Ministry of Economy leads government delegation to UNCTAD 14 in Kenya

Abu Dhabi, 14 July 2016: The Ministry of Economy has finalized preparations for representing the UAE in the 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) taking place from July 17 to 22, 2016 in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

The Ministry of Economy will lead a government delegation headed by H.E. Juma Mohammed Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Affairs, and comprising representatives from federal entities including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). The upcoming conference will be held under the slogan “From decision to action: Moving towards an inclusive and equitable global economic environment for trade and development.”

The latest edition of UNCTAD will focus on four areas: the challenges and opportunities posed by the multilateral system in trade and development; the enhancement of  overall and sustainable development through trade, investment, financing, and technology in order to achieve prosperity for all; achieving a structural economic transformation to enable economic flexibility, address obstacles to trade and development, and benefit from available opportunities; and finally, how to contribute to the active implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 issued by the United Nations in September 2015.

H.E. Al Kait emphasized the importance of the UAE’s participation in the UNCTAD and various other relevant international conferences to keep pace with the latest global developments in the economic and investment fields and to exchange economic information in order to gain a better understanding of such developments and further advance the country’s trade and investment goals.

The Assistant Undersecretary, who will deliver a speech on the UAE’s distinguished experience in pursuing sustainable development during the conference’s plenary session, explained that the conference provides an important opportunity for promoting the UAE’s attractive investment environment as well as taking advantage of the latest ideas and experiences related to sustainable development and global investment.

On the sidelines of the conference to be attended by delegations from 194 UN member states, representatives from regional and international organizations and authorities and civil society organizations will join a number of forums such as the World Investment Forum and the Global Commodities Forum as well as interactive sessions on development. 

The Ministerial meetings of the UNCTAD are considered one of the highest levels of coordination among the UN’s member states. They are held every four years and set the agenda for the organization's work over the next four-year period.