On 29 June, the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and partner organizations announced the 2026 Small Business Champions. During meetings on 29 and 30 June, the Group held a thematic discussion on empowering small businesses to trade through artificial intelligence (AI) and continued a regular spotlight of small bus...
The Irish economy has remained resilient in the face of consecutive external shocks.Growth is projected to slow but remain healthy amid trade and geopolitical tensions and elevated global uncertainty. Risks to the growth outlook are on the downside and to inflation on the upside.While the war in the Middle East demands near-term policy attention, the curre...
Digital innovation, seamless travel and stronger regional cooperation took center stage as APEC tourism ministers met in Macao, China to chart the next phase of tourism growth across the Asia-Pacific.Tourism remains a major economic driver in the region. In 2024, APEC economies received 439 million international visitors, of whom 359 million travelled from...
JAKARTA, 27 June 2026 – On the occasion of International MSME Day 2026, ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as key drivers to economic growth, innovation, and resilience in the region. Through the European Union (EU)-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Trade (SCOPE Trade) project, ASEAN and th...
At a heads of delegation meeting on 26 June, the General Council Chair Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand outlined the next steps for moving to the substantive phase of WTO reform, including indicative checkpoints to monitor progress. Reporting on her consultations with members, the Chair noted that many members underlined the urgency and importance of ...
Vienna, Austria, 24 June 2026 – Positioning cities as key drivers of sustainable industrial transformation, UNIDO convened a dedicated side event at the UCLG World Congress to advance urban innovation and accelerate its translation into scalable, real-world solutions.Organized in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the session gat...
Gdańsk, Poland, 26 June 2026 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) actively contributed to the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 (URC2026), co-hosted by the Governments of Poland and Ukraine in Gdańsk on 25 and 26 June, reaffirming its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s green industrial recovery, economic resilience and long-t...
UNESCO invites partners, researchers and the wider public to discover a new digital platform that promotes open access to UNESCO scientific knowledge and research products and tracks global progress on open science.UNESCO invites partners, researchers and the wider public to discover a new digital platform that promotes open access to UNESCO scientific kno...
Tax incentives now provide 60% of government support for business R&D across the OECD, more than double their 28% share in 2004, according to the newly updated OECD R&D Tax Incentives Database. R&D tax relief reached 0.16% of GDP in 2024, up from 0.05% in 2004, while direct funding for business R&D remained at 0.10%. The OECD R&a...
DOWNLOAD PICTUREThe Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has invested USD50 million in the USD200 million bond issued by China Education Group Holdings Limited (CEG), China’s largest listed private higher-education provider.The issuance is the first senior bond offering by a private-sector higher-education company in China based solely on its own c...
