Add us as your preferred source on Google to see more of our content in Search.
Add to Preferred SourcesWorld trade reaches all-time high, but 2022 outlook ‘uncertain’, Towards a world free of chemical weapons and Global tourism sees upturn in Q3 but recovery remains fragile. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
World trade reaches all-time high, but 2022 outlook ‘uncertain’
Global trade is expected to be worth about $28 trillion this year – an increase of 23 percent on pre-pandemic levels – but the outlook for 2022 remains very uncertain, UN economists said.
This strong growth in demand – for goods, as opposed to services – is largely the result of pandemic restrictions easing, but also from economic stimulus packages and sharp increases in the price of raw materials.
According to UN trade and development body UNCTAD, although worldwide commerce stabilized during the second half of 2021, trade in goods went on to reach record levels between July and September.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the semiconductor industry has been facing headwind due to unanticipated surges in demand and persisting supply constraints…If persistent, this shortage could continue to negatively affect production and trade in many manufacturing sectors.”
Towards a world free of chemical weapons
Chemical weapons killed more than 100.000 people and injured more than a million during the I World War. Today, a century later, 98% of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles have been destroyed under the verification of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention that entered into force on 29 April 1997. However, such weapons of mass destruction have not ceased to be used on the battlefield or elsewhere.
“Chemical weapons remain a serious threat to international peace and security”, said HR/VP Josep Borrell in a statement issued to mark the date. “These heinous weapons have been used in Syria, causing hundreds of victims, including children. In August last year, a toxic nerve agent “Novichok” was used in the assassination attempt on the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in the territory of the Russian Federation. They have also been used in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Iraq”.
As the implementing body for the Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavor to permanently eliminate chemical weapons and it has been so far the most successful disarmament treaty, eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction. For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
Global tourism sees upturn in Q3 but recovery remains fragile
After a weak first half of 2021, international tourism rebounded during the Northern Hemisphere summer season, boosting results for the third quarter of the year, especially in Europe.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Data for the third quarter of 2021 is encouraging. However, arrivals are still 76% below pre-pandemic levels and results across the different global regions remain uneven.” In light of the rising cases and the emergence of new variants, he added that “we cannot let our guard down and need to continue our efforts to ensure equal access to vaccinations, coordinate travel procedures, make use of digital vaccination certificates to facilitate mobility and continue to support the sector.”
The safe resumption of international tourism will continue to depend largely on a coordinated response among countries in terms of travel restrictions, harmonized safety, and hygiene protocols, and effective communication to help restore consumer confidence. This is particularly critical at a moment when cases are surging in some regions and new Covid-19 variants are emerging in different parts of the world.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Growing amount of plastics in oceans significantly adds to CO2 emissions
The growing amount of waste released into the oceans is becoming increasingly alarming. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), about 85% of this waste is plastic which causes damage to both humans and nature in many ways. If no action is taken, by 2040 the annual amount of plastic ending up in the world’s oceans will triple and will significantly impact the climate as it is the cause of huge amounts of CO2 emissions.
A narcissist as a manager: fear of failure and mistrust in the team
“The best boss I ever had.” That’s a phrase most employees have said or heard at some point. But what happens when someone has to deal with the opposite or has a narcissist as a manager? Not only does this cause a great deal of frustration, it can also lead to absenteeism and burnout. The Dutch psychologist, Alice Vlottes, recently wrote “Narcissism in Organizations”, her second book on the subject. In the article below she offers some tips about how to recognize narcissist managers and how to deal with them.
CV tailoring – one big step towards landing your dream job
We live in a world that demands everything is done with incredible speed. Speed, however, doesn’t always mean quality or the best results. Applying for a job follows a similar pattern – the opportunity window is sometimes very narrow and therefore a candidate might submit a CV randomly. However, being the first application to land in a recruiter’s inbox does not ensure that it will be shortlisted. Tailoring a CV is crucial if you want to stand out from the competition. It shows recruiters you’re interested in the job and also highlights your skills and experience in a way that proves you are suitable for that particular position. Can you keep a secret? Well, it also reduces the time a recruiter takes to pinpoint the relevant experience you have among the raft of other data your resume contains.
Here’s what else has happened
UN: Women and children are at high risk of being pushed into contemporary forms of slavery, UN-appointed independent rights experts said. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. They work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Global vaccination: With more people dying due to COVID-19 this year than in 2020, the UN Secretary-General argued that “the only way out of a global pandemic – and out of this unjust and immoral situation – is through a global vaccination plan.”
FAO: Healthy diets are not available to 40% of people around the world and another one billion people are at risk of not being able to afford an energy-sufficient diet if their income were to further deteriorate.According to a recent report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agrifood systems are not resilient enough around the world, and therefore, to fight undernourishment, countries should make resilience part of their strategic planning.
Reports
Stigma and discrimination remain major issues for workers with HIV/AIDS
The report, The ILO Global HIV Discrimination in the World of Work Survey, is the product of a ground-breaking collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the opinion poll company, Gallup International. It sheds light on the causes of the persistence of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the world of work. Information was collected from more than 55,000 people in 50 countries, worldwide.
Renewable electricity growth is accelerating faster than ever worldwide
Stronger policies and raised climate goals leading into COP26 are driving renewables to new records, but faster deployment across all key sectors is needed to reach net-zero. Despite rising costs for key materials used to make solar panels and wind turbines, additions of new renewable power capacity this year are forecast to rise to 290 gigawatts (GW) in 2021, surpassing the previous all-time high set last year, according to the latest edition of the IEA’s annual Renewables Market Report.
New report estimates there are 35 million “missing entrepreneurs” across the OECD area
The new OECD-European Union report “The Missing Entrepreneurs 2021” shows there could be an additional nine million people starting and managing new business in the European Union (EU) – and 35 million across OECD countries – if everyone was as active in business creation as 30-49-year-old men. This could translate into 50% more people engaged in early-stage entrepreneurship in the EU and 40% more in OECD countries. To help close that gap, the additional barriers faced by under-represented social groups need to be addressed. About three-quarters of these “missing” entrepreneurs are women, half are over 50 years old, and one-in-eight are under 30 years old.
Events
Financing renewable energy projects in Latin America and Caribbean regions | Virtual
📅 06 – 07 December 2021
Virtual
Latin America is a region with vast renewable energy resources and an enormous potential to further increase its shares of renewable energy technologies. According to estimations by IRENA, Latin America and the Caribbean requires investments of USD 118 billion each year in renewable power generation, energy efficiencies, electrification of heat, transportation, and power grids to be in line with the Paris Agreement’s objectives.
2021 ADBI Annual Conference: Climate Change Mitigation and Green Finance | Virtual
📅 01 – 03 December 2021
Virtual
The COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow sought to rally global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a 1.5 degree Celsius temperature drop needed to fight climate change. Correspondingly, governments and international financial institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank, are stepping up their climate commitments, but significant implementation challenges remain, particularly in fast-growing, highly climate-vulnerable developing countries in Asia and the Pacific.