UN urges governments to accelerate efforts to make trade systems more inclusive, sustainable

Flags low uptake of sustainable trade facilitation measures and support for vulnerable groups

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The United Nations is urging governments to accelerate efforts to make trade systems more inclusive and sustainable, highlighting limited support for vulnerable groups including small and medium-sized enterprises, women traders and the agricultural sector despite steady progress in broader trade facilitation.

"The global trading environment has recently faced unprecedented challenges. Extensive tariff measures have introduced uncertainty and increased trade costs, while broader disruptions have exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains.

These trends underscore the urgent need to enhance the efficiency, transparency and resilience of international trade systems," said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.