OECD countries reaffirmed commitments to open trade and aid

3 February 2009 in Banking, Crisis, Development, European Union, OECD, WTO

OECD countries have pledged to abstain from trade protectionism as part of a concerted drive to shore up the world economy and combat recession. They also have reaffirmed their commitments on aid to developing countries. Already in November 2008, at a meeting of the OECD’s Executive Committee in Special Session, OECD countries agreed to sustain [...]

Rising Food Prices hit the Poor, shake Development Agendas

26 April 2008 in Africa, Development, Environment, Rural Economies, Trade, WTO

With food and other commodity prices skyrocketing in recent months, energy and climate change have been all over the news.
Prices for rice, the staple food for about half of the world’s 6 billion people, have soared to record highs, with key benchmarks touching $1000-per-tonne earlier this month, more than double the rate at the start [...]

UNCTAD XII adopts wide-ranging conclusions

26 April 2008 in Africa, Economy, Trade, WTO

UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi hailed the Accra Accord and its accompanying political declaration for embodying the shared commitment of the developing and developed world ”to work toward making globalization a powerful means to achieve poverty eradication.” Quoting Ghanaian President John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, whose country hosted the conference, Dr. Supachai referred to a new mood [...]

UNCTAD XII to consider impact of economic trends on development

1 April 2008 in ACP, Africa, Development, Trade, WTO

Twelfth United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to take place in
Accra, Ghana, 20-25 April
Heads of state, ministers, economists to discuss better translation of globalization gains into poverty reduction; nurturing and expanding South-South trade; commodities boom; regional integration; foreign investment for development, debt management; technology; growing impact of creative economy; importance of small firms and [...]