International Trade and Finance

Stephen Elop, the former Microsoft executive, said on the takeover of Finnish mobile-device maker Nokia a couple of years ago that ‘we didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost’.

It is somewhat ironic that with more than 3 billion people, the rural poor, who have very little in the way of personal resources, constitute the largest group of natural resource managers. Within this group, women have a key role in sourcing natural resources as farmers and household providers. They are responsible for harvesting, collecting of fuel and water and cultivating subsistence crops.

From aerospace to seafood, Maroc Export helps small and medium-sized enterprises in a wide range of sectors to tap new export markets.

The 2015 Human Development Report (HDR): Work for Human Development’ examines the intrinsic relationship between work and human development. Work, which is a broader concept than jobs or employment, can be a means of contributing to the public good, reducing inequality, securing livelihoods and empowering individuals.

Global trade is undergoing rapid change through a fragmentation of production processes and the integration of emerging economies into the global market. A key factor in the expansion of global value chains (GVCs) is the role played by services activities. There would be no GVCs if well-functioning transport, logistics, finance, insurance, communication and other business services did not move goods, people and knowledge along the value chain. It is through services that companies coordinate and link stages of production. The OECD-World Trade Organization database on Trade in Value Added reveals that services account for over 30% of the value created in manufacturing value chains.

Business communities in developing countries must be fully involved in expanding trade in services and tackling related regulatory issues to tap the vast potential of the growing services sector, according to a new book by the International Trade Centre (ITC).

The key role of services industries in enabling the development of value chains in goods is now well understood. Services industries are also fragmenting into global value chains themselves. Business services intermediates have become the fastest growing component of world trade, reflecting the growth of services outsourcing and the emergence of global services value chains.

Côte d’Ivoire has for centuries been known as a country blessed with abundant natural resources. Today this is reflected in the West African country’s status as the world’s largest exporter of cocoa.

Trade promotion organizations (TPOs) often have an invisible role, working behind the scenes to help small and medium-sized enterprises to increase exports to global markets. The 10th TPO Network World Conference and Awards, held 3-5 November in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, gave TPOs the opportunity to take the spotlight.

The adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 marked a momentous year for the United Nations. They aim to transform lives in the 21st century and address such challenges as poverty, gender inequality and unemployment.