No Poverty

Ce numéro du «Coup d’œil sur les produits de base» explore la pertinence économique, sociale et environnementale du secteur de la gomme arabique, en mettant l’accent sur l’offre, la demande, les prix et l’organisation du marché. La gomme arabique est commercialement la gomme d’exsudat la plus rentable, avec de applications très étendues dans des industries aussi diverses que l’alimentation et les boissons, les produits pharmaceutiques, les cosmétiques et l’imprimerie. La gomme est produite principalement dans les savanes boisées et arides en Afrique subsaharienne et consommée principalement par les industries des pays développés et émergents. En raison de sa capacité à générer des réserves de change, assurer la sécurité alimentaire, promouvoir l’agriculture et la foresterie durables et combattre la désertification et le changement climatique, la gomme arabique est un produit de base prometteur pour un certain nombre de pays africains. Cependant, afin de surmonter la répartition inégale actuelle des gains économiques tout au long de la chaîne de valeur de la gomme arabique, les pays producteurs doivent accroître la transformation locale et assurer aux collecteurs de la gomme arabique une compensation plus élevée. Ce rapport explore aussi le marché de la gomme arabique produite en Afrique de l’Ouest et Centrale.

The series “Commodities at a Glance” aims to collect, present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format. This issue of “Commodities at a Glance” explores the economic, social and environmental relevance of the gum arabic sector, with a focus on supply, demand, prices and market organization. Gum arabic is the most commercially valuable exudate gum, with wide applications in industries as diverse as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and printing. The gum is produced primarily in arid wooded savannas in sub-Saharan Africa, and consumed predominantly by manufacturers in developed and emerging economies. Due to its potential to generate foreign exchange reserves, ensure food security, promote sustainable agriculture and forestry, and combat desertification and climate change, gum arabic is a promising commodity for a number of African countries. However, in order to overcome the current uneven distribution of economic gains along the gum arabic value chain, producing countries must increase local processing and ensure higher compensation for resource-poor gum collectors.

This annual report describes the activities, achievements and financial situation of the DMFAS Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at the end of 2019. It is intended for the Programme’s donors, development partners and beneficiary countries, and for all those interested in debt and development issues.

Since the Integrated Simulation Framework (ISF) was first developed more than a decade ago, significant structural changes have taken place, and more data and information have become available. UNCTAD subsequently deemed it necessary to upgrade its macro-econometric model of the Palestinian economy by developing an updated generation of the ISF. Like its predecessor, the ISF II is a Klein-type demand-side model, though it goes beyond the standard demand-side approach by integrating the supply side of the economy in its structure. It uses more recent economic and demographic data (up to 2018), increases the number of economic sectors (value-added and employment) from four to six, and attempts to reflect Palestinian national and international economic relations since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in 1994. Ultimately, the aim of this new model is to aid Palestinian policymakers in better formulating public policies by assessing the impact of alternative policy packages.

The world is currently facing a triple crisis: food, energy, and climate. People living in poverty and in developing countries, especially in Africa, are on the frontline, suffering most in a crisis they did not create. Many solutions are available but major change will only happen when a large enough part of the international system moves in the same direction, and solutions are tailored to specific country contexts. This report proposes principles and a framework to guide policy and financing options on adapting to life in a changing climate and a green transition, while achieving poverty reduction goals. These principles reveal the need to take specific development contexts into account when designing strategies, policies and financing options.

The UNECE Road Maps for Mainstreaming Ageing support countries in the national implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) and its Regional Implementation Strategy and in the development of national strategies and action plans on ageing.

Continuing the thread of the 2019 and 2020 Human Development Reports (HDRs), the 2021/22 HDR carries forward a conversation centered on inequalities while integrating other important themes related to uncertainties in the Anthropocene: societal-level transformations, mental health impacts, political polarization, but also, crucially, opportunity. The Report explores how uncertainty in the Anthropocene is changing, what is driving it, what it means for human development, and how we can thrive in spite of it. The Report argues that, in the end, doubling down on human development is central to a more prosperous future for all.

This annual report describes the activities, achievements and financial situation of the DMFAS Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at the end of 2020. It is intended for the Programme’s donors, development partners and beneficiary countries, and for all those interested in debt and development issues.

