The 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) took place from 20 to 23 October 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with the theme “Shaping the future: Driving economic transformation for equitable, inclusive and sustainable development”.
Hosted by Switzerland and UNCTAD, the conference convened ministers of trade and economy, leaders of international organizations, representatives of civil society, the private sector, youth, and renowned experts to engage in high-level dialogue on global trends and policy perspectives on trade, finance and debt, investment, development and the digital economy.
Set UNCTAD’s work priorities for the next four years
Held every four years since 1964, the quadrennial conference is UNCTAD’s highest decision-making body. Since 2024, representatives from UNCTAD's 195 member states have been working to reach a consensus on the text to be adopted. It outlines their vision for addressing current economic challenges and sets the organization's work priorities for the next four years.
Alongside the negotiations, UNCTAD16 featured a general debate, ministerial meetings of country groups, ministerial roundtables, forums, parallel events and exhibitions.
Live streaming and recordings
All sessions of the General Debate, during which UNCTAD’s member states expressed their views on the conference’s substantive issues, were streamed live and recorded, along with most high-level sessions.
Check the online programme for more details and links for the recordings, or search the UNCTAD16 video library.
