In a world awash with information, credible data is the bedrock of effective strategies for sustainable development, especially as climate change, environmental challenges, the consequences of the pandemicCommonly described by the WHO as ‘the worldwide spread of a new disease’, no strict definition is provided. In 2009, they set out the basic requirements for a pandemic: • New virus emerges in humans
• Minimal or no population immunity
• Causes serious illness; high morbidity/mortality
• Spreads easily from person to person
• Global outbreak of disease.
The US Centre for Disease Control uses a similar approach, but with a reduced set of criteria. It is very difficult to gauge whether the spread of a disease should be termed an outbreak, epidemic or pandemic. In other words, when to declare a pandemic isn’t a black and white decision -—
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—-., escalating wars and human conflict are impacting developing economies’ ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGsSustainable Development Goal). The 2024 SDGSustainable Development Goal Pulse report, a comprehensive analysis of our progress towards the SDGs, provides a vital snapshot – a ‘pulse’ – of our current reality, allowing us to zoom into the gaps, setbacks, and successes of countries to inform targeted actions.

This sixth edition paints a complex picture of global development, highlighting the stark disparities that persist despite significant advancements. On trade, for example, it shows that while the value of global trade in servicesIn the international trade in services context, services are understood as the result of a production activity that changes the conditions of the consuming units or facilitates the exchange of products or financial assets -—
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—-. Following the balance-of-payments classification, trade in services refers to manufacturing services, repair services, transport, travel, construction, telecommunications, computer services, financial services, insurance, intellectual-property related and other business services, as well as personal and cultural services, and government services. has demonstrated resilienceThe ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management -—
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—-., growing by 8.9% globally in 2023 and even 9.5% in developing economies, merchandise trade has faltered, declining by 4.6% globally and 6.3% in developing economies. This disparity is particularly pronounced in Least Developed Countries (LDCsLeast developed country), whose share of global exports remains stubbornly at around 1%, a far cry from the SDG target of doubling it.

These trade imbalances are further exacerbated by the escalating debt burden of developing economies, which has more than doubled in the past decade. This alarming trend, coupled with a shortage of development finance and the increasing concentration of foreign direct investmentForeign Direct Investment (FDI) is an investment involving a long-term relationship and reflecting a lasting interest and control by a resident entity in one economy (foreign direct investor or parent enterprise) in an enterprise resident in an economy other than that of the foreign direct investor (FDI enterprise or affiliate enterprise or foreign affiliate) -—
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—-., fuels inequalities both within and between countries, hindering progress towards achieving the SDGs on time.

Yet, amidst these challenges, there are signs of progress. The 2024 SDG Pulse presents early estimates of illicit financial flows for a related SDG indicator, developed with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODCUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and the UN Regional Commissions. We also share progress in a joint project to assist countries in collecting and reporting their own data on South-South cooperationBroad framework of collaboration among countries of the Global South in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains. It includes trade, FDI, regional integration efforts, technology transfers, sharing of solutions and experts, and other forms. Involving two or more developing countries, it can take place on a bilateral, regional, intraregional or interregional basis  -—
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—-., based on a voluntary framework that seeks to change the development support narrative with data developed, compiled, and endorsed by the countries of the global South.

The report also delves into UNCTAD's data on trade in plastics, oceans trade, and biodiversitybased goods trade, emphasizing the urgency of the green transition and the need for equitable access to clean energy and sustainable solutions.

This SDG Pulse is structured around the four transformations of UNCTAD15's Bridgetown Covenant -—
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—-: multilateralism and trade, sustainability and resilience, development finance, and diversification. It also features an In-Focus section on gender equality in international trade, based on a new set of indicators that reveal persistent disparities and highlight the need for targeted policies for women in trade.

This report serves as a call to action, urging policymakers, businesses, and civil society to leverage its insights to drive meaningful change. The upcoming United Nations Summit of the Future in September offers a unique opportunity to recalibrate our efforts and ensure the 2030 Agenda is put back on track. The time for data-informed action is now.

References

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