More from UN DESA

Robust economic recovery is underway — for some

The past few months have brought a string of upbeat news on the global economy, suggesting a vigorous recovery from the COVID-19 crisis may be under way. But are these developments too good to be true?

World merchandise trade and industrial production have indeed soared and are already well above the pre-pandemic levels. Prices of key raw materials have reached record levels, with oil prices having climbed to a two-year high. Against this backdrop, macroeconomic forecasters have raised their global growth projections for 2021 and 2022 – often by a lot.

Will the pandemic trigger a baby boom or baby bust?

Today, there are about 7.9 billion people in the world. The population will continue to grow in the coming decades, albeit at a progressively slower pace. Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to affect this trajectory in the long run, it is expected that, in the short run, some countries will experience a baby boom, whereas other countries may face a baby bust as a result of the pandemic.

Cutting the cost of family remittances

Every day, millions of families around the world visit their post offices, banks and money transfer operators to collect money sent to them by their relatives working abroad. These family remittances are often what allows them to send their children to school, make home improvements, set up small businesses or simply get by.

New efforts needed to invest in climate action

Recent data from the United Nations Environment Programme estimates that current climate-adaptation costs in the developing world stand at $70 billion a year and could increase to as much as $300 billion a year by 2030 without urgent action. For every dollar invested now in climate-resilient infrastructure, $6 can be saved, writes Selwin Hart, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action, in a new op-ed.

Development Cooperation Forum meets at a critical juncture for multilateralism

No one is safe until everyone is safe. No country, company or community can end the COVID-19 crisis working in isolation. International development cooperation can help the most vulnerable to reduce risks, build resilience to future shocks and ultimately, avoid a lost decade for development.

Digital tools for better parenting

During the COVID-19 crisis, our need and dependence on digital technologies to be able to perform remote work, participate in online schooling and stay connected with family and friends, have become evident. Innovative technologies have helped families carry out day-to-day tasks and routines while staying at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

New paths to sustainably manage forests and oceans

An estimated 1.6 billion people, or 25 per cent of the global population, rely on forests for their subsistence needs, livelihoods, employment and income. In addition, more than 3 billion people rely on marine and coastal biodiversity to make a living.

Two new reports issued by the UN in April underscore the need to protect the world’s forests and ocean and to show pathways for managing them in more sustainable ways amid the escalating climate crisis and the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Setting the sights on a carbon neutral future

Achieving a zero-carbon future may seem to some like a wild ask, but some of the world’s biggest countries and corporations are already envisioning the financial and environmental benefits of carbon neutrality. For instance, the government of China has said it will aim to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, and General Motors, the largest U.S. automaker, has announced plans to be carbon-neutral by 2040.

Transfer pricing – helping countries get their fair share

Correct transfer pricing can help developing countries fight tax avoidance and profit shifting by big transnational corporations, ensuring more funds to spend on public health and recovery from the shock of COVID-19. But what is transfer pricing?

It refers to an accounting practice where related companies, such as affiliates or subsidiaries, charge each other for goods or services rendered across borders. The relationship between the companies means that the companies can overcharge or undercharge each other in order to shift profits to territories with little or no taxation.

We need effective institutions to get out of this crisis

Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great threat to sustainable development. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored these challenges, creating disruptions to the functioning of governments and their delivery of critical functions, including the provision of basic services, law enforcement and a functioning justice system. In many countries, temporary changes in rules and processes have been implemented in order to protect people at greatest risk and to ensure effective delivery of such functions.