Economics Perspective

The WMO indicates El Niño conditions are actively forming with ocean temperatures near 6°C above average, giving an 80% chance from June to August 2026 and 90% later. The probabilistic forecast warns of warmer summers, heat stress, severe drought, drier conditions across Australia, Indonesia, Central America, and South Asia with a weak Indian subcontinent monsoon, while southern South America, the Horn of Africa, and central Asia may see wetter-than-average conditions.

Experts from 34 countries across UNECE agreed on an ambitious new framework to address food losses in fresh and dried fruits and vegetables after 25.4% of produce was lost before reaching consumers in 2023. Measures include a product-based approach to food loss reduction, a Code of Good Practice for dried fruit and nut value chains, and a voluntary standardized package marking system to cut border rejections and help meet SDG target 12.3.

The global economy shows resilience in 2025, with growth forecasts at 2.7%. Key drivers include job creation, tech innovation, infrastructure development, and a focus on sustainable, inclusive growth amidst demographic shifts. In most countries, interest rates started to fall due to the previous tightening of the interest rates that had shut international capital markets' accessibility.

IMF recommends temporary, targeted cash transfers to low-income households instead of broad energy subsidies and price controls. Rising energy and food prices reduce consumer purchasing power and induce inflation. Key principles: let domestic energy prices reflect world markets, provide income transfers, give businesses liquidity not long-term subsidies. Broad subsidies distort markets, raise government debt, and benefit wealthy households more.

The World Bank Group has focused on five key industries in which there is great potential for creating employment opportunities: the energy and infrastructure sector, agriculture and agribusiness, health care, tourism, and manufacturing. Each of these sectors is interconnected with the other and supports the creation and development of many job opportunities and a broad-based development strategy.

In a world long dominated by the financial tides of the US dollar, a new story is unfolding, driven not by a grand, planned design but by an unexpected external force: the tariff policies of Donald Trump. Trump's renewed presidency saw him sign an executive order in early 2025, first imposing tariffs on imports from China, then escalating to a "universal" tariff on nearly all imports. But the most pointed attacks were reserved for the BRICS bloc and their partners.

Resolving fragility is not only the role of humanitarian action but also important for international security and economic equality. The country is experiencing fragility and conflicts through a multifaceted issue that hinders development and undermines social security. Prolonged hostilities, weak institutions, and state capacity constraints prevent governments from providing necessary services.