The severity of plastic pollution is now well-recognized, and countries and communities are looking for innovative solutions for addressing this menace of the modern age.

From 9 to 13 September the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) on graduation of least developed countries (LDCs) conducted a mission to São Tomé and Príncipe to discuss the possible impact of the country's graduation from the LDC category, scheduled for 2024.

Prolonged trade tensions exacerbating the cyclical slowdown in the global economy Global automobile production contracts amid higher tariffs and policy uncertainty Further easing of macroeconomic policies as external headwinds to growth rise