Op-ed

March 09, 2021 - Sofía Baliño

What role can sustainability standards play in the post COVID-19 recovery?

Adopting such standards in LDC production offers promise, but work remains

February 16, 2021 -

Making global value chains sustainable and enhancing the position of LDCs: A shared responsibility

Multinationals and governments need to recognize the trade world’s interconnectedness, and its impact

November 24, 2020 - Dr. Karishma Banga

Can digital platforms help mitigate agricultural losses from COVID in Uganda?

The government of Uganda put containment measures in place to tackle COVID-19. These included quarantines; bans on public gatherings and weekly markets; closures of schools, borders and nonessential retail outlets; and the suspension of international flights.

November 12, 2020 - Bruno Casella

Climbing the ladder under the storm: How the COVID crisis is changing the GVC development strategies of LDCs

The combined and cumulative effect of pre-existing technological, policy and sustainability trends and the current COVID crisis is set to strike a perfect storm in the system of international production and GVCs.

November 05, 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

Supporting an evolving ecommerce ecosystem in Myanmar

Myanmar was already moving to get its businesses online. With COVID-19, they were able to speed things up.

November 03, 2020 - Samantha Harris and Léa Farnier

How businesses can build resilience to climate impacts and protect the vulnerable throughout value chains

Companies have a key role to play in building societal resilience to crises, including the current pandemic and climate impacts, across their value chains.

October 15, 2020 - Bright Simons

Scale tangles with agility in African pharma supply chains, unleashing new forces

Medicine retail and logistics in Africa are a highly fragmented business.

October 08, 2020 - Fabrice Lehmann, Carlos Cordon

Business supply chain strategies are evolving, can poor countries benefit?

Multiple sourcing and proximity sourcing are shaping into long-term trends as global firms hardwire resilience and agility into their supply chains.

October 01, 2020 - Maria Sokolova

On the role of women trade trainers

In trade for development, more female trainers could make a big difference

September 24, 2020 - Marlynne Hopper

Future-proofing safe trade now urgent for developing countries

COVID-19 is highlighting the interconnectedness of agri-food trade; and work needs to be done to mobilise action to build safe food systems

September 14, 2020 - Karishma Banga, Jodie Keane, Max Mendez-Parra, Laetitia Pettinotti, Lily Sommer

Boosting African regional value chain development in response to COVID-19: The catalysing role of the AfCFTA

New paper looks at the supply chain dimension of African trade during and post-COVID

September 07, 2020 - Stephanie Barrientos, Charlotte Pallangyo

Building back equitably: Spotlight on women workers in global value chains

Women workers in global value chains have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

September 02, 2020 - Violeta Gonzalez, Toyin Abiodun

Cooperatives help cross border traders stay in business during COVID-19

Originally published by THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION NEWS on 18 August 2020

August 24, 2020 - Craig Atkinson

‘Rules as data’ – the 21st century answer for trade facilitation?

Following digitisation of commercial documents, the digitalisation of trade implies functional use of data to improve the automation potential of cross-border processes.

August 19, 2020 - Alexander Thern-Svanberg, Javier Garcia

The clock is ticking on electronic advance data for trade and ecommerce in LDCs

Urgent digital transformation is needed to create safe and secure cross border ecommerce customs clearance in the world’s poorest countries

August 11, 2020 - Violeta Gonzalez, Anisse Terai

COVID-19 is exacerbating the global trade finance gap

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 6 July 2020

August 05, 2020 - Brendan Vickers, Salamat Ali, Collin Zhuawu

Looking at LDCs, food and COVID-19

Food products comprise around 17% of LDC merchandise imports – more than double the world average of 8%.

August 04, 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari

Lessons from LDCs’ responses to COVID-19: From crisis to opportunities?

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 6 July 2020

July 31, 2020 - Fanan Biem

Blockchain and LDC trade during COVID-19

The macroeconomic context for developing country trade in the time of COVID-19

July 30, 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari

How can least developed countries attract foreign direct investment in the context of COVID-19?