Continuing the thread of the 2019 and 2020 Human Development Reports (HDRs), the 2021/22 HDR carries forward a conversation centered on inequalities while integrating other important themes related to uncertainties in the Anthropocene: societal-level transformations, mental health impacts, political polarization, but also, crucially, opportunity. The Report explores how uncertainty in the Anthropocene is changing, what is driving it, what it means for human development, and how we can thrive in spite of it. The Report argues that, in the end, doubling down on human development is central to a more prosperous future for all.

This annual report describes the activities, achievements and financial situation of the DMFAS Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at the end of 2018. It is intended for the Programme’s donors, development partners and beneficiary countries, and for all those interested in debt and development issues.

Continuing the thread of the 2019 and 2020 Human Development Reports (HDRs), the 2021/22 HDR carries forward a conversation centered on inequalities while integrating other important themes related to uncertainties in the Anthropocene: societal-level transformations, mental health impacts, political polarization, but also, crucially, opportunity. The Report explores how uncertainty in the Anthropocene is changing, what is driving it, what it means for human development, and how we can thrive in spite of it. The Report argues that, in the end, doubling down on human development is central to a more prosperous future for all.

Digital technologies are revolutionizing the landscape of international trade and investment. As digital trade gains momentum, disparities in readiness are accentuating pre-existing inequalities. Countries and communities that are ill-prepared to seize these opportunities risk losing out on fundamental drivers of contemporary economic growth, societal development, and environmental conservation. Trade and investment authorities are grappling with a pressing challenge: – How can digital trade and investment policies be crafted to simultaneously drive growth and cater to societal and environmental imperatives? This core inquiry is the focus of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report, "Unleashing Digital Trade and Investment for Sustainable Development." The report, jointly prepared by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), delves into both the potential and obstacles associated with digital trade and investment. This report weaves together an integrative policy-making approach, particularly enlightening policymakers in trade and investment about the roles they can assume to realize the potential of digital trade and investment as effective means for the achievement of the SDGs. The report seeks to broaden policymakers' perspectives and is expected to stimulate policy dialogues and inter-ministerial and public-private sector collaboration. It advocates for a cohesive strategy at both the global and regional levels to reap greater benefits from digital trade and investment and as well as to maintain focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This report examines the role of economic and social policies in understanding the evolution of inequality and poverty in Malawi over the past three decades. Emphasizing the centrality of policy choices in addressing inequality, the report indicates that most of the key policies that Malawi has been implementing have contributed to reducing income inequality. However, their efficacy is being eroded by several factors including policy incoherence and infrastructure gaps.

The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics provides a wide range of statistics and indicators relevant to the analysis of international trade, investment and development.

One of the main value additions of the Survey 2023 is a proposal for an augmented Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) approach that duly incorporates SDG investment needs, potential socioeconomic and environmental gains, government's structural policies that go beyond financial considerations, and government's resource mobilization strategies and financial capacity. The Survey 2023 also provides new insights on how to prevent potential public debt crises and resolve public debt distress in order to effectively pursue the SDGs. For example, in prevention of public debt crisis, governments will need to explore unconventional policy measures such as leveraging the potential of non-tax policy measures and public assets. In resolving public debt distress governments might need to bring the rising number of commercial debt creditors into discussions with the existing institutional investors, while fundamental policy actions to enhance fiscal resources are still needed, governments will also need to explore unconventional policy measures, such as leveraging the potential of non-tax policy measures and public assets amid rising public indebtedness. In resolving public debt distress, while the emergence of commercial creditors brings new opportunities as many of them are increasingly mindful about the importance of sustainable development, their participation in the existing global debt architecture is virtually missing. At the same time, several unconventional, SDG-aligned debt relief modalities have recently been proposed. Amid these and other changes in the global and Asia-Pacific debt landscapes and rising public indebtedness in the region, it is time to rethink public debt issues in support of the SDGs.

