World News in Brief: UNCTAD development finance call, Nepal quake update, religious freedom in Nicaragua

World News in Brief: UNCTAD development finance call, Nepal quake update, religious freedom in Nicaragua

That’s the message from the UN’s trade and development body UNCTAD, which called on Tuesday for urgent reform of the international financial system to support the world’s 46 Least Developed Countries. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, these most vulnerable economies urgently require foreign investment to add value to their economic output,…

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Annual cost for reaching the SDGs? More than $5 trillion: UNCTAD

Annual cost for reaching the SDGs? More than $5 trillion: UNCTAD

According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), this represents between $1,179 and $1,383 per person, per year.  The study factors in 50 SDG indicators across 90 countries, covering three quarters of the global population.  For the world’s 48 developing economies, the shortfall is estimated at $337 billion annually, if they are to…

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Africa can become new global supply chain force: UNCTAD

Africa can become new global supply chain force: UNCTAD

In a new report, UNCTAD shows that Africa can become a major exporter of higher value-added goods, creating growth and jobs, and fuelling a rise in productivity and wages. Launching the report in Nairobi, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan insisted it would offer a better future for the continent’s economies. Diversifying trade “builds resilience and enhances innovation”,…

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Countries must forge ‘Global Blue Deal’ to protect the ocean: UNCTAD

Countries must forge ‘Global Blue Deal’ to protect the ocean: UNCTAD

That’s according to the UN Trade and Development body UNCTAD’s Trade and Environment Review 2023, published on Monday, which analyses the world’s $3-6 billion ocean economy, and assesses how human activity and multiple global crises have significantly impacted sectors like fishing, seafood, shipping and coastal tourism. The report, presented at the 3rd UN Trade Forum in Geneva, calls for…

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