On 17 February 2026, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), through its Extractive Commodities Section within the Division of International Trade and Commodities, is organizing the launch of the report “Rapid assessment of value addition and diversification within and beyond the critical energy transition minerals value chain: Zambia” in Lusaka.
The report is the result of UNCTAD’s project Critical energy transition minerals: Rapid assessment of value addition and diversification capacity in Southern Africa funded by the Government of Japan, which supports Zambia in identifying actionable pathways for industrialization and economic diversification beyond raw commodity exports.
The advanced version of the report consolidates analytical findings, sectoral opportunities, and policy recommendations aimed at strengthening economic resilience, creating jobs, and fostering sustainable and inclusive growth.
Objectives and expected outcomes
The launch event will provide a platform to present the report’s key findings and recommendations to national stakeholders. It aims to ensure that policymakers, development partners, and the private sector have a shared understanding of the opportunities for value addition and diversification identified in the assessment.
The launch also aims to reaffirm Zambia’s commitment to structural transformation and inclusive development, enabling the country to capture greater value from its commodity sectors while advancing sustainable economic growth.
The event is expected to:
- Raise awareness of the report’s findings and policy recommendations;
- Strengthen stakeholder commitment to advancing their implementation;
- Identify priority actions and coordination mechanisms to support Zambia’s industrialization and diversification agenda.
In addition to presenting these findings, the event will facilitate an open dialogue on next steps for implementation, including discussions with development partners on mobilizing technical and financial support.
Format and participants
The event will take the form of a high-level presentation followed by a stakeholder dialogue. Participants will include senior government officials from ministries responsible for trade, industry, and mines; representatives of the private sector; development partners and donors; academia and civil society; as well as United Nations entities and regional organizations.
Partner
- Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI)
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.
Clovis Freire Junior is Chief of Extractive Commodities Section, of the Division on International Trade and Commodities of UNCTAD in Geneva. He is an Economist specialized in economic diversification and strategies for building productive capacities in developing countries. His work supports the structural transformation and sustainable development of commodity-dependent developing countries.
He has over 20 years of work experience in the United Nations in programmes related to commodity dependence, least developed countries, technology and innovation for development, and disaster risk reduction. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering from the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), Brazil, a Master’s degree in Computer Sciences from the University de Brasília (UnB), an MBA in Strategic Management of Information Systems from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Brazil, and a PhD in Economics from the Maastricht University, in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