The Handbook presents a broad framework to classify and understand forms of employment, which is centered around two main dimensions: work relationships (as defined in the 2018 International Classification of Status in Employment) and work modalities (the way in which work is coordinated, performed, and compensated). To develop a full understanding of forms of employment, the Handbook provides definitions of the concepts of permanence and stability of employment. It also covers the broader context of forms of employment which includes person-level circumstances, social protection, and quality of employment to help better understand the impact of forms of employment on well-being. The Handbook provides definitions of key concepts, general principles and guidelines as well as a list of key recommended indicators with the goal of facilitating national statistical efforts to classify, measure and track diverse forms of employment relevant to their national context.

Smallholder farmers constitute the largest contingent of the poor and yet they produce more than 80 per cent of the world's food, in value terms. Though there are marked differences by country and region in the average size of small farms, it is estimated that more than 90 per cent of the 570 million farms worldwide are managed by an individual or a family, and that mostly they rely on family labour. Estimates further show that about 2.5 billion people depend on agricultural production systems for their livelihoods. The report highlights the range of constraints that smallholder farmers face in developing economies and specifically provides new analyses of the state of their integration into the global economy. It underlines that smallholder farmers are both victims of climate change and key actors in the achievement of a more inclusive and environmentally friendly development path. The report argues for specific measures at the national, regional and global levels, including in international trade and investment agreements, for unleashing the full business potential of smallholders. It showcases good policy practices, including the role of strong political leadership in reversing the policy neglect that small farmers have suffered from. "Business as usual" is not an option if the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to be achieved. In light of this, the report calls for greater resources to be devoted to supporting smallholders. Finally, the report also urges for the establishment of an accountability mechanism for monitoring progress on key commitments related to smallholders on trade, investment, finance and technology.

La présente étude porte sur le coût économique de l’occupation israélienne dans la zone C, qui représente environ 60 % de la superficie totale de la Cisjordanie occupée. Dans cette zone, l’occupation impose encore plus de restrictions à l’activité économique palestinienne que dans les zones A et B, où les restrictions sont déjà drastiques. L’étude fournit une estimation du coût de ces restrictions supplémentaires pour les activités économiques menées en dehors des limites des conseils régionaux des colonies. L’estimation est réalisée au moyen d’une méthode innovante mais bien établie, consistant à examiner sur une période donnée la luminosité nocturne captée par satellite pour mesurer l’activité conomique. L’occupation fragmente la géographie et l’économie de la Cisjordanie, défigurant les zones A, B et C et les transformant en un puzzle dont les pièces ne s’emboîtent plus. Ces zones, morcelées par un système de contrôle complexe à plusieurs niveaux, sont privées de beaucoup plus que leur unité. Comment évaluer les pertes entraînées par les restrictions et la fragmentation territoriale ? Quel est le coût économique de la privation des Palestiniens de la zone C, seule partie contiguë de la Cisjordanie, de leur capacité de produire ? Cette étude tente de répondre à ces deux questions en évaluant une partie de ce coût.

A variety of controls imposed under occupation constrain economic development in Areas A and B of the West Bank. These include the ban on the importation of certain technology and inputs under the dual-use list system and a myriad of mobility and other restrictions that inflate the cost of production and undermine the competitiveness of Palestinian producers in domestic and foreign markets. While special economic zones in China and other countries have contributed significantly to their economies and are thought to be positive, the classification of portions of the West Bank as part of Area C exerts the opposite effect: instead of openness, it entails restrictions, and instead of contributing to the economy it hampers and suppresses its potential. Area C thus plays a role kin to an “adverse economic zone” that thwarts investment instead of promoting greater economic activity. This study quantifies the impact of the relative share of Area C in Palestinian localities on household welfare, measured by expenditure. The estimation exercise uses two cross-sectional data sets on 457 localities in 10 governorates. The exercise reveals that the greater the share of Area C in a locality, the stronger the negative impact on total household expenditure. The extent of this negative effect, however, is heterogeneous and varies across West Bank governorates. The study complements previous studies and concludes that reducing restrictions in Area C to levels similar to Areas A and B, as a necessary, but not sufficient, step towards ending the occupation, in line with relevant United Nations resolutions, and could boost total Palestinian household expenditure substantially, by up to 200 per cent in some localities, and help to reduce poverty substantially across much of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The System of National Accounts, 2025 (2025 SNA) is an update of the System of National Accounts, 2008. It is the sixth version of the SNA, the first of which was published more than seventy years ago. The 2025 SNA retains the basic theoretical framework of the 2008 SNA. However, in line with the mandate of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the 2025 SNA introduces treatments for new aspects of the economy that have come into prominence, elaborates on aspects that have increasingly become the focus of analytical attention and clarifies guidance on a wide range of issues, based on advances in methodological research and needs of users. These include topics such as globalization, digitalization, emerging financial issues, Islamic finance and the informal economy. A unique feature of the 2025 SNA is the broadening of the national accounts framework to better account for elements affecting wellbeing and sustainability to inform various policy goals. This pre-edited version will be replaced by the final edited version once it becomes available.

