The opening of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) featured a leaders dialogue that underlined that the current multilateral system is under strain, beset by rising inequality, economic uncertainty and eroding confidence in shared rules.
Watch the leaders dialogue
Speakers at the dialogue agreed that the rules underpinning global trade – many written nearly 80 years ago – are no longer fit for purpose.
Opening remarks
- Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Speakers
- Arnoldo André Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Costa Rica
- Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica
- Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, Egypt
- Guy Parmelin, Federal Councillor, Switzerland
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization
Panellists
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.
Dr. Arnoldo André Tinoco is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Costa Rica. A position he has held since 8 May 2022.
Previously, he served as a professor of International Law at the University of Costa Rica.
Between 2010 and 2013, he held the position of President at the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, and from 1997 to 2022, he acted as the Honorary Consul of Norway in Costa Rica. He is also an attorney and a founding partner of Lexincorp Costa Rica.
He holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of Hamburg, Germany.
Kamina Johnson Smith is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. Concurrently, she is Leader of Government Business in the Senate. Notably, Senator Johnson Smith is Jamaica's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the first born after the nation's independence.
Minister Johnson Smith has, among other initiatives, chaired the CARIFORUM group in 2016-17, and in that capacity led the opening of discussions with the UK regarding post-Brexit trade arrangements. In 2018, she served as President of the ACP Council of Ministers and chaired the CARICOM Council of Foreign Ministers and was the first Jamaican Foreign Minister to attend G7 and G20 meetings. In 2019 she was appointed as President of Council of the International Seabed Authority.
Minister Johnson Smith has also worked with a wide range of bilateral and international development partners, supporting the attainment of Jamaica's sustainable development goals, as well as strengthening Jamaica's contribution to important global efforts to build peace and security, foster respect for human rights, and promote a strong and fair multilateral trading system.
Senator Johnson Smith is an Attorney-at-Law who worked previously in private practice and as corporate in-house counsel. She holds degrees from The University of the West Indies and the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a graduate of the Norman Manley Law School.
Minister Johnson Smith was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica and is married. She enjoys reading, yoga and jogging.
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk was appointed the Minister of Finance of Egypt in July 2024. He served as the Vice Minister of Finance for Fiscal Policies and institutional Reform from March 2016 to July 2024. Since then, he has been playing a leading role in planning and implementing Egypt’s macroeconomic and fiscal policies and reforms. He has also been the Chief Negotiator and Government focal point with the IMF since 2016.
He served as a Board Member at the Central Bank of Egypt from April 2016 to June 2018, at Egypt Air Holding Company from 2018-2020 and at Misr Fertilizers Production Company (MOPCO) from 2021- April 2022. He had been also entitled as a board member in several other institutions over the past years.
Mr. Ahmed Kouchouk is a professional economist and policy advisor with almost 25 years of applied experience. He worked as a Senior Economist for the World Bank from June 2013 to March 2016. Furthermore, he worked for the Ministry of Finance in several leading roles for more than 14 years including as the Vice Minister, the Economic Advisor, and the Director of the Macro Fiscal Unit. He also served for the Ministry of External Trade and the Ministry of Economy in Egypt.
He earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2010 and a master’s degree in economics from York University in the United Kingdom in 2002. He also had a B.S., in Economics in 1999 from the American University in Cairo.
Guy Bernard Parmelin is a Swiss Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.
He has been a member of the Federal Council since 2016, when he took over as head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. Since January 2019 he has been head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.
He was president of the Swiss Confederation in 2021.
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.
