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You can read the full report here:
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/dom2016d1ipub_en.pdf
The year 2015 brimmed with hope that some of the world’s most intractable challenges could be met with collective action.
In Addis Ababa, countries reached an ambitious agreement to overhaul global finance practices and generate investments for
development. In New York, leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
to foster growth and eradicate extreme poverty within 15 years. In Paris, negotiators forged the world’s first legally binding climate
deal to bring healing to our planet. And in Nairobi, World Trade Organization (WTO) members concluded a package to strengthen
the open and rules-based global trading system.
What is needed now is the audacity to act. And in this respect, I believe UNCTAD – as the focal point in the United Nations for the
integrated treatment of trade and development and interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable
development – has a central role to play. For more than 50 years, “prosperity for all” has been the leitmotif of our commitments to
build a better world. In 2015, we recommitted ourselves to our mandate with renewed energy and a deeper sense of purpose.
And we are not alone. Together with our member States and other partners, including businesses and civil society, we can help
all countries make strides towards more inclusive prosperity. Looming challenges will require innovative responses that are embedded
in partnerships and rooted in our shared values of justice, fairness, equity and solidarity. For now is when the work truly begins.
Indeed, the theme of the fourteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, our 2016 ministerial
conference in Nairobi, has been deliberately chosen: “From decisions to actions.”
Amid the frenetic pace, we never forget that people are at the heart of what we do. The measure of our progress is whether
our efforts translate into improved living conditions for the people we serve. The last 25 years have witnessed significant progress,
with an increasing number of developing countries integrating into the global economy, though poverty and inequality remain pervasive
challenges. To secure development gains for all, we are going to need to ensure the process is inclusive, keeping small, poor and
vulnerable economies on board. As a long-standing bridge between developing and developed countries, UNCTAD is poised to fulfil
that role in articulating shared concerns.
This report details some of the successes of UNCTAD as a generator of evidence-based policy recommendations, a forum for
the exchange of ideas and experiences and a provider of technical support. It outlines our work and situates it within a broader
context that underscores the relevance of our initiatives. It gives credit to our staff, whose exceptional dedication and unflagging
enthusiasm make it possible for UNCTAD to achieve lasting change.
The defining challenge of our era is to accelerate development that is economically sound, socially inclusive and environmentally
sustainable. The Sustainable Development Goals embody nothing less. Reflecting on over 50 years and looking ahead to 2030,
I am confident that we can deliver on our mandate and promises to generations to come: prosperity for all, dignity for all and
a better planet for all.
About the Secretary General:
A former trade minister, Dr. Kituyi is an expert in international economics and diplomacy, with direct experience in trade negotiations on behalf of his country, Kenya.
Before becoming Secretary-General, he was the chief executive of the Kenya Institute of Governance, based in Nairobi, Kenya — a think tank and advocacy organization focused on improving public policy.
The UN General Assembly approved his nomination on 10 June 2013 for a term of four years. He took office on 1 September 2013. He is our seventh Secretary-General.
Position: Co -Founder of ENGAGE,a new social venture for the promotion of volunteerism and service and Ideator of Sharing4Good
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