MACHINE NAME = WEB 2

Assembly Hall

23 October, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. (CET)

Closing plenary and closing ceremony

The 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) will take 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 will convene 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. Website: https://unctad.org/unctad16…
PRESS CONFERENCE: UN Conference on Trade and Development to convene in Geneva amid major trade shift As the global economy undergoes tectonic shifts in trade, finance and technology, global economic and development leaders will gather in Geneva this month to chart a path through mounting uncertainty and fragmentation. Ahead of the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16), Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan outlined how countries can navigate record debt, disrupted supply chains, volatile investment flows and accelerating digital transformation. Hosted by Switzerland, UNCTAD16 (20-23 October, Palais de Nations) will bring together minsters of trade and finance, heads of international organizations, Nobel laureates and leading economists to explore ways to make them global economy more predictable, inclusive and sustainable. “Development is not a luxury, it’s a necessity”, Ms. Grynspan says. “We need to rebuild trust in an economy that works for everyone.” UNCTAD16 website: https://unctad.org/unctad16 Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unctad/albums/72177720329632941/…
Born from the commitments made at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) and launched during the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16), the Sevilla Forum on Debt marks a new chapter in creating fairer, more sustainable solutions for developing countries. Speakers: António Guterres, UN Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UNCTAD Carlos Cuerpo, Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Spain Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Watch the press conference held on 22 October 2025: https://www.unognewsroom.org/story/en/2877/unog-rush-presser-22oct2025 https://unctad.org/meeting/unctad16-press-conference-launch-sevilla-forum-debt Follow live #UNCTAD16: https://unctad.org/unctad16 #ShapingTheFuture…
The forum offered an opportunity to take stock of the evolution of South–South cooperation and to discuss future priorities in the context of rapid technological change, environmental concerns and rising uncertainties that reshape development prospects.