(Geneva) – The Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) today signed a memorandum of understanding to expand digital trade and e-commerce opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies, and least developed countries in particular. The agreement was signed in Geneva on the sidelines of ...
WASHINGTON, July 09, 2026 – The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved US$375.9 million in financing for Pakistan’s Grid Stability Enhancement Project, to strengthen its national power transmission network under the Boosting Energy Security through Transmission in Pakistan (BEST-PAK) Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA). The Proje...
DisclaimersAbstractAcknowledgementsReader’s guideExecutive summary1. Introduction2. AI has a transformative impact on businesses, work and digital societies3. Individuals need a wide range of skills to thrive in digital societies4. The role of policies to shape skills for the AI age5. ConclusionReferencesAbstractCopy link to AbstractAs general-purpose tec...
The Board of Governors of the New Development Bank (NDB) appointed Mr. Daopeng Fu from China and Mr. Monale Ratsoma from South Africa as Vice-Presidents of the New Development Bank. The current Vice-President from India, Mr. Rajiv Ranjan, will also take up new responsibilities as the Vice-President and Chief Administrative Officer. The current Vice-Preside...
The Heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), and World Trade Organization (WTO) met on July 7 as part of the high-level coordination group established in April to maximize their institutions' response to the energy, trade, and economic impact of the war in the Middle East. Following the ...
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6-8 July 2026 – The Africa Dialogue on Cement for Green Industrialization concluded today with a call to accelerate practical action on low-carbon cement and concrete as Africa enters a defining period of urban growth, infrastructure development and industrialization. Hosted by the Ministry of Industry of Ethiopia and jointly o...
A customs data platform built with ITC is among the first winners of a new global award for digital tools that deliver measurable development results.Jordan’s Trade and Logistics Performance Gateway has been named as one of the first Global Digital Economy Lighthouses, selected from 308 applications across more than 60 countries.The award was announced on...
Washington, DC: The Heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG), and World Trade Organization (WTO) met on July 7 as part of the high-level coordination group established in April to maximize their institutions’ response to the energy, trade, and economic impact of the war in the Middle East. F...
Global growth is projected at 3.0 percent for 2026 and 3.4 percent for 2027, broadly unchanged cumulatively from the April 2026 World Economic Outlook. The outlook is uneven: The war shock is weighing on energy importers and vulnerable economies, while AI-driven demand is lifting countries integrated into the global technology value chain. Global disi...
UNESCO is championing Kiswahili as the language of Africa's next generation of creatorsEvery day, millions of people think, trade, and create in Kiswahili — in markets, classrooms, films, music, and code. Increasingly, it is also the language of Africa's digital future. But for that future to be fair, Kiswahili has to have a real place online.That...
