The inaugural edition of the UN-GSCF was hosted by UN Trade and Development (formerly UNCTAD) and Government of Barbados to address escalating disruptions in global supply chains.

• Supply chain resilience is the ability of a supply chain network to withstand disruption and minimize the effects of upheaval on revenues, costs and customers. 

Issues affecting supply chains

• Climate change: Climate-induced droughts affected trade flow in the Panama Canal.
• Geopolitical tensions: Escalating attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Houthis and disruptions in the Black Sea caused by the war in Ukraine.
• Interdependencies and disruptions: Vulnerability to various types of disruptions, such as natural disasters, pandemics, etc.
  • Complex supply chains create interdependencies, where a disruption at one point can ripple through the entire network, as was witnessed during COVID-19 pandemic.

Key outcomes of the UN-GSCF

• Launched Manifesto for intermodal, low-carbon, efficient, and resilient freight transport and logistics: Emphasizes the urgent need for transforming freight transport to meet global climate targets and enhance socio-economic resilience.
• Digital solutions for resilience: Presented guidelines for developing an electronic single window for trade.
• Launched UNCTAD Trade-and-Transport Dataset: Developed with the World Bank, for contribute to better understanding and optimizing global trade flows.