Podcasts about development unctad

Antibiotics save lives. But when the supplies run low or bacteria become resistant, the risks grow — especially in developing countries. On this episode of The Weekly Tradecast, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) economist Bruno Casella explores the challenges of securing essential antibiotics, the impact of limited local production, and how better investment and coordination can strengthen supply chains. Join us to discuss UNCTAD's findings on antibiotic shortages in East Africa and the urgent need for action.

In this episode, journalist Puja Mehra is joined by economist Dr. Rajat Kathuria to explore the evolution of India's telecom sector. From the early days of competition and spectrum allocation to the challenges faced by both new and legacy operators, Dr. Kathuria discusses the regulatory hurdles and the shift in policies that shaped the industry. They also examine how the telecom sector has driven India's digital transformation, enabling advancements in payments, startups, and citizen services. Finally, Dr. Kathuria shares insights on the future of telecom, suggesting potential reforms in spectrum allocation for a more streamlined and efficient sector. ABOUT DR. RAJAT KATHURIA Dr. Rajat Kathuria spent over 12 years with the International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi, teaching post-graduate students Managerial Economics and International Trade. He has also previously worked with the World Bank in Washington D.C. as a Consultant, and worked on research assignments for a number of international organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), LIRNEasia, The World Bank and The Asian Development Bank (ADB). For more of our coverage check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thecore.in⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) share a long history of collaboration in promoting international trade as a driver of economic development, particularly in supporting developing countries. In the episode “The Economic Case for Inclusivity”, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, and Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, share insights from a high-level panel exploring the economic imperative of mainstreaming inclusivity policies in global trade. Speakers in this episode: James Baxter, moderator, Australia's Permanent Representative to the WTO Ngozi Okonjo-IwealaDirector-General of the WTO Rebeca GrynspanSecretary-General of UNCTAD Host: Javier GutiérrezCounsellor in External Relations, World Trade Organization

The Weekly Tradecast looks at why we must rethink development strategies as growth slows and social discontent rises. Anastasia Nesvetailova, a senior economist at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), shares her insights from the latest report showing that stagnating economic growth is not strong enough for developing countries to tackle their many challenges.  On top of climate change and multiple crises, slow global growth and weak investment are worsening economic divides and fueling discontent. But the disruption also opens the way for the Global South to reshape trade, development and the green transition.  Tune in to Anastasia Nesvetailova, director of UNCTAD's macroeconomic and development policies branch, for more from the report on how we can adjust our thinking, investments and actions to best support inclusive development.

In an era defined by technological transformation and shifting economic landscapes, the challenge of ensuring equitable global development has never been greater. Trade, when facilitated effectively, can be a powerful tool to bridge divides and foster sustainable growth, but only if all countries – especially developing ones – can participate fully. Ahead of its 60th anniversary, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is leading the charge to make global trade more inclusive. In this episode of Voice Mail, we sit down with Rebeca Grynspan, UNCTAD's Secretary-General, to explore how the organization is supporting developing countries in navigating the complexities of the digital economy and ensuring no one is left behind. Grynspan discusses how UNCTAD's collaboration with partners like the UPU is helping to reduce barriers for small businesses and empower women entrepreneurs through initiatives like eTrade for Women. Grynspan is certain: even in the rapidly changing world, trade can remain a force for good, if we ensure that the weakest can also have a seat at the table.

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 killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Much of the tiny territory has been reduced to rubble and most of its 2 million people have been displaced in a humanitarian crisis. A new report by UN Trade and Development says the economy in Gaza has collapsed and few people have any work. Beyond Gaza, Palestinians in the West Bank are increasingly feeling the effects of the war on trade, tourism and jobs. Tune in to UN Trade and Development's Rami Alazzeh to hear more about the economic impact and what it will take to help the Palestinian economy recover and rebuild.

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 least $1.5 trillion and it's growing fast. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says the industry and its creative solutions can support sustainable development, promote diversity and help overcome global challenges.  So how do we make money from ideas and how can that power a brighter future for everyone? To find out listen in to John Howkins visiting professor at the University of Lincoln and vice dean and visiting professor at the Shanghai School of Creativity.

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 supplies and the El Niño weather phenomenon earlier this year. Hotter temperatures and shifts in rainfall caused by climate change also have an impact on harvests. Soaring prices are squeezing chocolate makers and hitting consumers. But the higher prices are not translating into gains for farmers – who are struggling with higher production costs and lower crop yields. Tune in to UN Trade and Development's Rodrigo Cárcamo-Díaz to find out if we're in a cocoa crisis?

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 to shape trade and development. In many countries, there are too many young people chasing too few jobs. That's bad for the economy and can also fuel tensions in society. At the same time, there are not enough workers with the skills needed for the economy of the future. Tune in to Chidinma Udeogu at the Nigeria Economic Zones Association and UN Trade and Development's Arlette Verploegh to find out how we can help young people get ready for work, encourage entrepreneurs and support trade and development in the future.

