According to scheduled and announced, Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Economy and Trade from 195 Member States are meeting from this Monday (20.10.2025) in Geneva during the XVI UNCTAD Conference (UNCTAD 16), which will run until 23 October.
La Secretary-General of the United Nations, Trade and Development (UNCTAD)), Rebecca Grynspan, opened the conference with a call to confront global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
"The future has never been so uncertain, old certainties are crumbling, and the foundations that governed global trade for decades are being challenged," said Ms. Grynspan, whose speech was delivered under the theme "Shaping the Future."
Secretary General Grynspan, the first woman and first person from Latin America to hold the position, warned that many countries face difficult choices between paying their debt or investing in the development of their people.
Among the challenges highlighted are: 2.600 billion people are found to be digitally disconnected, the lack of strategies in artificial intelligence In most developing countries, the contraction of global investment and the volatility of freight costs, which particularly affects landlocked countries and small island states.
Despite these difficulties, Grynspan stressed that the 72% of world trade is governed by WTO rules and South-South trade grew by 9%, reflecting progress in cooperation among developing countries.
"We are in a period where the old has not died and the new has not yet been born."What we do will define the future, because we have a responsibility to use our collective agency in the face of these interconnected crises," he concluded.
The conference includes more than 40 high-level sessions, ministerial roundtables, and events, addressing resilient supply chains, fair finance, productive investment, and an inclusive digital economy. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to speak on October 22.
Do not forget that Argentina He played a central role in the creation of UNCTAD, driving the establishment of this UN body. Its first Secretary-General was the Argentine Raúl Prebisch (1965-1969), whose legacy remains a benchmark in international trade and development.
In addition, UNCTAD produces periodic reports of global relevance, including the Trade and Development Report, the E-Commerce and Development Report, and the Maritime Transport Review, which serve as a reference for trade and development policymaking around the world. A not minor detail: The agency also implements programs of technical cooperation, such as the automated customs system ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data), designed to cover all aspects of customs management and contribute to modernizing and streamlining operations in multiple countries, a topic that will be analyzed on this occasion.
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