Highlights

The Trade and Development Report 2002 (TDR 2002) analyses trends and outlooks for the world economy and focuses on export dynamism and industrialization in developing countries. It demonstrates that, although integration into world trade is essential, it is not in itself sufficient for ensuring a country´s development. The Report questions the conventional wisdom that export growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) automatically generate commensurate income gains. Why is it that developing countries are trading more, but earning relatively less? UNCTAD thinks they are competing among themselves to export similar labour-intensive manufacturing products to the same markets. It suggests that countries should move into higher-value exports by upgrading technology and improving productivity. What next for developing countries after Doha and Monterrey? And what will China´s WTO accession mean for other developing countries - and for China itself? There are signs that a world economic recovery may be under way. If so, will it be sustained at a fast enough pace to benefit most developing countries? This would require a 3% growth rate in the industrial world - a rather unlikely prospect, predicts UNCTAD.

TDR 2002 update: GLOBAL ECONOMIC TRENDS AND PROSPECTS (UNCTAD/GDS/Misc.23 )