UN Trade and Development

Ports are the backbone of global trade – and key to a greener future. Through a new partnership, @UNCTAD and @MPA_Singapore will accelerate cleaner, digital ports worldwide, with a focus on developing countries. Read more: ow.ly/3jOe50YNQpb

Today: Briefing for Member States & civil society on the Borrowers' Platform during the 2026 Financing for Development Week. The newly launched initiative fills a gap in the global debt architecture, enabling peer learning & knowledge sharing. More: ow.ly/Qksu50YNsBG

Coming up: First plenary meeting of the Beyond GDP Global Alliance. Launched under the Sevilla Platform for Action, the Alliance convenes countries & partners to accelerate broader sustainable development metrics in policy & financing strategies. More: ow.ly/SJSw50YNpQE

Financing for development calls for mobilizing private investment, strengthening productive capacity and improving SME access to finance. How can better alignment across trade, investment and enterprise policies deliver? Join the #Fin4Dev dialogue: ow.ly/MlrY50YNmM2

With developing countries facing $11.7 trillion in external debt and a $4 trillion SDG financing gap, the urgency is clear. The world does not need us to repeat promises, it needs action. At the 2026 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up, I stressed that we need to deliver on the promises already made, in particular the 280 actions proposed by the Sevilla Commitment need to be translated into concrete outcomes.

🌍 Developing countries face shrinking fiscal space, high borrowing costs, declining aid flows, volatile trade and uneven access to technologies and innovation. 🔗 Read the Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2026: bit.ly/FSDR2026 #FinancingOurFuture

Financial inequality is holding back the #GlobalGoals 2030 deadline. 🛑 To ensure no one is left behind, we must reform a system where the most vulnerable pay the highest price to invest in their future. 🌍🤝 un.org/sustainabledev…

“Financing for development is about restoring trust in what we can achieve by working in common effort, with common goals.” – @antonioguterres as report warns development goals are at risk amid rising conflicts, the climate crisis & shrinking financing. news.un.org/en/story/2026/…

The 29th UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development is underway in Geneva. Focus: maximizing AI’s impact on science, technology and innovation, while helping policymakers in developing countries harness benefits and mitigate risks. Follow: ow.ly/8TJ450YKQm4

Starting 10:00 CEST: 29th session of the @UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development. Theme: Science, Technology and Innovation in the age of artificial intelligence. Opening plenary live on UN Web TV: ow.ly/il1R50YLack

The Borrowers’ Platform moves from launch to implementation, with @UNCTAD as secretariat. For 45 years, UNCTAD has combined independent analysis and technical cooperation, supporting over 70 countries through its DMFAS debt management programme. Explore: ow.ly/CvU650YLyvy

A breakthrough in global finance: the Borrowers’ Platform launches this week. Addressing gaps in the international financial architecture, it fosters coordination, knowledge-sharing, and a stronger collective voice for borrowing countries. Learn more: ow.ly/Mq4X50YLyz1

This week marks the launch of the Borrowers’ Platform at the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. For the first time, borrowing countries have a dedicated space to share knowledge, coordinate, and speak with a collective voice on debt challenges. Explainer: ow.ly/matC50YLfjW

As developing countries seek to have more input in debt negotiations, @UNCTAD supports "The Borrowers' Platform", a Member State initiative to respond to challenges and support each other. buff.ly/W0Eu6fn

From 7% in 2023 to 29% by 2033: AI is becoming the leading frontier tech segment. What does this mean for innovation policy, ethics, governance and sustainable development? Follow the 29th @UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development: ow.ly/RFH750YLgKN

To compete in an AI-driven world, developing countries need national strategies – especially on infrastructure, data and skills. By 2023, 30% had one, vs. 66% of developed economies and 12% of least developed countries. @UNCTAD analysis: ow.ly/trO550YLcwy

From research to innovation, AI is reshaping the landscape. For it to benefit all, openness, global capacity & ethical responsibility are key. The 29th @UN Commission on Science & Technology for Development brings renewed momentum to this effort. More: ow.ly/TyIG50YKRSP

Mounting debt burdens in low-income countries: external debt service hit 24.2% of exports in 2024, up from 13.1% in 2023. Payments surged 94% against just 5% export growth, squeezing investment in sustainable development. @UNCTAD analysis: ow.ly/vJzj50YKFbJ

Debt service is outpacing revenue growth across most developing regions, tightening fiscal space. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 18.7% of government revenue went to external debt service in 2024. What does this mean for development trade-offs? @UNCTAD analysis: ow.ly/YUaq50YKvwg

A new Borrowers’ Platform for developing countries. Stronger tools. Better information. A collective voice on debt. Join the initiative: ow.ly/yk8H50YKrIi