The expansion of non-contributory pension systems in the region has been one of the major milestones in the development of social protection architecture in a context of high levels of informal labour, rapid population ageing, and significant gaps and inequalities, including gender inequalities. Non-contributory pension systems have expanded substantially in the twenty-first century, approaching a coverage rate of 3 in 10 persons aged 65 years and over in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2022. Establishing non-contributory pension systems and strengthening those that already exist in the countries of the region can decisively contribute to the civilized objective of eradicating poverty in old age, helping to significantly reduce inequalities and to ensure protected levels of income during this phase of life. This publication proposes a collective approach to addressing the risks associated with old age, one that focuses on building revitalized architecture for well-being to advance towards universal coverage centred on sustainability and solidarity. The achievement of sustainable non-contributory pension systems is foundational to the pursuit of solidarity and the full exercise of rights in old age.

La expansión de los sistemas de pensiones no contributivos en la región constituye uno de los principales hitos en la construcción de las arquitecturas de la protección social en un contexto marcado por una alta informalidad laboral, un acelerado envejecimiento y amplias brechas y desigualdades, incluidas las desigualdades de género. En este siglo se observa un aumento sustantivo de la cobertura de los sistemas de pensiones no contributivos, que en 2022 llegaban a casi 3 de cada 10 personas de 65 años y más de América Latina y el Caribe. Crear sistemas de pensiones no contributivos y fortalecer los ya existentes en los países de la región puede aportar decididamente al objetivo civilizatorio de erradicar la pobreza en la vejez, así como a reducir significativamente las desigualdades y garantizar niveles de ingresos protegidos en esta etapa de la vida. En este documento se propone enfrentar colectivamente los riesgos asociados a la vejez, favoreciendo la construcción de arquitecturas de bienestar renovadas, que avancen hacia la universalidad con la sostenibilidad y la solidaridad en el centro. Alcanzar la sostenibilidad de los sistemas de pensiones no contributivos es un eje central para promover la solidaridad y garantizar el ejercicio de los derechos en la vejez.

The Handbook on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) prepared by the Secretariat of the Committee for Development Policy. It responds to the need to make the methods and approaches used in the identification of LDCs, and the international support measures available to them, known to a wide range of stakeholders. The 4th edition builds upon the 2018 edition, and has been updated to reflect recent developments in the LDC category, including the progress of several countries towards graduation from the category amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition contains additional information on international support measures, in particular on “smooth transition” provisions for countries graduating from the LDC category.

The fifth edition of the Handbook on the Least Developed Country Category provides comprehensive information on the least developed country (LDC) category, including a description of procedures and methodologies used in the identification of these countries and the international support measures available to them. It builds upon and updates the previous edition, published in 2021. The Handbook aims at providing comprehensive and up-to-date information on the LDC category. The publication is intended for use by government officials, policymakers, researchers and others interested in the LDC category.

This edition of the Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2024 addresses the challenges of non-contributory social protection to advance towards inclusive social development in the region. Addressing the development crisis, the gaps in inclusive social development and the reconfiguring risk structure requires progress towards universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient social protection systems. Non-contributory social protection policies are essential in achieving the objectives and functions of social protection systems: income protection, access to social services and labour inclusion. One in three households in the lowest income quintile lacks access to social protection and programme amounts are often insufficient to overcome poverty. The region faces persistent gender inequality and a care crisis that will be exacerbated by accelerated ageing. Progress in poverty eradication requires comprehensive policies, as well as progress in establishing a standard of social investment in non-contributory social protection.