From low growth, trade disruptions and Gaza’s destruction to the critical minerals boom, investment shifts, freight rate spikes and UNCTAD’s rebranding, here are the most-read stories of the year.
© UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
1. Global economic growth set to slow to 2.6% in 2024, just above recession threshold
Published on 18 April 2024 | UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) forecasts global growth to remain below pre-pandemic levels for the third year, highlighting the need for structural reforms and international collaboration to address trade disruptions, climate change and rising inequalities.
2. Red Sea, Black Sea and Panama Canal: UNCTAD raises alarm on global trade disruptions
Published on 26 January 2024 | UNCTAD warns that escalating attacks on ships in the Red Sea are adding strain to shipping routes already hit by conflict and climate change.
3. Foreign direct investment in developing economies fell 9% in 2023
Published on 22 January 2024 | An UNCTAD report shows foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the Global South dropped to $841 billion in a global context of weak investment and economic uncertainty.
4. Gaza: Unprecedented destruction will take tens of billions of dollars and decades to reverse
Published on 31 January 2024 | An UNCTAD report quantifies the social and economic deterioration in Gaza in terms of GDP loss, recovery timelines and the enduring effects on poverty and household expenditure, painting a daunting picture of the development challenges ahead.
5. Shifting investment patterns: 5 key FDI trends and their impact on development
Published on 23 April 2024 | UNCTAD analysis explores how factors beyond economic determinants are increasingly shaping investment decisions, sidelining smaller economies and hindering FDI-based development.
6. Critical minerals boom: Global energy shift brings opportunities and risks for developing countries
Published on 26 April 2024 | The global energy transition offers mineral-rich countries the chance to bolster their industries and diversify their economies but also risks deepening their commodity dependence.
7. UNCTAD rebrands to 'UN Trade and Development'
Published on 9 April 2024 | The strategic move underscores the organization's commitment to greater impact, with a new, clearer visual identity aiming to better reflect its work and values and to amplify its voice on behalf of developing countries.
8. Key evolutions in trade and development over the decades
Published on 12 June 2024 | As UNCTAD celebrates its 60th anniversary, we delve into key trends that have shaped global trade and development over the past decades and will continue to influence them.
9. Chocolate price hikes: A bittersweet reason to care about climate change
Published on 28 March 2024 | Higher price tags for chocolate lovers worldwide are in part linked to a changing climate pushing up cocoa costs.
10. High freight rates strain global supply chains, threaten vulnerable economies
Published on 22 October 2024 | UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2024 examines the disruptions in the Red Sea, Suez Canal and Panama Canal that have driven up shipping costs and sent shockwaves through the global economy.