The Weekly Tradecast by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

With the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund happening this month, the Weekly Tradecast is looking at Bretton Woods with special guest Danny Quah, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. The Bretton Woods agreement of July 1944 – about a year before the end of World War Two – aimed to create an efficient foreign exchan...

The Weekly Tradecast talks about a potential energy source that could play a vital role in the fight against climate change with economist and atmospheric physicist Robert Hamwey, who formerly worked at UN Trade and Development. Hydrogen is clean, green and abundant. But there are challenges -- not least that it's expensive to make and often uses natural gas in the production process. It is also v...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at how the global economy is evolving in a more fragmented world with special guest Isabella Weber, assistant professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Since 1964, when UN Trade and Development was created, the world has changed profoundly in response to many challenges and opportunities. Now, technology and climate change are major forces transf...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the UN’s Summit of the Future and how any hopes for sustainable and inclusive development depend on us making fundamental changes in how we think and act. Since 1964, when UN Trade and Development was created, the world has seen huge transformations of economies, technologies and societies. To meet our new realities, world leaders at this week’s Summit of the Future w...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the devastating impact of the Israel-Gaza war on the Palestinian economy with Rami Alazzeh, an expert in conflict and development economics at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). On October 7 last year, Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Since then, the response by Israel's military has kil...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at international aid and how more is needed to boost economies and people with Julia Gruebler from the technical team of the UN Global Crisis Response Group. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is more than just cash. The grants, loans and technical assistance from various governments can support societies with access to electricity, clean water, healthcare and educati...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the economic power and potential of creativity with our special guest, John Howkins, who coined the term "creative economy". Countries, companies and universities around the world are eager to embrace innovation and people with fresh ideas. The creative economy – ranging from art, film and theatre to advertising, fashion, music and video games – is already worth at le...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at cocoa and the impact of climate change with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) senior economist Rodrigo Cárcamo-Díaz. Cocoa beans are the key ingredient of chocolate and also an important part of health supplements, cosmetics, fragrances and more. But cocoa prices have risen sharply this year, driven up by poor harvests in West Africa, which produces the bulk of global...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at lead-acid batteries and why they remain so popular despite the world moving towards greener energy with UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Henrique Pacini. Invented more than 160 years ago, lead-acid batteries are still the most widely used rechargeable batteries. Reliable and relatively cheap, they're found in everything from cars and trucks to electric wheelchairs...

As we celebrate International Youth day, The Weekly Tradecast looks at the importance of investing in the skills and opportunities of the young with Chidinma Udeogu and Arlette Verploegh. Chidinma Udeogu is part of the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) youth network, and Arlette Verploegh created and coordinates the global group of 18- to 30-year-olds to share their ideas, experiences and voices t...

As 2024 is UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) 60th birthday, The Weekly Tradecast takes a step back in time with Danielle Hughes, chief of the records management unit. The United Nations was created after the Second World War to preserve peace as the forum for countries to work together towards common goals. But it was not until 1964 that UNCTAD was set up in Geneva as its own agency to promote t...

With the summer holidays starting, The Weekly Tradecast looks at travel and consumer protection rights with Alicia Gomez, Legal Counsel at the UN World Tourism Organization. With millions of people on the move this summer, many holiday makers have no idea of their rights or the protections in place when something goes wrong. During the pandemic, millions of flights were cancelled and many tourists...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the Sustainable Development Goals with a special guest - Marina Ponti, Director of the UN SDGs Action Campaign. In 2015, UN members signed up to 17 SDGs that range from ending extreme poverty to tackling the climate crisis. The goals are supposed to be met by 2030 to fulfil the promise of a better future for people and the planet. But trillions of dollars are needed t...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the Digital Economy Report from UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) with Torbjorn Fredriksson. Around the world, greater access to technology has revolutionised the way we live and work. While the changes are delivering many benefits, the new report says how we manage the digital transformation will have a major influence on the future of humanity and the health of our...

The Weekly Tradecast dives into the benefits and potential of seaweed with UN Trade and Development lawyer David Vivas. Climate change is affecting harvests around the globe. But seaweed is one of the few food crops that have a positive effect on the environment.  It’s also high in protein, making it a promising substitute for meat and an even more sustainable alternative than soya. Seaweed also h...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at why we need to chart a new course for development – with insights from our Global Leaders Forum.  UN Trade and Development is celebrating our 60th year of promoting a fairer economic system and access to the benefits of global trade. As we mark this milestone of transforming people’s lives, we're also evolving to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. "Charting...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the World Investment Report 2024 and the latest trends with UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Richard Bolwijn.  Global flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) declined by 2% to $1.3 trillion dollars last year.  The headline number included big swings in a small number of conduit economies – which often act as intermediaries for FDI destined for other countries. Wit...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at today's challenges and the opportunities of tomorrow with special guest UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. We’ll be talking about her vision for UN Trade and Development, how to address new challenges and why we must move forward together to create an inclusive and sustainable future. Founded in 1964 as the United Nations Conference on Trade a...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the evolution of science and technology with one of the most influential women in UK tech, special guest Sana Khareghani. Since 1964, when UN Trade and Development was created, the world has seen a series of new realities, challenges and opportunities.  These days, advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies are racing ahead, transforming education, fin...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the need for rules to balance the benefits and risks with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) legal expert Arnau Izaguerri Vila. Innovations in AI are racing ahead as machines get better and faster at analysing information on a vast scale. Already, the advances are transforming many fields of work and also reshaping our soc...

As the United Nations first Global Supply Chain Forum gets underway, The Weekly Tradecast gets an update on shipping disruptions that are adding to the global challenges with UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Jan Hoffmann.  Ships carry about 80% of goods globally – from production to consumption. With tensions high in the Middle East, attacks by Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea have diver...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at low-lying coastal countries and the unique threats they face from climate change with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) senior economist Mussie Delelegn.  The resilience and prosperity of these countries is the focus of the UN’s fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States in late May. Known as SIDS, these dozens of small island states are the mos...

The Weekly Tradecast looks at the importance of science, technology and innovation for global development – and our future – with Virginia Dignum, Director of the AI Policy Lab at Umea University. Artificial intelligence (AI) is very much in the news but it’s just one of many emerging technologies with huge implications for our economies, our societies and the environment. How do we create benefit...

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at a new report by the United Nations on trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) with Bruno Casella, a senior economist at UN Trade and Development. By tracking 20 years of FDI, the report says global flows are slowing down in the long term. Services are still growing quickly but manufacturing activity has suffered the most.  The stagnation was already...

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the rare metals and minerals used in mobile phones, laptops and electric car batteries with Clovis Freire, chief of the commodity research and analysis section at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Electric vehicles are seen as clean because they don’t belch out exhaust fumes that fuel climate change. But some of the materials that go into them – espec...