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 planet. With technology and digitalisation evolving quickly, the environmental footprint is also growing - from the rising demand for minerals, water and energy to the creation of more pollution and waste. For many developing countries, they are seeing only limited benefits from the digital economy but are highly exposed to the environmental impact. Listen in to Torbjorn Fredriksson, Head of the E-commerce and Digital Economy Branch, to hear how new business models, policies and strategies can help maximise the positive aspects of digitalisation and minimise the negative effects.

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 social interactions. The potential benefits are enormous but so too are the risks. As some countries, sectors and workers see great gains, others may lose out. And as AI blurs the boundaries of reality, it creates worrying new tools for disinformation. To keep up with these astonishing advances, tune in to Arnau Vila and find out why the United Nations says we need bold strategies and broad cooperation to develop shared standards around AI.

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 most vulnerable to extreme weather, rising seas and coastal erosion brought on by climate change. The human and economic costs are enormous. If climate trends continue, some of the islands could soon disappear under the waves.  Listen in to Mussie Delelegn to learn how the SIDS can build their economies, protect their people and mitigate the impact of climate change.

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 – especially the minerals and rare elements in their batteries – have large carbon footprints.  The environmental impact of extracting materials like cobalt, copper, lithium and graphite is a major concern.  In countries where much of the mining is done, there can be issues over human rights and the benefits to communities. With demand high and supplies limited, these materials also drive concerns about market domination by just a few producers.  Tune in to UN Trade and Development's Clovis Freire to find out more about these rare metals and minerals and how to make them greener.

This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the connection between food, health and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals with Bojan Nastav, a statistician with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  UN Trade and Development has teamed up with the World Health Organization to study the global trade of healthy and less healthy food.  At least 10% of the world's people live in hunger. At the same time, more than 40% of all adults are overweight.   So, it's not just a matter of quantity – or getting enough to eat. It's also about quality by ensuring people have access to safe and nutritious food to help them stay healthy.  Greater insights into the trade flows of food offer new ways for the WHO and others to analyse and address diseases that are linked to nutrition.  Tune in to Bojan Nastav, one of the authors of the report, to find out how this research can help governments better understand food markets and develop nutrition-related trade policies. 

Between Black Sea disruption and two key canals choking under the pressure of climate and war, a triple whammy of blocked arteries threatens world trade. The impacts on the wider global economy could be profound. So what happened to all that talk of supply chain resilience? We have drafted in a couple experts this week to help me make sense of it all: Ryan Petersen, the founder and CEO of digital freight forwarder Flexport Jan Hoffmann, Chief of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Trade Facilitation Section For More information about Lloyd's list Intelligence's Predictive Fleet Analytics, follow this link: https://www.lloydslistintelligence.com/services/data-and-analytics/predictive-fleet-analytics?utm_source=Lloyd%27s_List__Podcast_Referal&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=PFA_Red_Sea_Crisis&utm_id=PFA_Pursuit_Team

The next address of the IIEA's Development Matters series, which is supported by Irish Aid, will be given by Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In her speech, entitled Polyglobalisation: Debt, Trade and Geopolitics, she explores the links between development and trade and the place of developing countries in the complex world of international trade. Against the background of geopolitical shifts and competing visions of multilateralism, she explains the important role of UNCTAD in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and in amplifying the voices of least developed countries in multilateral fora. She also discusses reform of the international financial architecture which is urgently needed to ensure that the debt crisis does not become a development crisis. About the Speaker: Rebeca Grynspan is an economist and politician from Costa Rica who has been the Secretary General of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since 2021. As the Secretary General of UNCTAD, Ms Grynspan has focused the world's attention on relevant issues such as the reduction of inequality and poverty, gender equality, South–South cooperation as a tool for development and achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the need for international financial architectural reform. She is also coordinator of the task team of the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance, set up by the United Nations Secretary-General to help support developed and developing countries face the economic shocks related to the war in Ukraine. Additionally, she is currently a member of the Group of 20 High-level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. Prior to her appointment at UNCTAD, she was the Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Conference from 2014 to 2021. She is also a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as former Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining the United Nations, she served as Vice-President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998.