Ways for LDCs to adapt amid global turmoil

July 21, 2020 - Cecilia Ugaz Estrada, Müge Dolun, Carmen Schuber, Nicolas Schmidt

Industries post-COVID-19: A gender-responsive approach to global economic recovery

Women’s specific needs and potential as leaders and agents of change must be considered for COVID-19 mitigation and recovery measures.

July 16, 2020 - Sophia Gnych

COVID-19 and the seed sector: How countries are navigating challenges

OECD’s Seed Schemes are working to protect food systems globally, with important benefits for least developed countries

July 14, 2020 - Brendan Vickers, Salamat Ali

Unpacking COVID-19-related medical supply chains in Commonwealth LDCs

Although LDCs are home to 13.3% of the world’s population, their share of COVID-19-related medical imports is just 1%.

July 08, 2020 - Peter Drysdale

Time for Asian partners to work together on a global COVID recovery strategy

Six new objectives for regional policy cooperation

July 07, 2020 - Adnan Seric, Jostein Hauge

COVID-19 and the global contraction in FDI

Originally published by UNIDO in May 2020

July 01, 2020 - Deanna Ramsay

How to tackle least developed countries' gender gaps in tech use and data

Originally published by Devex on 10 March 2020

June 30, 2020 - Fabrice Lehmann

Can Madagascar inspire reform of global fashion’s US$2.5 trillion supply chains?

The collapse in trade provoked by the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fragility of carefully constructed supply chains in the global fashion industry, and the asymmetries with which they are governed.

June 24, 2020 - Violeta Gonzalez

Don’t put export bans on medical supplies during COVID-19. Why trade should flow freely to the world’s poorest countries

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 28 April 2020

June 15, 2020 - Violeta Gonzalez, Houria Djoudi

Protecting trees, empowering women, ensuring incomes – suggestions for a just shea story

How to ensure the women who collect shea benefit from being part of the global marketplace

June 05, 2020 - Jodie Keane

Least developed country vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19

The world is changing, and so should our support to the world’s poorest countries

June 03, 2020 - Paul Akiwumi, Giovanni Valensisi

When it rains it pours: COVID-19 exacerbates poverty risks in the poorest countries

Originally published by UNCTAD on 7 May 2020

May 25, 2020 - Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba

How women in developing countries can harness ecommerce

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 24 April 2020

May 19, 2020 - Daniel Gay

Six suggestions for improving support to least developed countries

To get LDC graduation back on track, and to help other LDCs, reform of the international system of support must be fundamental and far-reaching.

May 18, 2020 - Rajan Sudesh Ratna, Hang T.T. Tran

South Asian least developed countries: The rocky path to sustainable graduation

How will graduation impact countries in South Asia and the trade support they benefit from? How can they prepare?

May 13, 2020 - Brendan Vickers, Salamat Ali, Deanna Ramsay

COVID-19 hitting tourism hard: What does this mean for the world’s poorest countries?

Examining the potential impact of tourism disruption in LDCs; developing policy recommendations to limit the damage, initiate recovery and build resilience

May 07, 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari, Dorothy Tembo

How poor countries can deal with the economic shock of COVID-19

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 24 April 2020

May 04, 2020 - Soo Hyun Kim, Yann Duval

In the world’s poorest countries, the move to digitalize trade procedures is needed now more than ever

COVID-19 is highlighting the need for paperless trade in developing countries; a recent assessment offers recommendations for how to start

April 29, 2020 - Dale Honeck, Kim Kampel

West Africa's (eco)tourism initiative: Last chance to protect African biodiversity

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel impacts, West Africa’s objectives remain valid

April 28, 2020 - Jodie Keane

COVID-19 and trade: Challenges ahead for least developed countries and Small Island Developing States

Originally published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) on 1 April 2020

April 27, 2020 - Axel Addy

How can Africa’s trade ministers help combat COVID-19? Lessons from Ebola

Trade ministers are playing an essential role in the pandemic response

April 22, 2020 - Kai Hughes

Technology critical to unlocking the agricultural potential of cotton

Information access via tech could increase yields and incomes for cotton farmers in Africa

April 15, 2020 - Duncan Maru, Sabitri Sapkota

Coronavirus is coming for the world's poor. Here are six ways to help.

