News from UNCTAD

* Global Investment Trends in 2014 and Prospects for 2015

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows declined by 8% in 2014. A solid FDI rise remains distant, reports the latest UNCTAD Global Investment Trends.

 Download: Global Investment Trends Monitor No. 18.

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* UNCTAD and WTO launch partnership on Integrated Trade Database

UNCTAD and the WTO agreed to cooperate in assisting the WTO members in implementing notification requirements for the WTO Integrated Data Base (IDB).

UNCTAD Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA).

An integrated customs management system for international trade and transport operations in a modern automated environment.

More Trade News in Brief Week 25 (16 – 22 June 2014)

 

* 11th UNCTAD-OECD Report on G20 Investment Measures

 

The Report on G20 Investment Measures is a joint report issued periodically by UNCTAD, the OECD and the WTO.

 

Download:

– 11th UNCTAD-OECD Report on G20 Investment Measures

– 11th UNCTAD-OECD-WTO Report on G20 Trade and Investment Measures (Joint Summary)

 

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* Ecuador: National Green Export Review (NGER)

 

Ecuador becomes first country to undergo innovative UNCTAD programme to assess ‘green export’ potential.

 

Read more about it here.

 

Quick Links:

– National Green Export Review

– UNCTAD’s Trade, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Branch

 

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* New Zealand Concludes FATCA IGA

 

New Zealand and US have signed a Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act intergovernmental agreement which will facilitate information exchange under FATCA.

 

Check here for more.

 

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* Canada Confirms South Korean FTA Terms

 

The Canadian Government has tabled the final text of its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea.

 

See more here.

 

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* ICC: Trade Register Report 2014

 

ICC published the Trade Register Report 2014.

 

First launched in 2009 by ICC’s Banking Commission, the report is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading analytical reports on global risks for the trade finance industry—identifying risks across a range of trade finance products and markets.

 

Check here for more.

 

News from UNCTAD

 

* The ICTPR Framework

 

 

UNCTAD has developed a model framework and methodology for conducting information and communications technologies (ICTs) policy reviews: The ICTPR Framework.

 

 

Find the publication here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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* Bilateral FDI Statistics

 

The UNCTAD’s Bilateral FDI Statistics provides up-to-date and systematic FDI data for 206 economies around the world, covering inflows (table 1), outflows (table 2), inward stock (table 3) and outward stock (table 4) by region and economy.

 

Read more about following the link.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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* Review of Investor-State Dispute Settlement Cases

 

UNCTAD publishes its annual review of investor-State dispute settlement cases (ISDS).

 

You can download it from here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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* 2013 Trade Statistics

 

According to UNCTAD and WTO estimates, world merchandise exports grew by 2%, while services trade recorded 5% increase in 2013.

 

For more details, check here.

 

Access to data:

• Volume index and growth rates of merchandise exports and imports, quarterly, Q1 2005-Q4 2013
• Values and shares of merchandise exports and imports, annual, 1948-2013
• Merchandise trade balance, annual, 1948-2013
• Value growth rates of merchandise exports and imports, annual, 1950-2013
• Value, shares and growth of services exports and imports by service-category, annual, 1980-2013
• Values, shares and growth of exports and imports of total services, annual, 1980-2013

 

 

More Trade News in Brief Week 7 (10 – 16 February 2014)

 

* First EU Anti-Corruption Report

 

The European Commission published the first ever EU Anti-Corruption Report. The EU Anti-Corruption Report covers all 28 EU Member States.

 

Please find more here and here.

 

 

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* Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Market

 

According to the latest data released by UNCTAD, the ICT goods such as mobile phones, smartphones, laptops, tablets, integrated circuits and other components at 11 per cent of world merchandise trade and among the top products traded globally – exceeding trade in agricultural products (9.2 per cent) and motor vehicles (7.2 per cent).

 

Please follow the link for more.

 

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* 2014 World Press Freedom Index

 

Reports Without Borders published the 2014 World Press Freedom Index, the Index spotlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information and its protagonists.

 

Please find more about Reports Without Borders and World Press Freedom Index.

More Trade News in Brief Week 44 (28 October – 3 November 2013)

 

* EU Extend Sanctions to Belarus

 

The European Union has extended its sanctions against Belarus by another 12 months.

 

Check here for more.

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* Global Investment Trends Monitor

 

UNCTAD published the Global Investment Trends Monitor.

 

Check for findings and details here.

 

More Trade News in Brief Week 26 (24 – 30 June 2013)

 

* Croatia – Welcomed to EU

 

On Monday 1 July Croatia will become the 28th Member State of the European Union.

 

For more information:

 

– Institutional and administrative aspects of Croatia’s EU accession MEMO/13/593

 

– Croatia’s EU accession – Q&A MEMO/13/629

 

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* 2012 Annual Review of GSP System

 

US announced today the outcome of the 2012 Annual Review under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.

 

Check here.

 

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* World Investment Report 2013

 

UNCTAD published its 2013 World Investment Report with the latest trends in foreign direct investment (FDI).

 

Download  World Investment Report 2013

 

Read more here.

 

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* Norway the First to Sign the Hong Kong Ship Recycling Treaty

 

The Kingdom of Norway became the first contracting State to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (2009).

 

Please follow the link.

 

More Trade News in Brief – Week 28 (2 July – 8 July 2012)

* World Investment Report 2012

 

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched “World Investment Report 2012: Towards a New Generation of Investment Policies”.

 

The Report contains a detailed analysis of world investment trends (global and regional) and give a special attention to  national policy developments and on the new generation of investment policies. Also, The Report provides detailed guidelines for investment policymaking.

 

The Report and accompanying detailed statistics can be downloaded from here.

 

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* Online Platform on the New York Convention Guide

 

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) launched of an online platform to support  the forthcoming Guide on the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, 1958 (New York) known as the New York Convention.

 

For more information click here.

 

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* UNCITRAL Adopted Recommendations to Assist Arbitral Institutions

 

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) release the UNCITRAL Recommendations to assist arbitral institutions and other interested bodies under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules 2010.

 

Please check for more details here.

 

 

UNCTAD & WTO Launched the Handbook on Trade Policy Analysis

4 July 2012

 

WTO and UNCTAD’s Virtual Institute co-published the A Practical Guide to Trade Policy Analysis.

 

The publication is a addressed to policymakers, trade economists and development practitioners dealing with international trade and explain the tools and methods commonly used in the analysis of international trade and trade policy.

 

A Practical Guide to Trade Policy Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The guide is available on the next link.

Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD)

12 June 2012

The United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launches Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD), a guideline for national and international investment policymaking to supports more sustainable development-friendly investment policymaking.

Please check the UNCTAD’s webpage.