For 70+ years, development economists have been touting the idea that if lesser developed countries trade and invest collaboratively, it would serve as a pathway out of poverty. But today, the notion of so-called South-South cooperation is facing unprecedented challenges as developing countries confront a series of converging economic, health, and geopolitical crises.But two economists at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) contend that at the dawn of another Great Power rivalry and massive economic uncertainty, Global South countries working together is now more important than ever.Richard Kozul-Wright, director of UNCTAD's globalization and development strategies division, and Alex Izurieta, head of the South-South cooperation unit at UNCTAD, join Eric & Cobus intra-Global South trade provides a critical safety net for some of the world's poorest countries.JOIN THE DISCUSSION:Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olanderFacebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProjectYouTube: www.youtube.com/ChinaAfricaProjectFOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC:Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChineعربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfrJOIN US ON PATREON!Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug!www.patreon.com/chinaafricaprojectSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode will be hosted by Javed Siddiqui, Professor of Accounting, Alliance Manchester Business School. Pressures from various donor agencies (such as the World Bank), combined with the pursuit of legitimacy by governments in many developing countries, have resulted in various western accounting and corporate governance mechanisms to be exported to the developing world. Accounting researchers have identified the inherent limits to what (western) governance systems can achieve, especially in certain (non-western) contexts, and have often termed these practices as ‘ritualistic'. Drawing from his personal research journey, Professor Javed Siddiqui will discuss the potential policy implications of such research. For example, given the presence of weak capital markets, where investors do not really appreciate the value of a ‘good' audit, and the reasonable success of various supply chain certification schemes, is there a scope for changing the focus of auditing and governance mechanisms in developing economies (as suggested by the Brydon review)? If so, what is stopping certain forms of change from coming within? Also, given the tendency of governments in developing countries to adopt western governance mechanisms without considering the context, do regulators in western countries need a more cautious approach towards policy development? Javed is a Professor of Accounting at the Alliance Manchester Business School, and the school Director for post-graduate taught (PGT) programmes, responsible for a portfolio of fifteen specialised MSc programmes. Javed joined Manchester Business School as a Lecturer in 2008, and was promoted to a Senior Lecturer in the same school in 2015. His primary fields of research are auditing, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, especially in the context of developing economies. His research has been funded by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), the UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK. Professor Siddiqui worked with international development agencies, such as the World Bank and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Big Four accountancy firms, as well as national level professional accountancy bodies. This event will be facilitated by Christopher Humphrey, Professor of Accounting in the Accounting and Finance division of Alliance Manchester Business School. 

Briefing by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan to introduce the third report of the Global Crisis Response Group. Earlier this year, the Secretary-General launched this series of reports to examine the impact of the war in Ukraine on food, fuel and finance sectors.Secretary-General António Guterres today (3 Aug) urged governments to tax oil and gas companies' “excessive profits” and said it was “immoral” for these companies “to be making record profits from this energy crisis on the backs of the poorest people and communities and at a massive cost to the climate.”Launching the third brief of the Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on Food, Energy and Finance, Guterres said, “the combined profits of the largest energy companies in the first quarter of this year are close to 100 billion US dollars. I urge all governments to tax these excessive profits and use the funds to support the most vulnerable people through these difficult times.”Highlighting recommendations in the report, the Secretary-General said, “all countries – and especially developed countries – must manage energy demand. Conserving energy, promoting public transport and nature-based solutions are essential components of that.”Stressing need to accelerate the transition to renewables, he said, “storage technologies including batteries should become public goods. Governments must scale up and diversify supply chains for raw materials and renewable energy technologies. They should eliminate red tape around the energy transition, and shift fossil fuel subsidies to support vulnerable households and boost renewable energy investments. And governments must support the people, communities and sectors most affected, with social protection schemes and alternative jobs and livelihoods.”Guterres said developing countries “don't lack reasons to invest in renewables” as “many of them are living with the severe impacts of the climate crisis, including storms, wildfires, floods and droughts.”What they lack, he added, “are concrete, workable options.”The Secretary-General said, “prices go up and down. It is true but go up and down largely because of speculation and because of artificial conditions. And the truth is that we are seeing excessive, scandalous profits of oil and gas industry in a moment in which all of us are losing money.”Joining via video teleconference, the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Rebeca Grynspan, said, “in the short term, the best fuel we have is the fuel we save. On the demand side, the focus should be on reducing consumption in developed countries. This will help bring down the energy demand and allow to build reserves for winter.”Grynspan said, “as the colder months grow nearer, the pressure governments feel today will get even worse. The only way to relieve this pressure is by working together, by avoiding to all costs a scramble for fuels, by shielding the vulnerable from energy poverty, by managing demand in a fair and equitable way. And by investing in doubling down on the energy transition.”She said, “the short term and the long term start at the same time. And that time is now.”The GCRG's third brief recommends that governments find the most effective ways to fund energy solutions, such as publicly funded cash transfers and rebate policies, to protect vulnerable communities everywhere, including through windfall taxes on the largest oil and gas companies. At the same time, the brief urges a transition to renewables.The brief comes on the heels of the landmark Black Sea Grain Initiative which was agreed between Russia, Türkiye and Ukraine, under the auspices of the United Nations, on 22 July, paving the way for the first shipment of grains from Ukraine to leave the port of Odesa on 1 August.

