By Isabelle Durant, Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD
With the 15th UNCTAD ministerial conference approaching, it’s time to give you a taste of what we are cooking for you. As the conference will be held online, we invite you to embark for virtual Barbados from 3 to 7 October 2021.
This year, a series of pre-events and forums will pave the way for UNCTAD15 as part of the programme of the conference. They are being organized between May and September and information about them is regularly provided on the UNCTAD15 website. Five forums will take place in September, focused on the themes of global commodities, youth, civil society, gender and development, and the creative economy and digitalization.
UNCTAD15 will be managed from two studios, one in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, and the other in Geneva. Exchanges between the two studios will provide a rich and unique experience while ensuring communication with our participants from around the world. The conference will be an immersion in the ambiance and flavour of Barbados, paying tribute to our host country. In addition to the traditional components of a ministerial conference, there will be national events such as concerts and a session on spirituality and tolerance in a virtual setting made with the colours of the island nation.
Together with Barbados, and with the resolute commitment of the entire UNCTAD membership, we can achieve a sustainable path forward in line with the conference theme, “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”.
Your participation will be essential to help influence the post-pandemic recovery journey, challenge inequality in all its forms and address the socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19. The need to finally shape a more equal world is now more pressing than ever. We eagerly look forward to your engagement during UNCTAD15 and hope that, together, we can make a change in the world and help the most vulnerable among us.
Contact person: Isabelle Valentiny, Chief of Staff, a.i. : isabelle.valentiny@un.org
