SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will hold its 16th quadrennial session (UNCTAD16) in Geneva in October 2025, under the theme: “Shaping the future, driving economic transformation for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development”. The conference, which sets UNCTAD’s mandate for the next four years, aims to tackle structural global crises in its four core development pillars: trade, investment, finance, and technology.
According to the UNCTAD Secretariat’s preparatory analysis, urgent vulnerabilities are rising. In Finance and Debt, 3.4 billion people live in countries spending more on debt servicing than on health and education, necessitating a reform of the international financial architecture. In Investment, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into developing countries is declining and often ignores priority areas like green energy or sustainable infrastructure. Trade is being strained by policy uncertainty—a factor often more disruptive than tariffs—despite showing some resilience in South–South trade growth. Finally, Technology (including digital trade and data flows) underpins over 60% of global GDP growth, but rising market concentration in AI and cloud services poses new risks to inclusion and equity for developing nations.
What is the mandate of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)?→ UNCTAD is the primary United Nations body responsible for the integrated treatment of trade and development, including interrelated issues of finance, technology, and investment. Its main objective is to support developing countries in accessing the benefits of the globalized economy more fairly and effectively, helping them use international economic tools for inclusive and sustainable development.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: What binding declaration should India propose at UNCTAD16 to ensure that global technology and finance rules support the climate adaptation needs of the most indebted nations?
Follow the full news here: https://unctad.org/press-material/facts-figures-unctad16