FRESHPPACT is the fresh produce industry Impact Hub that works with research partners to find solutions to the biggest shared sustainability challenges that we all face. Right now, they are looking for solutions that can mitigate pollution caused by plastic used in agricultural mulch, workwear and packaging. Can you help them find scalable, commercially viable, game-changing solutions that are on the verge of discovery? They have launched three calls for proposals with over £900,000 worth of funding on offer for three or more solutions that they can test, commercialise and scale-up. Help us all define the problem, discover the solution and change the world. We talk to key representatives of Blue Skies and the University of Northampton Centre for Sustainable Business Practices about this next and very exciting stage for FRESHPPACT! We also will show you all the Beanstalk Global video highlighting the recent exploratory trip to Blue Skies in Ghana to understand the issues around plastic and the potential solutions. We go live with them all on Monday 18th July at 13:00hrs BST. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sMelteljRV2cnyWO1h9FHw (CLICK THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR FREE.) The Fresh Produce Impact Hub, known as FRESHPPACT, collaborates with retailers, manufacturers and agribusinesses operating within food supply chains rooted in developing or emerging economies to identify shared high-priority social and environmental challenges, and work with research partners to accelerate the adoption of the most promising solutions through a process of rapid evaluation, testing and adoption.   FRESHPPACT is being implemented by Blue Skies and supported by Waitrose, which has been awarded a UKAid grant to develop the operating model and launch three challenge funds to find solutions to problem plastics found in agricultural mulch, workwear and packaging. Solutions may include new technology and business models that mitigate plastic pollution through material substitution, accelerated biodegradation and improved manufacturing and remanufacturing processes. The UKAid grant has been made via the Sustainable Manufacturing and Pollution Programme (SMEP). The SMEP programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). FRESHPPACT is inviting expressions of interest from organisations who would like to be involved in launching the challenge funds and/or identifying solutions. Expressions of Interest may come from, but is not limited to retailers, fresh produce companies, research organisations (including universities) and solutions providers.

Dr. Chantal Line Carpentier, New York Office Chief for the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), discusses how UNCTAD serves as the United Nations focal point for trade and development, and for interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development. She stresses the importance of the Global Crisis Response Group, recently established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, to develop strategies to confront trade and development challenges in Ukraine and other international hotspots, and the critical role that is played by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to empower women, combat climate change and eliminate poverty to mention only a few.

Despite monitoring multiple global crises, Rebeca Grynspan has never lost her faith in the power of change. As Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), she is assessing the impact of the war in Ukraine on cash-strapped countries still reeling from the pandemic. “We don't have to be naive, but we have to believe in change, because change has happened. And we can make it happen again.” A trio of crises – climate change, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine – are setting global development by decades, with vulnerable countries worst affected by global food and energy shortages. In this episode, Rebeca Grynspan reflects on these setbacks, their disproportionate impact on women, and why the world can never give up on the promise of development.

Len J. Treviño is the SBA Communications Distinguished Professor in International Business and Director of International Business Programs in the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University. He received his Ph.D. degree in international business and strategic management from Indiana University Bloomington. Prof. Treviño's research focuses on the multinational enterprise, foreign direct investment, institutional theory, internationalization process theory, cross cultural management, gender, diversity and inclusion, and COVID-19. His work has been published in Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of International Business Policy, Journal of Management, Journal of World Business, International Business Review, and Academy of Management Learning & Education, among other outlets. Dr. Treviño has been a long-time member of AIB and he contributes regularly to AIB's conferences.  In addition, he has held various positions at such organizations as Whirlpool Corporation, Leo Burnett Advertising, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  He serves as an Editorial Board member at Journal of World Business and was an Associate Editor at Cross Cultural and Strategic Management. Prof. Treviño current research is focused on resolving some of society's grand challenges, including gender inequality, immigration, sustainable investment, and curbing the spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics. He has taught international business and strategic management classes at universities in Spain, Norway, Ukraine, Thailand, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Dr. Treviño has also given presentations and consulted on international business issues around the globe. Visit https://www.aib.world/frontline-ib/len-trevino/ for the original video interview.

In this episode Matthew and Cindy look at how standards support the digital transformation of developing countries.Cindy speaks to Torbjörn Fredriksson of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Nick Williams of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Torbjorn and Nick share the story about a new partnership between BSI, UNCTAD and AfDB forged through the eTrade for all initiative. The initiative is focused on leveraging the value of international standards to address the barriers to digital transformation. They also discuss a new standards-based digitalization toolkit - a key recommendation of a recent BSI Whitepaper on digital transformation - and UNCTAD's upcoming ecommerce week. unctad.org/eweek2022In this episode there's also news of a new series – Standards in 10 Minutes.@standardsshow@thestandardsshow education@bsigroup.com

As part of the Beanstalk Global mission to assist with the first phase of FRESHPPACT in partnership with Blue Skies, Waitrose & Partners and the University of Northampton Centre for Sustainable Business Practices, we meet up in Ghana and talk with Ruth Sadjei – General Manager for Blue Skies in West Africa. Ruth is an inspiring and hugely well-regarded figure in the fresh food industry in Africa. What she and her team have created at Blue Skies and the difference they have made to the people in Ghana and now Benin cannot be overstated. We interview her to find out her background, how Anthony Pile MBE (founder of Blue Skies)  inspired her to succeed and what she hopes for in respect of the Blue Skies business ongoing. The Fresh Produce Impact Hub, known as FRESHPPACT, will collaborate with retailers, manufacturers and agribusinesses operating within food supply chains rooted in developing or emerging economies to identify shared high-priority social and environmental challenges, and work with research partners to accelerate the adoption of the most promising solutions through a process of rapid evaluation, testing and adoption.   FRESHPPACT is being implemented by Blue Skies and supported by Waitrose, which has been awarded a UKAid grant to develop the operating model and launch three challenge funds to find solutions to problem plastics found in agricultural mulch, workwear and packaging. Solutions may include new technology and business models that mitigate plastic pollution through material substitution, accelerated biodegradation and improved manufacturing and remanufacturing processes. The UKAid grant has been made via the Sustainable Manufacturing and Pollution Programme (SMEP). The SMEP programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The grant has been awarded for an initial period until April 2022.  FRESHPPACT is inviting expressions of interest from organisations who would like to be involved in launching the challenge funds and/or identifying solutions. Expressions of Interest may come from, but is not limited to retailers, fresh produce companies, research organisations (including universities) and solutions providers.

