- 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.
41 - 45 of 45 results
-
-
COVID-19: План действий из 10 пунктов по усилению международной торговли и облегчению процедур перевозок во времена пандемии
Publication Date: July 2020More LessThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is substantially impacting people’s lives and livelihoods and putting extreme stress on socioeconomic systems. International collaboration, coordination and solidarity among all is going to be key to overcoming this unprecedented global challenge. As part of efforts aimed at reducing the international spread of the virus and to mitigate the potentially crippling longer-term consequences of the pandemic, especially for the most vulnerable countries, policymakers need to take a number of measures to ensure the facilitation of international trade and the transport of goods. It is crucial to keep ships moving, ports open and cross-border and transit trade flowing, while ensuring that border agencies can safely undertake all necessary controls. There is a need to keep ships moving, ports open and crossborder trade flowing, while ensuring that border agencies can safely undertake all necessary controls. Facilitating trade and the transport of goods has become more important than ever, to avoid logistics obstacles that lead to shortages of necessary supplies. The concrete measures proposed in this policy brief help to facilitate transport and trade and to protect the population from COVID-19.
-
-
-
The Need to Protect Science, Technology and Innovation Funding During and After the COVID-19 Crisis
Publication Date: June 2020More LessThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has infected more than 2,950,000 people and killed more than 202,000 worldwide to this date. While the overall economic impact of this outbreak is still unfolding, there are strong indications that it will cause the largest economic downturn since the 2008 financial crisis. This policy brief makes a case for protecting science, technology and innovation (STI) budgets during the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, based on the fact that continued investments in STI will be critical to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Even though developing countries as a group have recorded continued growth in R&D expenditure over recent years, the absolute levels remain small and their STI capabilities limited. It is therefore crucial for developing countries to reinforce their commitments to protect investment in STI and to design recovery packages that leverage technology and innovation for sustainable development. Stability and predictability of funding for science, technology and innovation are critical for the ability of national innovation systems to support sustainable development. During and after the COVID-19 crisis countries, particularly in the developing world where innovation systems remain fragile, should protect science, technology and innovation resources from austerity drives given their long-term implications for development strategies. The policy responses proposed in this policy brief introduce concrete steps in effectively continuing investments in science, technology and innovation, both during and after the crisis, towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
-
-
-
COVID-19: A 10-Point Action Plan to Strengthen International Trade and Transport Facilitation in Times of Pandemic
Publication Date: June 2020More LessThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is substantially impacting people’s lives and livelihoods and putting extreme stress on socioeconomic systems. International collaboration, coordination and solidarity among all is going to be key to overcoming this unprecedented global challenge. As part of efforts aimed at reducing the international spread of the virus and to mitigate the potentially crippling longer-term consequences of the pandemic, especially for the most vulnerable countries, policymakers need to take a number of measures to ensure the facilitation of international trade and the transport of goods. It is crucial to keep ships moving, ports open and cross-border and transit trade flowing, while ensuring that border agencies can safely undertake all necessary controls. There is a need to keep ships moving, ports open and crossborder trade flowing, while ensuring that border agencies can safely undertake all necessary controls. Facilitating trade and the transport of goods has become more important than ever, to avoid logistics obstacles that lead to shortages of necessary supplies. The concrete measures proposed in this policy brief help to facilitate transport and trade and to protect the population from COVID-19.
-
-
-
Topsy-turvy World: Net Transfer of Resources From Poor to Rich Countries
Publication Date: June 2020More LessThe crisis stemming from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has turned a spotlight on financial vulnerabilities in developing countries and the limitations they face in mobilizing domestic financial resources to respond to the pandemic at the required scale. This brief takes a step back from the COVID-19 crisis to highlight a longer-standing trend which is adding to the troubles facing developing countries. For the past two decades, net financial resource transfers between developed and developing countries have typically favoured the former and disadvantaged the latter. Overall, more financial resources have gone from developing to developed countries than have been returned. The policy brief looks at the main drivers of this net financial resource transfer to the developed world, including illicit financial flows from developing countries, and offers some policy proposals to address this problem.
-
-
-
Trade Facilitation in Developing Countries: Can Blockchain Prompt a Leap Forward?
Publication Date: June 2020More LessThe entry into force of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization in February 2017 propelled the concept of trade facilitation into mainstream policy dialogue and brought major attention to the challenges traders face, particularly in developing countries. At the same time, e-commerce (electronic commerce), just-in-time delivery, global value chains and smart shipping have been on the rise. Crossborder business-to-business, business-to-consumer and even consumer-to-consumer e-commerce, for instance, is poised to become globally ubiquitous, bringing along with it challenges for Governments. The challenges involve the implications for compliance, revenue collection, consumer protection, competition policy and safety and security. Amid these developments, how can Governments keep trade risks low and, at the same time, facilitate cross-border trade? Can modern technologies, such as blockchain, provide a solution and allow developing countries to make leaps forward in efficiency?
-