By Isabelle Durant, Acting Secretary-General, UNCTAD
“From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”, is the theme of the 15th session of UNCTAD’s quadrennial ministerial conference (UNCTAD15), which kicks off virtually between Barbados and Geneva from 3 to 7 October 2021. Throughout September, pre-conference events will already be taking place.
The challenges of inequality and vulnerability have been sharpened during pandemic crisis. The UNCTAD15 conference and its forums and pre-events tackle the “know-how” for reigniting economies in a sustainable and profitable way. The first of these is the ninth meeting of the Global Commodities Forum, organized by UNCTAD, the government of Barbados and partners. The forum’s opening by Ms. Rebeca Grynspan will be her inaugural event as UNCTAD’s newly appointed secretary-general.
The theme of the 2021 Global Commodities Forum is “Strengthening resilience in commodity-dependent countries”. As a key multi-stakeholder event, the Global Commodities Forum promotes exchange of knowledge and ideas for pragmatic solutions to perennial problems in the commodity economy. The forum offers a unique platform for debating the nexus of inter-related issues such as food security, water management, transitioning from fossil fuels and the greening of the mining sector. Many commodity-dependent developing countries face the challenge of responding effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting development needs in the context of accelerating climate change processes. Adapting to a constantly evolving environment depends on countries’ capacity to promote innovative economic and social development programmes which in turn benefit from international cooperation. The Global Commodities Forum will connect policymakers with practitioners to address current challenges and future opportunities for commodity-dependent economies.
Day 1 of the forum is dedicated to agriculture, with a focus on the policy actions required to ensure food security, while the second session will examine the challenges related to access to water in the 21st century. On day 2, the third and fourth sessions will explore issues related to energy commodities and minerals, with a focus on energy transitions. Day 3 will feature a high-level roundtable on strengthening resilience. More information is available on the forum's web page. Registration is required to participate.