Join us in our first phase of FRESHPPACT as we talk to representatives of Waitrose & Partners, Blue Skies and the University of Northampton Centre for Sustainable Business Practices about their forthcoming trip to Ghana! This critical mission to Ghana will seek to further define the challenges around plastics in the supply chain, helping us to ensure we find the most suitable and impactful solutions that can benefit the whole industry. We go live with them all on the next stage of the exciting FRESHPPACT adventure to find out more prior to a key trip to the key Blues Skies site in Ghana. On the panel we have: George Barrett - Sustainability Manager (Circular Economy) , Waitrose & Partners  Dr. Ebenezer Laryea – Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Northampton Hella Lipper-Morse – Head of Technical, Blue Skies  Lana Mo – Head of Innovation at Blue Skies John Oldham – Purchasing Manager, Blue Skies Ben Thomas – Senior Environment Manager, Waitrose & Partners The Fresh Produce Impact Hub, known as FRESHPPACT, will collaborate with retailers, manufacturers and agribusinesses operating within food supply chains rooted in developing or emerging economies to identify shared high-priority social and environmental challenges, and work with research partners to accelerate the adoption of the most promising solutions through a process of rapid evaluation, testing and adoption.   FRESHPPACT is being implemented by Blue Skies and supported by Waitrose, which has been awarded a UKAid grant to develop the operating model and launch three challenge funds to find solutions to problem plastics found in agricultural mulch, workwear and packaging. Solutions may include new technology and business models that mitigate plastic pollution through material substitution, accelerated biodegradation and improved manufacturing and remanufacturing processes. The UKAid grant has been made via the Sustainable Manufacturing and Pollution Programme (SMEP). The SMEP programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The grant has been awarded for an initial period until April 2022.  FRESHPPACT is inviting expressions of interest from organisations who would like to be involved in launching the challenge funds and/or identifying solutions. Expressions of Interest may come from, but is not limited to retailers, fresh produce companies, research organisations (including universities) and solutions providers.

The hugely regarded Blue Skies business has teamed up with Waitrose and the University of Northampton Centre for Sustainable Business Practices to launch an industry research and development hub to find ground-breaking solutions to sustainability challenges, with an initial focus on plastics. We go live with them to find out more and to speak to a select number of industry experts on the subject. On the panel we have: Caroline Drummond MBE – CEO of LEAF Simon Derek – Global Head of Sustainability, Blue Skies   Jim Jefcoate – Ex Walmart and ex GlobalG.A.P.   Ian Schofield – Ex Iceland & Highly Regarded Packaging expert The Fresh Produce Impact Hub, known as FRESHPPACT, will collaborate with retailers, manufacturers and agribusinesses operating within food supply chains rooted in developing or emerging economies to identify shared high-priority social and environmental challenges, and work with research partners to accelerate the adoption of the most promising solutions through a process of rapid evaluation, testing and adoption.   FRESHPPACT is being implemented by Blue Skies and supported by Waitrose, which has been awarded a UKAid grant to develop the operating model and launch three challenge funds to find solutions to problem plastics found in agricultural mulch, workwear and packaging. Solutions may include new technology and business models that mitigate plastic pollution through material substitution, accelerated biodegradation and improved manufacturing and remanufacturing processes. The UKAid grant has been made via the Sustainable Manufacturing and Pollution Programme (SMEP). The SMEP programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The grant has been awarded for an initial period until April 2022.  FRESHPPACT is inviting expressions of interest from organisations who would like to be involved in launching the challenge funds and/or identifying solutions. Expressions of Interest may come from, but is not limited to retailers, fresh produce companies, research organisations (including universities) and solutions providers.

Dr. Axèle Giroud is Professor of International Business and Head of the Comparative and International Business Group at the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester (U.K.). She is Visiting Professor with the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), and Rennes Business School (France). She previously held positions with Bradford University (U.K.), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Dr. Giroud has published widely, including books, academic articles in top journals (e.g. Journal of World Business, International Business Review, Management International Review, World Development), and policy reports for major organisations, such as DFID, the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, the World Bank, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the United Nations. Dr. Giroud currently serves as Area Editor for Journal of International Business Policy (JIBP), and Senior Editor for International Business Review (IBR). She sits on the editorial boards of several journals, Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Competitiveness Review, International Journal of Emerging Markets, and Asian Business & Management. Visit https://www.aib.world/frontline-ib/axele-giroud/ for the original video interview.