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 23 March 2020

April 14, 2020 - Paolo Omar Cerutti

A traded tree: What rosewood means for Africa

Following research into the mukula value chain, recommendations to preserve livelihoods and landscapes

April 09, 2020 - Trudi Hartzenberg

COVID-19 in Africa – some reflections on trade matters

Poverty, inequality and exclusion are key factors contributing to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on all African countries.

April 07, 2020 - Joseph Glauber, David Laborde, Will Martin, Rob Vos

COVID-19: Trade restrictions are worst possible response to safeguard food security

Originally published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on 27 March 2020

March 31, 2020 - Anabel González

Yes, medical gear depends on global supply chains. Here's how to keep them moving.

Originally published by Peterson Institute for International Economics on 27 March 2020

March 26, 2020 - Padmashree Gehl Sampath

Industry 4.0: What next for least developed countries?

The possibility of reconfiguring manufacturing processes through new digital technologies and data provides opportunities to reboot industrial development in least developed countries.

March 18, 2020 - Simon J. Evenett

On tariffs, soap and tackling COVID-19

The right trade policies would help the world combat current pandemic

March 16, 2020 - Georgios Mermigkas, Ishrat Gadhok

Achieving SDG 2: Policy options and their trade-offs

SDG 2 commits governments to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, with five specific targets setting the level and ambition of this goal.

March 12, 2020 - Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Akinyi Ochieng

Up and coming: Here's why Africa has the potential to boost global growth

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 18 February 2020

March 10, 2020 - Aussama Bejraoui, Elisabeth Lambrecht, Frans Lammersen

Tools and finance to help transform least developed country economies

Transforming the economies of least developed countries (LDCs) requires a nationally supported vision on how to tackle the binding constraints to higher value-added production.

March 04, 2020 - Filippos Pierros

Time for bold initiatives to tackle inequalities and climate change

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 31 January 2020

February 27, 2020 - Marc Auboin, Violeta Gonzalez

Why exporters need to mind the trade finance gap

Originally published in World Economic Forum Agenda on 10 February 2020

February 18, 2020 - Ratnakar Adhikari, Fabrice Lehmann

Least developed countries can become authors of their technological revolution

Originally published in OECD-Development Matters on 5 February 2020

February 13, 2020 - Mischa Tripoli

A window of opportunity for Africa: Agricultural innovation, integration and entrepreneurial ecosystems

Agriculture 4.0, fuelled by innovation and technology, is driving more productive, efficient and sustainable food systems.

February 11, 2020 - Simon J. Evenett, Johannes Fritz

How developing country exports fared during the recent Populist era

The latest version of the Global Trade Alert, which monitors state interventions that affect world commerce, explores whether developing country access to large overseas markets has changed during the current era of populism.

February 06, 2020 - Haruko Okusu

Benefits and challenges of automated processes for wildlife trade in poor countries

Efforts towards the automation of the CITES permitting system is an example of how trade facilitation could be applied in the wildlife sector.

January 28, 2020 - Daniel Gay

Leaving no one behind: New help for graduating least developed countries (Part II)

For many, graduation from least developed country status is not the end of the story.

January 07, 2020 - Rodrigo Polanco

How home country measures can promote foreign direct investment in poor economies

In order to be effective, existing and future home country outward FDI measures need to be customised to the needs and realities of LDCs.

December 19, 2019 - Mia Mikic

How will least developed countries in Asia fare in the trade war?

