in anticipation of new waves of the pandemic, contributed to leading to a further increase in containerized trade flows.
-
-
-
Towards a New Trade Agenda for the Right to Food
Publication Date: June 2021More LessAccess to food is a fundamental human right. Trade plays a key role in food security but an excessive exposure to global markets also increases risks. Trade policy needs to be advanced from a right-to-food perspective. This calls for the effective implementation and reform of existing World Trade Organization provisions. In 2021, the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Twelfth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization will provide opportunities to incorporate the right-to-food agenda in the global trade architecture.
-
-
-
Making Trade Agreements Work For Gender Equality - Data and Statistics
Publication Date: July 2020More LessWhat is the impact of trade on gender equality, and how can trade policy influence that impact? These questions are difficult to answer without reliable and comprehensive statistics. In December 2017, the Buenos Aires Declaration on Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment1 called for an inventory of data sources, collection of gender-disaggregated data and the analysis of gender-focused statistics related to trade. This policy brief provides some tools for taking stock of available data to assess the gender impacts of trade agreements. In 2018, UNCTAD developed a statistical conceptual framework to bring together key elements for understanding the impact of trade on gender equality. This brief applies that framework by exploring data availability and gaps. The work builds on the expertise of the UNCTAD Statistics and Trade, Gender and Development programme working to improve women's economic empowerment through the development of gender-responsive trade policy.
-
-
-
COVID-19: un plan d’action en 10 points pour renforcer la facilitation des échanges et du transport en période de pandémie
Publication Date: July 2020More LessLa pandémie de coronavirus (Covid-19) affecte considérablement la vie et les moyens de subsistance des gens tout en exerçant des tensions extrêmes sur les systèmes socioéconomiques. Une collaboration, coordination et solidarité internationales seront essentielles pour surmonter ce défi mondial sans précédent. Dans le cadre des efforts visant à réduire la propagation internationale du virus et à atténuer les conséquences potentiellement dévastatrices de la pandémie à plus long terme, en particulier pour les pays les plus vulnérables, les décideurs politiques doivent prendre un certain nombre de mesures pour assurer la facilitation du commerce international et du transport des marchandises. Il est crucial de garder les navires en mouvement, les ports ouverts et le commerce transfrontalier et de transit fluide, tout en veillant à ce que les agences frontalières puissent effectuer tous les contrôles nécessaires en toute sécurité.
-