In the context of COP26, today's podcast is dedicated to the least developed countries. By now, the year 2021 has seen a familiar pattern of destructive impacts stemming from climate change, leading to increasingly devastating extreme weather events including fires, cyclones, hurricanes, floods, and droughts across the world.  Taffere Tesfachew, a career UN official, explains how the category of Least Developed Countries was created and how the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) works to support the group.

Rick Rowden is Senior Economist at Global Financial Integrity and Lecturer in the School of International Service at American University. He completed his PhD on India-Africa economic relations in the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. His academic areas of specialization are International Relations (IR), International Political Economy (IPE) and development economics, and he has expertise in the long-term national economic development strategies of developing countries and the emerging field of South-South economic relations. Currently he is an Adjunct Professorial Lecturer in the School of International Service (SIS) at American University and a senior economist at the Washington DC-based research NGO, Global Financial Integrity (GFI). Previously, he has worked for international development NGOs, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, and has lectured in Global Studies at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and in Political Science at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He has served as a consultant to many international development NGOs and UN agencies, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). He is the author of “India-Africa Economic Relations in the 21st Century: Emerging Connections in South-South Economics” (Routledge, forthcoming in 2021). Subscribe to our newsletter today A Correction Podcast Episodes RSS

Taffere Tesfachew, a career UN official, explains how the category of Least Developed Countries was created and how the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) works to support the group.

Electric vehicles have for years been the hallmark of green technology. However, they have had their "clean" label questioned for just as long as critics point to the many issues beneath the surface of electric vehicles. In this episode, we discuss what electric vehicles are, where this criticism comes from, and if electric vehicles are the best solution to transportation emissions.SourcesUnion of Concerned Scientists:EVs compared to gasoline vehicles: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/cleaner-cars-cradle-graveBatteries + Battery Recycling: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/ev-battery-recycling#read-online-contentTransportation Emissions- Global Warming: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/car-emissions-global-warmingTransportation Emissions- Pollution: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/vehicles-air-pollution-human-healthEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA):https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/what-you-can-do-reduce-pollution-vehicles-and-enginesYou Matter:https://youmatter.world/en/hydrogen-electric-cars-sustainability-28156/USA Today:https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/17/fact-check-electric-cars-emit-less-better-environment/3671468001/National Geographic:https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/electric-vehicles-take-off-recycling-ev-batteriesUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditccom2019d5_en.pdfMusic:“News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod licensed under CC BY. Edited to be shorter but content was not changed.Song Profile https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4122-news-theme/Author's Profile https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/artists/profile/9-kevin-macleod/License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcod

Jan Hoffmann, Head of the Trade Logistics Branch at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) joins the Trade Splainers to discuss: What exactly went wrong with the Ever Given in the Suez Canal The impacts of the blockage on shipping and global trade Why containers are so expensive How all of this is compounded by COVID

Since March 2020, 80 IMF lending arrangements have been approved. These arrangements arise in an era of historical global debt levels. The world is witnessing an insufficient and inadequate multilateral response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which will lock a large number of countries in a decade-long crisis of debt and austerity. What are the effects of growing debt piles for the public heath care sector in the Global South? How can we prevent that IMF austerity measures will arrest development efforts in the next decade? Which institutional changes are needed at the level of International Financial Institutions to avoid policy responses that create new debt traps? Daniel Munevar is a Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer supporting Eurodad's work on debt justice. He is interested in the analysis of the links between debt sustainability and the 2030 Agenda. Before joining Eurodad in 2020, Daniel worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and advising the Ministries of Finance of Colombia and Greece on debt related issues. Daniel has a Masters degree in Public Policy from the University of Texas in Austin. He speaks Spanish, English and a bit of Swedish. María José Romero is Policy and Advocacy Manager for Eurodad's work on publicly-backed private finance and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). Her role involves research and analysis, advocacy and monitoring policy developments. She joined Eurodad in 2012 and before that she worked at the secretariat of the Latin American Network on Debt, Development and Rights (LATINDADD), based in Peru, on tax justice and development finance. While in Uruguay, her home country, she was for five years Coordinator of the IFIs Latin American Monitor project at the Third World Institute (ITeM), where her main roles were networking and policy monitoring at a regional and global level on IFI-related issues and development finance. She is currently a PhD candidate in Development Economics at SOAS, University of London, with a research project on the global promotion of public-private partnerships in health and education.  --- About Crash Course Economics Crash Course is a platform designed to open up debate on how we can move out of the current crisis and make the necessary steps towards achieving social, economic, ecological and regenerative justice. Crash Course is inviting global experts to break down complex issues in lay terms and make them accessible to all so that we can understand how to shape our economic system for a just recovery and future. Website: https://crashcourseeconomics.org/ Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g54ZMD YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu3cbKwed48Bu7dkQDVjRQA Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrashEconomics

