The LDCs continue to face challenges that hinder their chances of achieving Sustainable Development, compounded by declining Official development assistance, rising debt vulnerabilities and tariff uncertainty. Many are challenged with insufficient and inadequate financial resources to manoeuvre today's global crises. As the LDCs continue to wrestle with the complex questions posed by a fast changing and highly uncertain global environment, the role of the EIF is more important than ever to help revive their economies with support tailored to their specific needs and challenges.
The EIF is committed to play a central role in helping the LDCs address constraints inhibiting their capacity to participate in trade as a means for sustainable economic development and poverty reduction. To make this possible, adequate financing resources are needed – primarily through grants from the EIF Trust Fund.
Objective
Using the successes of the EIF partnership as a springboard, this side event will serve as a platform to take forward the Taskforce's recommendation on reinvigorating the EIF partnership, including on pledging resources in support of the LDCs' trade and investment priorities through EIF Phase Three.
More specifically, this 90-minute event will:
- Highlight Transformative Impact and Exchange Best Practices: Facilitate the exchange of best practices among partners on tackling the development challenges faced by the LDCs. In addition, share the unique transformative impacts and catalytic results from the implementation of the EIF programme, including setting up institutional structures and Aid for Trade coordination; leveraging resources; and supporting trade mainstreaming and productive capacity development in the LDCs to date.
- Present the EIF Phase Three Programme Framework: Share the Programme Framework and strategy of EIF Phase Three, including the approach to leveraging resources, strengthening LDC ownership and ensuring value for money.
- Reinvigorate the EIF partnership and pledge support: Donors and partners are to announce funding to the EIF Trust Fund for EIF Phase Three and discuss innovative financial mechanisms to scale up development finance for the LDCs.
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.
