The Public Symposium is UNCTAD's annual outreach event where government officials, civil society representatives, academics, the private sector and other stakeholders come together to engage in open and interactive dialogue on critical issues in development.
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of UNCTAD, the 2014 Public Symposium will explore how widening inequality poses a challenge to sustainable development - an issue that was raised as far back as 1964, when UNCTAD member States spoke of persistent "extremes of wealth and poverty" as a major risk to development and peace.