In this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, our Guest Expert Ana Clara Faria talks about her experience attending a recent Climate Reality Project Leadership Corp training. She also shares her current efforts to engage, educate, and empower people on climate change in her home country, Brazil. Guest Challenger Bio Ana Clara Faria has a Bachelor of Journalism with a specialized degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. She is interested in writing about themes such as public policy, social and economic issues, and sustainable development.  She attended the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in March 2019, in Atlanta, U.S., and is a current volunteer at the Youth Action Hubs – Brazil, an international project supported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) that aims to engage youth in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in their community.  She has a sustainability blog, Info Sustentável, which is focused on raising awareness on environmental issues and showing how everyone can make a difference with simple and sustainable actions in their everyday lives. Ana lives in Curitiba, in the south of Brazil, and aside from writing she loves drawing and sharing many of her illustrations on social media. Links mentioned Info Sustentável Ana Clara Faria Illustrations United Nations Youth Action Hub Brazil Climate Reality Project Contact Ana Clara Farria Facebook: @infosustentavel Instagram: @infosustentavel Email: contato@infosustentavel.com.br Contact Mayela Manasjan TinyClimate.com We are grateful for the generosity of Ashley Mazanec and her permission to use "Possible" from her album "Let’s Talk About The Weather" available on iTunes or Bandcamp. Ashley is an Eco Musician, and the co-founder of Let's Talk About The Weather podcast at EcoArts Foundation. jc6XWiLW9in0TQvlxTMv

Pablo Bortz speaks with Sara Murawski and Rodrigo Fernandez about monetary policy and the effects on the Global South in the third webinar of Crash Course series on monetary policy, central banks and ideology. In this interview we will ask what effect the previous round of QE had on the global south? How did it inflate debt levels? What can we expect from the current crisis-led monetary policy in developed economies? What are the policy areas and instruments we need to look at to mitigate these effects? Is there a role for central banks and monetary policy in the global south? How should we move from inward-looking central banks in the global north to a mandate that includes global monetary policy? Pablo G. Bortz obtained his Ph.D. at the Delft University of Technology. He is the author of Inequality, Growth, and ‘Hot' Money (Edward Elgar). He is currently Professor of Macroeconomics at the University of San Martín, Argentina and he also teaches at the University of General Sarmiento. He worked at the Argentine Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Central Bank, and was Economic Affairs Associate at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). --- About Crash Course Economics Crash Course is a platform designed to open up debate on how we can move out of the current crisis and make the necessary steps towards achieving social, economic, ecological and regenerative justice. Crash Course is inviting global experts to break down complex issues in lay terms and make them accessible to all so that we can understand how to shape our economic system for a just recovery and future. Website: https://crashcourseeconomics.org/ Newsletter: https://crashcourseeconomics.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8367ecf9343da28ffa5d80d46&id=e197615bf5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu3cbKwed48Bu7dkQDVjRQA Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrashEconomics

Welcome to our podcast Why Colombia?, this is a space to socialize experiences of companies that invest in Colombia and the potential of the country as an investment destination. Colombia has one of the most dynamic and competitive economies in Latin America, our country is the fourth largest recipient of foreign investment in Latin America and is among the 30 countries that attract the most investment worldwide, as stated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Featuring: Tony Smurfit CEO – Smurfit Kappa Group Erin Champlin Vicepresident J&J Global Services Kumail Jetha Endava Regional Manager for North LATAM

Ilene Grabel (University of Denver, USA) XXI IDP Industrial Development and Policy Lecture. When Things Don’t Fall Apart: Global Financial Governance and Developmental Finance in an Age of Productive Incoherence by Ilene Grabel (The MIT Press, 2017). Winner of the 2018 British International Studies Association International Political Economy Group Book Prize and the 2019 International Studies Association International Political Economy Section Best Book Award. In When things Don’t Fall Apart, Ilene Grabel makes a simple but controversial claim, based on the work of the eminent social scientist Albert O. Hirschman. Grabel argues that as concerns global financial governance and development finance we are now in a period that she calls productive incoherence. Unlike the Keynesian period of the middle 20th century and the neoliberal period that followed, the current conjuncture lacks an overarching theoretical framework to guide financial governance. In its absence, Grabel maps the proliferation of institutional innovation at the national, regional, and transregional levels. These experiments are grounded in a spirit of Hirschmanian pragmatism rather than Keynesian or neoclassical dogmatism. They are ad hoc, often limited in scope, and even inconsistent with each other. They are in that sense incoherent. The book’s novel normative claim is that this incoherence is productive. It is allowing for new institutional and policy innovations that are contributing to a pluripolar financial governance architecture that is more robust and offers greater opportunities for problem solving and experimentation than the coherent architecture it is displacing. Grabel substantiates these claims with empirically-rich case studies that explore the effects of recent crises on established and new networks of financial governance (such as the G-20); transformations within the IMF; institutional innovations in liquidity support and project finance from the national to the transregional levels; and the “rebranding” of capital controls. Grabel acknowledges, however, that the incoherent transformations underway also pose grave risks. She considers these risks in the concluding chapter of the book. Speaker Biography: Ilene Grabel is Professor of International Finance and co-director of the graduate program in Global Finance, Trade, and Economic Integration at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver (USA). She is presently serving as a standing member of the Intergovernmental Expert Group on Financing for Development at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Grabel has worked as a consultant to the International Poverty Centre for Inclusive Growth of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNCTAD/G-24, United Nations University/World Institute for Development Economics Research, and UNDP’s Human Development Report Office. Grabel has also been a consultant to Action Aid, to the coalition “New Rules for Global Finance,” was an Expert Advisor to the Third World Network project on capital controls and free trade agreements; is a member of the Task Force on Regulating Global Capital Flows for Long-Run Development (of the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-range Future, Boston University), has been a member since 2013 of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of the European Parliament, and since 1987 has been a staff economist with the Center for Popular Economics. She served as a co-editor of the Review of International Political Economy from 2013-2017. (Find the full biography here: https://www.soas.ac.uk/economics/events/08may2019-when-things-dont-fall-apart-global-financial-governance-and-developmental-finance-in-an-ag.html) Speaker: Ilene Grabel (University of Denver, USA), Antonio Andreoni (SOAS) Released by: SOAS Economics Podcasts

