United Nations Conference Trade

Ian Taylor and Karen Smith present a much-needed and full examination of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), covering its history and current activities. All the key areas are covered by accessibly written chapters, including:

• an overview of UNCTAD: what it is, why it was formed and why it is important
• how the organization operates today: what it does and how it does it
• key criticisms made against the organization: is it relevant in today’s world?
• emerging issues within the organization and its future direction.

In the current era of globalization and what appears to be the dominance of neo-liberal economic thought, UNCTAD has sought to make itself germane to ongoing international debates. The implications of this for the organization’s key remit, namely making the world a fairer place, are something that this book unpacks.

A much-needed new examination of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), fully covering its history and current activities.

Ian Taylor and Karen Smith present a clear overview to an organization that is at times overlooked and seen to belong to a bygone era. All the key areas are covered by accessibly written chapters, including:

• an overview of UNCTAD: what it is, why it was formed, and why it is important
• how the organization operates today: what it does and how it does it
• key criticisms made against the organization: Is it relevant in today’s world?
• emerging issues within the organization and its future direction.

In the current era of globalization and what appears to be the dominance of neo-liberal economic thought, UNCTAD has sought to make itself germane to ongoing international debates. The implications of this for the organization’s key remit, namely making the world a fairer place, are something that this book seeks to unpack.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development will be of interest to all those interested in multilateralism, international trade issues and the global South.

Ian Taylor is Senior Lecturer in the School of International Relations, University of St. Andrews; Associate Professor Extraordinary, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa; and Visiting Lecturer, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda.

Karen Smith is Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.