This signature trade-focused ministerial-level event, celebrating the Climate Finance, Investment and Trade (FIT) Day will set the example for COP29 participants demonstrating solutions and ways to use trade and trade tools to leverage climate finance and investment, including directly targeting MSMEs and prioritising the most vulnerable, helping to ramp up ambition and implementation in the new wave of climate plans.
The session will help inspire and illustrate what trade action can and is already being taken t help ensure a just transition and achieving the Paris Agreement Goals.
Speakers to be confirmed:
- H.E. Shakkaliyev Arman. Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- H.E. Inés María Manzano, Minister of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador
- Hon. Ms. Rohey John-Manjang, Minister of Environment, Climate Change & Natural Resources of The Gambia
- H.E. Hon Josh Wilson MP, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
- H.E. Ms. Bounkham Vorachit, Minister for Natural Resources and Environment, Lao PDR
- Rt. Hon. Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom
In September 2021, Rebeca Grynspan was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), becoming the first woman to lead the organization in its 60-year history.
Rebeca Grynspan, an economist and former Vice President of Costa Rica, is an experienced leader of international institutions with a substantive track record in government, UN diplomacy, economic policy and multilateral cooperation at the global level.
Prior to joining the United Nations, she was Vice President of Costa Rica and held cabinet positions as Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs and Deputy Finance Minister.
Previously, she served as Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Conference (2014–2021), chairing regional summits of Heads of State and Government; United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. She was a member of the UN Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti, representing the UN Secretary-General.
At UNCTAD, Grynspan has been at the centre of critical negotiations to address global trade and development challenges. She played a decisive role in the successful Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered between the UN, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which enabled the safe export of over 32 million tons of grain, lowered global food prices by 22% and prevented millions from falling into food insecurity. She also leads the UN Global Crisis Response Group on food, energy and finance, and has represented the UN in G20 summits.
Her leadership has been recognized widely. In 2024, she received the Doha Negotiator of the Year Award for spearheading UN efforts to restore Black Sea trade routes. In 2025, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation awarded her the inaugural Isabel Oyarzábal Women in Multilateralism International Prize for her contribution to multilateralism.
Ms. Grynspan holds degrees in economics from the University of Costa Rica and the University of Sussex, and honorary doctorates from several European universities.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The first woman and first African to hold the position.
She is an economist and international development expert with over 40 years of experience. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, African Risk Capacity and Co-Chair of The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, in addition to serving as a Senior Advisor at Lazard and sitting on the Boards of Standard Chartered and Twitter, now X. She is Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Harvard Kennedy School Global Public Leader.
She served as Nigeria’s first female and longest serving Finance Minister (7 years) and was also the first female Foreign Minister. Her 25-year career at the World Bank culminated in her rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous honours and has authored several books. She holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University and a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton has served as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre since 1 October 2020. She joined ITC from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where she was Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities.
Ms. Coke-Hamilton has a breadth of experience and expertise in trade-related capacity-building and sustainable development. She served with the Jamaican Government, the Caribbean Forum in trade negotiations, and multilateral institutions, including the Organization of American States and InterAmerican Development Bank. She previously served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, strengthening the private sector and micro, small and medium enterprises through investment promotion.
She has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable economies such as the small island developing States and least developed countries. Ms. Coke-Hamilton has worked extensively with the private sector across African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and academia to build trade-related institutional strength within member States. She also established the Women Empowered through Export (WeXport) platform to address the disadvantages that women-owned firms experience in accessing markets.
Ms. Coke-Hamilton holds a Juris Doctor in Law from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, DC, and a BSc in International Relations and Economics from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
Philippe Varin was elected Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce in June 2024 after having served on the executive board since 2018.
He served as Group Executive Vice President for Aluminum at Pechiney before becoming CEO of Corus in 2003, overseeing its acquisition by Tata in 2007.
Mr Varin chaired PSA Peugeot Citroen from 2009 to 2014 and, subsequently, Areva and Orano until 2020. He led France Industrie and the Conseil National de l’Industrie from 2017 to 2021, chaired Suez from 2020 to 2022, and has co-chaired the World Materials Forum since 2015.
Mr Varin is an operating partner of the GVP Climate Investment Fund. He also chairs the C’Possible partnership to enhance vocational education opportunities in France.
Mr Varin graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole des Mines de Paris and holds honors in France and the UK.
