The cost of food, transportation, and other necessities is rising globally as a result of disruptions to trade routes and energy sources. This is impeding economic growth and increasing the burden on vulnerable people and debt-ridden developing countries.
The issues were brought up during a special session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Friday. The event's focus was on safeguarding trade and energy flows in the face of persistent instability in fuel markets, supply chains, and shipping networks.
“This issue is not only an energy challenge. It is a development challenge. It is a financing challenge,” ECOSOC President Lok Bahadur Thapa told delegates at UN Headquarters in New York.
“Above all, it is a test of our collective ability to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda,” he added.
The 2030 Agenda, adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, aims to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet through sustainable development goals by the end of the decade.
Higher fuel and transportation expenses, along with trade disruptions and tighter financial conditions, are increasing pressure on developing economies, especially those heavily reliant on imported food and energy and already struggling with debt.
UN estimates show that global fuel prices are currently more than twice the 2025 average. Fertiliser prices may also stay 15 to 20 per cent higher through the first half of 2026 if current disruptions persist. These increases are already contributing to higher food prices and living expenses worldwide.
“More than 32 million additional people are at risk of being pushed into poverty globally as a result of the combined shock of rising energy prices, higher food costs and weakening economic growth,” Mr Thapa said.
Women, children and young people are particularly vulnerable to rising energy and food costs, especially in countries where families spend much of their income on basic necessities.
Li Junhua, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, warned that instability in energy and supply systems is putting additional stress on an already fragile global economy by fuelling inflation and limiting governments’ ability to invest in key sectors.
“Safeguarding energy and supply flows is therefore not just an economic imperative; it is a fundamental requirement for achieving inclusive and sustainable development,” he said.
Li identified four urgent priorities: maintaining open and predictable energy and commodity markets, expanding affordable financing for developing nations, investing in resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure, and accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7, which focuses on access to affordable and reliable energy.
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, highlighted that global instability especially exposes small island economies that depend on imported fuel and food.
“Energy is just never energy,” she said.
“It is medicine, it is food, it is learning, and it is work. It is dignity in a household and sovereignty in a nation,” she also said.
Referring to the broader effects of instability in the Middle East, Ms Mottley said, “international crises quickly spread through shipping routes, fuel prices and government budgets before affecting ordinary citizens.”
“It arrives as the delayed medical shipment. It arrives at the higher bus fare. It arrives in the smaller plate,” she said again.
Barbados imports over 85 per cent of its energy, while the wider Caribbean region imports more than 80 per cent of its food supply.
“Small size does not soften the shock; it often makes it faster and pricier,” she continued.
Thapa urged countries to avoid fragmented responses and instead pursue coordinated international action involving governments, financial institutions, development banks, businesses and civil society.
“The question is whether we respond through fragmentation and short-term reaction or through cooperation, solidarity and shared responsibility,” he said.
UN officials also stressed the importance of increasing investment in renewable energy, stronger infrastructure and more resilient trade and energy systems to reduce future risks.
“With coordinated action, sustained investment and a renewed commitment to multilateralism, we can build more resilient energy systems, secure supply chains and further promote inclusive and sustainable development,” Li said.
