UN conference on trade and development to convene in Geneva amid major trade shifts

The sixteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) will be hosted by the Government of Switzerland from 20 to 23 October 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Held every four years at the level of heads of state and government, ministers, and global thought leaders, UNCTAD conferences refine the organization’s mandate in response to new developments in the global economy.

UNCTAD16 comes at a time of unprecedented challenges: rising debt, climate pressures, widening inequalities and deep uncertainty in global trade. The conference will provide a platform for countries to move from talk to action - finding common ground and building solutions that make the global economy work for everyone, especially those struggling the most.

With the theme “Shaping the future: Driving economic transformation for equitable, inclusive and sustainable development”, UNCTAD16 will convene heads of state and government, ministers of trade and economy, Nobel laureates, leaders of international organizations, civil society representatives and renowned experts.

As UN Trade and Development’s Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan has underlined, development is not a luxury but a necessity. With its 195 member states, UNCTAD offers the strongest convening power among trade organizations - a strength especially vital in today’s fractured global economy.