UNCTAD Full Form: Formation, Objective, Reports, Members

UNCTAD Full Form: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development promotes economic cooperation and integration among its member states. Today we will talk about UNCTAD, its history and its full form and will give complete information about its functions. Here you will have the complete details on UNCTAD. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established it in 1964 and reports to that body and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). UNCTAD has 195 member countries and collaborates with nongovernmental organizations worldwide; its permanent secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland.

UNCTAD History

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was created in the early 1960s when it became clear that global trade imbalances and fair development had to be fixed without delay. As a result of its first meeting in 1964 in Geneva, Switzerland, UNCTAD brought together leaders from both emerging and developed countries to deal with the problems that come with the international trade system. In answer to requests from developing countries for a place where their worries about trade imbalances, terms of trade, and differences in development could be heard on the same level as those of wealthier countries, UNCTAD was created as a place for dialogue and cooperation. When it was first created, UNCTAD was based on the ideas of fairness and inclusion. Its goal has always been to promote fair trade practices that help the economic growth and development of all countries, no matter how successful they are.

Since it was founded, UNCTAD has been very important in pushing for more fair and reasonable trade policies around the world. Through its many conferences, summits, and professional aid programs, UNCTAD has made it easier for people to talk, do research, and make policy that helps poor countries and promotes sustainable development around the world. UNCTAD keeps working to make the world of trade more fair and successful for all countries, no matter how rich or poor they are, by bringing attention to the development needs and problems that countries with limited resources face.

UNCTAD Overview

Today UNCTAD is functioning in more than 195 countries and dealing with trade, investment, and development issues.

UNCTAD	United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Formation	30 December 1964
Secretary-General	Rebeca Grynspan
Parent Organization	United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Secretariat
Website	www.unctad.org
Member	195 countries

What is UNCTAD

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a United Nations body responsible for dealing with development issues, particularly international trade. Its work focuses on the following key areas: Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes; Globalization, interdependence and development; international trade and commodities; investment and enterprise; and technology and logistics. This work often results in analysis and recommendations that can inform national and international policy-making processes and promote economic policies to end global economic inequalities and generate people-centred sustainable development.

UNCTAD Objectives

Framing policies in various domains such as trade, technology, finance, aid, and transport is the most important priority of UNCTAD. Geneva is the permanent secretariat of UNCTAD, and the conference ordinarily meets once in four years. Working at the national, regional, and global levels, our efforts help countries to:

Comprehend options to address macro-level development challenges
Achieve beneficial integration into the international trading system
Diversify economies to make them less dependent on commodities
Limit their exposure to financial volatility and debt
Attract investment and make it more development-friendly
Increase access to digital technologies
Promote entrepreneurship and innovation
Help local firms move up value chains
Speed up the flow of goods across borders
Protect consumers from abuse
Curb regulations that stifle competition
Adapt to climate change and use natural resources more effectively

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Functions and Activities of UNCTAD

The Main Functions of the UNCTAD are:

To promote international trade between developed and developing countries to accelerate economic development.
To formulate principles and policies on international trade and related economic development problems.
To make proposals for putting its principles and policies into effect,
To negotiate trade agreements.
To review and facilitate the coordination of activities of the other U.N. institutions in the field of international trade.
To function as a centre for harmonious trade and related documents in the development policies of governments.

Participants of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

As of May 2018, UNCTAD has 195 member states, divided into four groups based on UN Regional Groups. Armenia, Kiribati, Nauru, South Sudan, Tajikistan, and Tuvalu are the six countries that have not yet been given a member. These people are split up like this: List A has mostly UN member countries from the African and Asia-Pacific Groups. List B has countries from the Western European and Others Group. List C has countries from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), and List D has countries from the Eastern European Group.

UNCTAD Reports

UNCTAD produces several topical reports, including:

The Trade and Development Report	The Trade and Environment Review
The World Investment Report	The Economic Development in Africa Report
The Least Developed Countries Report	UNCTAD Statistics
Digital Economy Report (formerly known as the Information Economy Report)	The Review of Maritime Transport
The International Accounting and Reporting Issues Annual Review	The Technology and Innovation Report

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List of Secretaries General and Officers-in-Charge

Secretary-General	Dates in office	Country of origin
Raúl Prebisch	1963–1969	Argentina
Manuel Pérez-Guerrero	1969–1974	Venezuela
Gamani Corea	1974–1984	Sri Lanka
Alister McIntyre	1985	Grenada
Kenneth K.S. Dadzie	1986–1994	Ghana
Carlos Fortin	1994–1995	Chile
Rubens Ricupero	1995–2004	Brazil
Carlos Fortin	2004–2005	Chile
Supachai Panitchpakdi	1 September 2005 – 30 August 2013	Thailand
Mukhisa Kituyi	1 September 2013 – 15 February 2021	Kenya
Isabelle Durant	15 February 2021 – 11 June 2021	Belgium
Rebeca Grynspan	Since 11 June 2021	Costa Rica

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Conclusion:

Since it was founded in 1964, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Growth (UNCTAD) has been a key organization for promoting economic unity and growth around the world. With its goal of reducing trade deficits, promoting fair trade, and supporting all countries’ economic growth, UNCTAD has had a big impact on how international trade policies are made. UNCTAD continues to work toward its goals of promoting equitable and sustainable development across the globe via a variety of roles and activities, such as establishing principles, generating analytical reports, and enabling discourse among member nations.

UNCTAD’s current Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan, is committed to the organization’s goal to help developing countries become more integrated into the global trade system, make economies more diverse, and protect their best interests. As it moves into its sixth decade, UNCTAD is still an important place to promote discussion, unity, and fair economic growth around the world.