The spread of the latest strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) is disrupting economic and social life in multiple ways and dimensions. This crisis is unfolding at a time characterized by rapid digitilization, which is helping in the decision making process regarding response and adaptations to the situation by governments, business and consumers.
The global spread of COVID-19 exerts impact on foreign investment policies. The devastating economic effects of the pandemic are expected to drive down global FDI flows by 40%, to its lowst level of the past two decades.
The comparison with the global financial crisis can provide some insights on order of magnitude. The actual negative impact of COVID-19 could be significantly worse on several accounts.
The challenges to financing for development are greatest in the countries with the most to lose from declining trust in multilateralism: the least developed countries.
The ASEAN Investment Report is an annual report analysing investment and related issues in the region. It is prepared under a technical cooperation arrangement between the ASEAN Secretariat and UNCTAD.
World maritime trade lost momentum in 2018, with volumes expanding at 2.7 per cent, below the historical averages of 3.0 per cent and 4.1 per cent recorded in 2017. Total volumes are estimated to have reached 11 billion tons, an all-time high, according to UNCTAD records.
The world economy is heading into troubled waters, with recession in 2020 now a clear and present danger, according to UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2019.
The Monitor analyzes directional trends in investment in the SDGs, following the 10 SDG-relevant sectors for which investment gaps were estimated in the World Investment Report 2014 (WIR14) - adding up to a total gap of $2.5 trillion annually.
The 2019 edition of the Commodities and Development Report is titled "Commodity Dependence, Climate Change and the Paris Agreement". It seeks to further the understanding of the interactions between climate change and the commodity sectors.