Countries that have already implemented trade-cost reducing reforms – for example trade facilitation, infrastructure, and data flows – will be better positioned to take advantage of any opportunities that arise from the trade war.

December 16, 2019 - Manuel Ruiz Muller, Joseph Henry Vogel, Klaus Angerer, Nicolas Pauchard

“Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing” in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

A Global Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism is the appropriate vehicle by which biodiverse rich countries can be compensated for genetic resources utilised in intellectual property.

December 09, 2019 - Rashid S. Kaukab

Breaking silos between trade and climate for the world’s most vulnerable countries

There is urgent need to better understand trade and climate change linkages in the context of least developed countries (LDCs).

December 04, 2019 - Ana Luiza Cortez

Improved assistance for LDC graduation: What else can be done?

Graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category, a milestone in a country’s development, is not free of controversies.

December 02, 2019 - Mohammad A. Razzaque, Syed Mortuza Ehsan, Brendan Vickers

Poorest countries caught in the global trade turmoil

Least developed countries (LDCs) confront a challenging global trade landscape, from slower long-term growth rates and rising protectionism to a weakening nexus between trade and GDP growth.

November 05, 2019 - Brendan Vickers, Hilary Enos-Edu

How trade can assist least developed countries hit by natural disasters

Many least developed countries are vulnerable to recurrent natural disasters, which exacerbate existing challenges, disrupt long-term investments and divert resources away from development to reconstruction.

November 04, 2019 - Juan Felipe Rodrigo López, Craig Atkinson

Digitally transforming Sudan’s economy

Enabling growth via ecommerce, trade facilitation and geographical indications

October 31, 2019 - Daniel Gay, Kevin P. Gallagher

For the least developed countries, revitalising multilateralism is life or death

The international system governing the environment and economy is under pressure, but it is in trade where least developed countries (LDCs) may lose most from cracks in the global order.

October 16, 2019 - Simon J. Evenett

2019’s other nasty trade policy surprise

With the spotlight on the Sino-US tariff war, a worrying trade policy dynamic implicating many countries has been overlooked.

September 18, 2019 - Amelia Kyambadde, Ratnakar Adhikari

Unleashing the power of women to transform the world’s poorest countries

Originally published by Thomson Reuters Foundation News on 11 September 2019

August 28, 2019 - Ratnakar Adhikari

6 ways the least developed countries can participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Originally published by World Economic Forum Agenda on 13 August 2019

August 22, 2019 - Ahmat Mahamat Bachir, Ratnakar Adhikari

Aid for trade must focus on the poorest, most fragile countries

Originally published by Devex on 5 July 2019

August 15, 2019 - Violeta Gonzalez, Fabrice Lehmann

5 ways to boost sustainable trade in the world’s poorest countries

Originally published by World Economic Forum Agenda on 4 July 2019

July 01, 2019 - Deanna Ramsay, Violeta Gonzalez

4 ways to empower women in the world's poorest countries

Originally published by World Economic Forum Agenda on 24 June 2019

November 22, 2018 - Dale Honeck, Frank Van Rompaey, Hang T.T. Tran

Can LDCs leverage tourism for manufacturing?

To transform LDCs, turning tourism into new kinds of growth

August 10, 2018 - Aja Fatoumata C.M. Jallow-Tambajang, Yonov Frederick Agah

Don't shut trade down, make it truly inclusive

Originally published by Devex on 5 July 2018

June 20, 2018 - Craig Atkinson

An Internet of Rules for all: Can "Trade Policy 3.0" foster inclusive trade?

The distinctive character of trade policy 3.0 is that, in addition to “writing down the rules” of trade in natural language (trade policy 1.0) and use of “single window systems” that replicate paper-based delivery in the digital realm (trade policy 2.0), countries are able to publish computational rules to the Internet in a standard way

May 01, 2018 - Giovanni Valensisi