UNCTAD16 business leaders dialogue: Investing in the future
Your Excellency Julio Moltó, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of the Republic of Panama,
Dear Ahmed Mohammed Al-Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Government of the State of Qatar,
Dear Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary-General elect of UN Tourism,
Dear Alan Chan, Executive Director of the Board, Hong Kong and China Gas Company (Towngas),
Dear Ángela Pérez, Chairperson and CEO of COFIDES,
Dear Boon Heong Ng, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Foundation,
Dear André Hoffmann, Interim Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum,
Dear Alfonso Líbano Daurella, Vice Chairman of Cobega,
Dear Damon Embling, Director of Headline Media UK,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to UNCTAD 16’s business leader’s dialogue, and thank you for coming and for your support. Business is fundamentally about solving problems — seeing what’s changing in the world, and finding ways to turn that change into growth. That mindset is more essential today than ever.
Before we hear from our distinguished panelists, I want to share with you two points: first, about the headwinds shaping global investment; and second, about how this dialogue can chart a path forward to the World Investment Forum 2026.
First, the headwinds.
Global foreign direct investment fell 11% last year. Project finance for infrastructure has slowed sharply. SDG-related investment are seeing less capital, just when they need more. Trade tensions are making things more complex. Supply chains are being rewired, trade routes redrawn, and production decisions influenced by politics as much as prices. Boardrooms now face questions that used to belong to diplomats.
This uncertainty has a price. When businesses can't predict tomorrow's trade rules or next year's market access, they delay investment, demand higher returns, and choose short-term safety over long-term growth.
The very capital we need for the green and digital transitions sits on the sidelines, waiting for clearer signals.
This brings me to my 2nd point —how we move forward together.
This dialogue serves as a preparatory session for the World Investment Forum 2026. Over the next ninety minutes, two panels will tackle the questions that will define our investment agenda.
Panel 1 asks what are the critical issues facing global investment, which barriers deter investors from scaling up in emerging markets. These questions are key – we can’t solve what we don’t see.
Panel 2 turns to action: How do we unlock long-term investment for the green and digital transitions? What concrete initiatives should feature at WIF 2026? Our outcome document calls for scaling up investment, for creating enabling environments, for ensuring the benefits reach all countries. Your insights today will shape how we translate these aspirations into reality.
Excellencies,
We've assembled extraordinary leadership here – ministers and CEOs, development partners and institutional investors, family businesses and private equity. Together, you represent trillions in capital and millions of jobs. More importantly, you represent the power to redirect finance toward global public goods and long-term resilience.
I ask you to be bold today. Propose the partnerships, identify the reforms, commit to the investments that will define WIF 2026 and beyond. The world needs your leadership, your capital, and your conviction more than ever before.
I thank you.