Leaders dialogue: Charting a new development course in a changing world

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.

His Excellency Azali Assoumani is a Comorian politician and military officer who has served as President of Comoros since April 2019. He was also president from 2002 to 2006 and from 2016 to February 2019. Between the years 1977 and 1980, Mr. Assoumani trained at the Royal Military Academy in Morocco and became a parachutist. He pursued a military career for two decades, completing further training at a French military academy in 1996, where he was promoted to colonel and chief of staff of the new National Development Army (NAD of Comoros). He retained this position until he became president of the Comoros Council of State in 1999.

His Excellency Andry Nirina Rajoelina is a Malagasy-French politician and businessman who has served as president of Madagascar since 2023. 

He previously served as president from 2019 to 2023 and was president of a provisional government from 2009 to 2014, having held the office of Mayor of Antananarivo for one year prior. 

Before entering the political arena, Rajoelina was involved in the private sector, including a printing and advertising company called Injet in 1999 and the Viva radio and television networks in 2007.

José Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmão is an East Timorese politician.  He has served as the 6th prime minister of East Timor since 2023, previously serving in that position from 2007 to 2015. 

He also served as East Timor's first president since its re-establishment of independence, from 2002 to 2007.

H.E Mr. Stephan Lars Andreas Brunner Neibig is a Costa Rican politician and economist who is the First Vice President of Costa Rica. He assumed office on 8 May 2022.

Mr. Brunner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in cultural economics from the University of Kiel, a Master of Arts in economics from Indiana University Bloomington, and a PhD in economics from the University of Kiel.

General Haji Abubaker Jeje Odongo is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda and represents Orungo Constituency in the National Parliament. 

Prior to this appointment, he was Minister of Internal Affairs from 2016-2021. He has held other cabinet portfolios including as Minister of State for Defence and Minister of State for Environment. In his other previous capacity, he served as Army Commander between 1998-2001 and held several other positions while in military service, including representing the Army in Parliament. 

Gen. Odongo holds MA in International Studies from Nairobi University, BA (Hon) in Education from Makerere University. He underwent military training and was commissioned from Monduli Academy in 1979. 

Other courses attended include Logistics command from Monterey- USA and National Defense College- Karen, Kenya.

H.E. Mr. Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim, was appointed as Chief Advisor for Foreign Policy to the President, Brazil On 5 January 2023. 

He is a Brazilian diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 20 July 1993 to 31 December 1994 and again from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2010. He was Minister of Defence from 5 August 2011 to 31 December 2014. 

Before his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amorim served as Brazil's ambassador to the United Kingdom.

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.