Multilateralism and trade

sonia — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:41:39 +0000

As the world navigates multiple, overlapping crises - from wars and climate disruptions to energy insecurity and fragile supply chains - trade remains a powerful enabler of sustainable development. Developing economies have demonstrated resilience, maintaining a stable two fifths share of global exports in goods and services. Yet this overall strength conceals persistent disparities. LDCs remain far from achieving SDG target 17.11, constrained by structural challenges that limit their integration into global markets. Services trade offers promising new pathways, particularly in digital and knowledge-intensive sectors. But its benefits are unequally shared: over half of all services exports from developing economies are generated by just five economies. Meanwhile, tariff escalation in high-value sectors, such as green technologies, continues to disadvantage countries seeking to diversify and move up the value chain.

These patterns highlight the need for a more inclusive and development-focused global trading system. Trade should be a force for shared prosperity, not geopolitical rivalry, as argued in the UNCTAD SG’s report ahead of UNCTAD 16 -—
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—-. Ensuring fairer rules, broader participation and stronger international cooperation will be essential to expand opportunities and make trade work for all, especially for countries still striving to overcome structural barriers and fully participate in the global economy. These goals were stated in the UNCTAD Bridgetown Covenant -—
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—- and remain relevant today; the following sections describe related challenges:

Multilateralism is the means to make all voices heard in a multipolar world.Read more on this in UNCTAD SG’s report ahead of 16^th session of the Conference.

Global exports of goods and services remain highly concentrated among a few developing economies.

LDCs’ share in global services exports dropped from the 15-year peak 0.7% in 2019 to 0.5% in 2024.

Tariffs on raw critical minerals are lower than on electric vehicles using them.

References

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Bringing South-South cooperation into focus: the journey to measurement

sonia — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 13:10:24 +0000

SDG indicators

Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals

Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments.
Indicator 17.2.1 Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries.

Target 17.3: Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources.
Indicator 17.3.1 Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources.

Heads of state and government gather at FfD4 this year¹ to reshape the global financial architecture for sustainable development. Amid mounting global challenges, from geopolitical tensions and related refugee crises to climate shocks and systemic financial risks, the conference seeks to catalyse a renewed commitment to equitable and resilient financing. While ODA to developing economies is failing to reach commitments, new solutions are sought. South-South cooperation, grounded in peer-to-peer partnerships, knowledge exchange and non-financial support, plays a critical role in sustainable development for all, reinforcing other mechanisms.

Official Development Assistance turning downwards, increasing the gap to agreed targets

Despite recent growth, longstanding aid commitments remain unmet. In 2024, ODA fell by 7.1% in real terms compared to 2023 – for the first time in five years – declining to $212.5 billion -—
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—- and representing just 0.33% of donor countries’ GNI², a sharp reversal from previous modest gains.

For the first time in five years, ODA fell in 2024 (-7.1%).

For LDCs, 2023 marked a further ODA decline in an already stagnant decade (figure 1). These levels fall far short of what is needed to support sustainable development for all. Net bilateral flows to LDCs were $35 billion in 2023. The spending gap to achieve, for instance, education transformation was estimated at $5 756.8 billion for LDCs per year, and $20.6 billion for inclusive digitalization -—
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—- ³. ODA plays an essential role, often serving as catalytic funding in areas where private investment is scarce. For some vulnerable countries it is the only reliable source of external financing making it indispensable for achieving the 2030 Agenda.

Figure 1. The falling ODA has increased the gap: disbursements now less than half of what developed economies have committed to

ODA as a percentage of GNI (SDG 17.2.1)

Source: UNCTAD calculations based on -—
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Notes: 2024 is not shown in the LDCs graph as ODA data by detailed recipient are not yet available.

The previous increases of ODA were driven by conflict-related aid, e.g., to Ukraine, and in-donor refugee costs, and their decrease has contributed to the fall in 2024. This decline was further impacted by reduced contributions to international organisations and lower levels of humanitarian aid. Amidst these shifts, ODA with climate objectives has gradually increased over the past decade, reaching nearly $50 billion in 2021/2022 -—
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—-. Climate finance, a broader concept accounting for both bilateral and multilateral flows, including export credits and other public funds and mobilized private finance, surpassed $100 billion annually for the first time in 2022, hitting almost $116 million -—
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—-. Despite this strong growth, the urgency for developed economies to scale up climate finance provided to developing economies remains high, especially in light of evolving dynamics in international development cooperation.

South-South data supporting strategic allocation of resources to reach the 2030 Agenda

South-South cooperation, alongside other international development support, is key to achieving the 2030 Agenda, but is the only form of development cooperation lacking systematic data. This hampers its strategic management and the effective allocation of flows to achieve sustainable development.

Figure 2. UNCTAD has engaged in close collaboration with partners to advance work on SDG indicator 17.3.1

Source: UNCTAD.

Momentum to measure South-South cooperation is rapidly building following the endorsement of SDG indicator 17.3.1 in March 2022 at the UN Statistical Commission -—
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—-, and its voluntary ‘Conceptual Framework to Measure South-South Cooperation’ -—
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—-. Developed by the South for the South, the UN Framework can enable globally balanced, inclusive and representative information on development support through reporting of South-South data to the SDG indicator, first time alongside data on North-South flows which have existed for decades.

The new UN Framework enables globally balanced, inclusive and representative South-South data.

Interest in measuring South-South cooperation is quickly increasing. The first expert meeting in July 2023 in Brasilia brought together 16 member States, and in June 2024, 66 developing economies met in Doha. Four countries have reported preliminary South-South data in the ’Framework’ and eleven are pilot testing it in 2025 (map 1). Early data by pioneering countries confirm non-financial support as essential to South-South cooperation, with scholarships, humanitarian assistance and technical cooperation reported most frequently, targeting (ordered by number of reported activities) SDGs 4 (quality education), 9 (industry and innovation), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 17 (partnership for the goals) and 3 (enhancing health), showcasing the diversity of South-South cooperation.

Early pilots showcase non-financial support is an essential South-South cooperation modality.

UNCTAD leads a Development Account project⁴ carried out with the UN Regional Commissions, UNDESA, and UNOSSC to support countries of the South in collecting and reporting South-South data through the new Manual -—
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—-. The project enhances developing economies’ capacities to collect data on their mutual support flows, and use it for multiple analytical, policy information and reporting purposes.

Map 1. Pioneering and pilot countries are driving South-South data measurement

Source: UNCTAD, ECA, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA.

Note: Situation reflected on the map as of April 2025.

Notes

4th International Conference on Financing for Development Sevilla, Spain | 30 June – 3 July 2025; https://financing.desa.un.org/ffd4
Developed economies have committed to a target of 0.7% of ODA/GNI and 0.15 to 0.20% of ODA/GNI targeted to the LDCs -—
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The cost estimates presented are extrapolated values derived by scaling a population-weighted median of per capita costs from sampled LDCs to total LDC population.
Project website: https://stats.unctad.org/measuringSSC.

References

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Donec tincidunt vel mauris a dignissim. Curabitur sodales nunc id vestibulum tempor. Nunc tortor orci, sodales nec eros eget.

Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth – UNCTAD SDG Pulse 2025

Multilateralism and trade

References

Bringing South-South cooperation into focus: the journey to measurement

Official Development Assistance turning downwards, increasing the gap to agreed targets

South-South data supporting strategic allocation of resources to reach the 2030 Agenda

Notes

References