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The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has just launched its 20th edition of “The World Investment Report 2010”, subtitled “Investing in a Low-Carbon Economy”. The study points to a promising outlook: after a significant global FDI downturn in 2009, flows worldwide are expected to recover slightly this year, with a stronger recovery in 2011 and 2012.

This year’s report focuses on climate change and in particular the role of transnational corporations. TNCs are necessarily among the primary actors in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift towards a low-carbon economy.

The report stresses that with the right policy initiatives and regulatory framework, TNCs can contribute significantly to both mitigation and adaptation. It also proposes a global partnership to galvanize low-carbon investment and advocate concrete initiatives such as a new technical assistance centre to support policy formulation and implementation in developing countries.

Read the full-text online.

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The UN has launched the report, “World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) 2010: Retooling Global Development”. The study presents ideas that could become the basis for a new, coherent “toolbox” designed to guide development policies and international cooperation. The survey highlights the need for a strong mechanism for global economic coordination which establishes coherence across all areas of global economic governance.

Among the recommendations the WESS sets out are:

-strengthening government capacities for formulating and implementing national development strategies.

-doing more to ensure that official development assistance is aligned with national priorities.

-strengthening the international trade and financial systems so that countries with limited capabilities can successfully integrate into the global economy.

-creating new mechanisms for dealing with deficiencies.

The full text is available online.

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The International Labour Office (ILO) and the Academic Foundation have co-published the book, “Trade and Employment in the Global Crisis”. The study analyzes how cross-border trade has served as a transmission channel, spreading the crisis to developing states. Key topics covered include how changes in trade flows affect the labor market, the role of price volatility and demand shocks in the recent crisis and how export concentration makes countries more vulnerable.

Read the book online.

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UNCTAD has launched the “Economic Development in Africa Report 2010,” subtitled “South-South Cooperation: Africa and the New Forms of Development Partnership”. The study examines recent trends in the economic relationships of Africa with other developing countries and new forms of partnership that are animating those relationships.

In 2008, Africa’s total trade with developing countries, including African countries, exceeded Africa’s total trade with the EU, traditionally its major partner, for the first time ever. Those new economic partners in the “South” can help spur an African transformation, not only through growing trade and financial flows but by supporting regional infrastructure projects and transferring knowledge and technology. The overall aim should be to build Africa’s “productive capacities”.

The full text is available online.

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A new joint UNCTAD-OECD Report on G20 Investment Measures has been issued for the forthcoming G20 Summit in Toronto, Canada, on June 26-7. The report commends G20 countries and leaders for avoiding new protectionist barriers to inward investment, while warning that continued vigilance is needed in the face of emergency measures to address the economic crisis that still pose a threat to competition and international investment.

The experts warn, however, that some of the emergency measures introduced in the crisis or currently being introduced may have a more significant impact on trade, investment and competition than traditional trade and investment restrictions.

Read the full text online.

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The World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched the “Enabling Trade in the Greater ASEAN Region” report, which looks at the obstacles and enablers of trade in seven Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) member countries. The study finds that inefficient border administration and inadequate infrastructure represent major barriers to trade in the region and affect competitiveness of ASEAN exports by increasing costs and shipping times.

The region’s exporting nations include Singapore, the world leader in enabling trade, Malaysia (30th), Thailand (60th), Indonesia (68th), Vietnam (71st), the Philippines (92nd) and Cambodia (102nd). The report provides an indication of the measures to be addressed by individual countries and at the regional level in order to further enable trade.

The report is available at the WEF website.

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The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has just published the report, “The Popular Republic of China and Latin America and the Caribbean: Towards a Strategic Relationship”. The study looks at trends in trade and investment between China and the Latin American region as China becomes one of the three major export markets, together with the European Union and the United States.

The report is available online in Spanish.

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have published the report, “Key Proposals for Harnessing Business Opportunities in South Asia.” The study outlines small, actionable steps in eliminating trade and investment barriers that will go a long way to deepening South Asia economic integration and improving the business environment. Among the measures proposed are:

-Expanding the SAARC visa exemption scheme

-Adopting a SAARC regional motor vehicular agreement

-Dealing with non-tariff barriers

-Improving land customs stations

-Promoting intra-regional investment

All these measures will help unlock the region’s vast economic potential.

Read the full text of the report here.

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The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has just published the “Trade and Environmental Review 2009/2010: Promoting Poles of Clean, Sustainable Growth in Developing Countries to Enhance Resilience to the Inter-related Economic, Food and Climate Crises.” The report focuses on the 140 plus low-income and least developed countries, which played no part in the economic, financial, climate and food crises that are currently wreaking havoc across the planet.

The TER 09/10 singles out three areas of sustainable, “green” growth that are of particular strategic importance:

-Enhancing energy efficiency, often implemented in combination with material and resource efficiency.

-Mainstreaming sustainable agriculture, including organic farming.

-Harnessing the use of off-grid renewable energy technologies for sustainable rural development.

The TER 09/10 contains some 20 essays from a wide range of experts on these subjects, including two forewords from the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs of South Africa and the Minister of Trade and Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues of New Zealand.

The full report is available online.

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The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has just published this year’s edition of its annual “Review of Maritime Transport.” The study reveals that the shipping industry is facing an oversupply of vessels and falling rates due to the tightening of credit brought about by the global financial crisis. Moreover, reduced demand for goods and shipping services led to decelerated growth in international seaborne trade in 2008. Over 80 percent of international trade is conducted by sea.

Each year, the Review of Maritime Transport sheds light on transport developments in a particular region of the world. The focus in 2009 is on developments in Africa since 2006. Despite the global financial crisis, the region still experienced strong growth in 2008 (5.1%), with the top performers being the resource-rich countries.

Read the full-text on the web.