Mirian Vilela is the Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Center on Education for Sustainable Development at the University for Peace and is the coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter.Mirian's perspective on what is sustainability and what the Earth Charter really means is transcendent to how people often think about sustainability, her words ring of a profound connectedness of life, self, education, environment, just wholeness.She has been working in the field of sustainability since 1990, when she worked for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in preparation to the 1992 UN Earth Summit. Prior to that she worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Click here for a transcript of the podcast.

Rathinavani 90.8 CR Broadcast World Development Information Day Special Talk by Rathinam Technical Campus ECE Dept Student. In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly decided to institute a World Development Information Day coinciding with United Nations Day on October 24. The General Assembly had the object of drawing the attention of world public-opinion each year to development problems and the necessity of strengthening international co-operation to solve them.[1] The day was further recognized as the date on which the International Development Strategy for the Second Nations Development Decade was adopted in 1970. On May 17, 1972, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) proposed measures for information dissemination and for the mobilization of public opinion relative to trade and development problems. These became known as resolution 3038 (XXVII), which the UN General Assembly passed on December 19, 1972. This resolution called for introducing World Development Information Day to help draw the attention of people worldwide to development problems. A further aim of the event is to explain to the general public why it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation to find ways to solve these problems. The assembly also decided that the day should coincide with United Nations Day to stress the central role of development in the UN's work. World Development Information Day was first held on October 24, 1973, and has been held on this date each year since then. In recent years many events have interpreted the title of the day slightly differently. These have concentrated on the role that modern information-technologies, such as the Internet and mobile telephones free from digital divide can play in alerting people and finding solutions to problems of trade and development. One of the specific aims of World Development Information Day was to inform and motivate young people and this change may help to further this aim.

Liliann Fischer (University of Kent), Ben Fine (SOAS), Alfredo Saad Filho (SOAS) Rethinking Economics takes action: The Open Economics Forum and SOAS Department of Economics will be hosting a book launch for the recently published reader "Rethinking Economics - An Introduction to Pluralist Economics". The book is among the very first to provide a concise overview of different schools of thought in economics. The book launch will feature one of the editors, Liliann Fischer (University of Kent), as well as Professors Ben Fine (Economics, SOAS) and Alfredo Saad Filho (Development Studies, SOAS) who contributed with a chapter on 'Marxist Economics'. Speaker biographies: Liliann Fischer has an International Relations background, recently graduating from her first Master’s degree in Global Conflict and Peace Processes at the University of Aberdeen and is now studying for a second degree in Political Psychology at the University of Kent, UK. Ben Fine is Professor of Economics at the SOAS Department of Economics. He is the author of a number of works in the broad tradition of Marxist economics, and has made contributions on economic imperialism and social capital. He took his doctorate in economics at the London School of Economics, under the supervision of Amartya Sen. Alfredo Saad Filho is a Professor of Political Economy at the SOAS Department of Development Studies. Alfredo has degrees in Economics from the Universities of Brasilia (Brazil) and London (SOAS). He has worked in universities and research institutions based in Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mozambique, Switzerland and the UK, and was a senior economic affairs officer at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). His research interests include the political economy of development, industrial policy, neoliberalism, alternative economic policies, Latin American political and economic development, inflation and stabilisation, and the labour theory of value and its applications. Speakers: Liliann Fischer (University of Kent), Ben Fine (SOAS), Alfredo Saad Filho (SOAS) Organiser: Organised jointly with the Open Economics Forum. Event Date: 21 February 2018 Released by: SOAS Economics Podcast

Next month the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will organise a meeting to discuss ways of encouraging the production of pharmaceutical in Africa.

Next month the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will organise a meeting to discuss ways of encouraging the production of pharmaceutical in Africa.