Kenya Hosts 14th UN Conference on Trade and Development

Kenya on Sunday will host the 14th UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) conference, which will end on July 22 aimed at reinforcing Kenya’s high profile status and help to cement the country’s position as a global economic and trade player.

The theme for the conference is “from decision to actions: Moving towards an inclusive and equitable global economic environment for trade and development.”

This theme is founded on key global outcomes arrived at in 2015 including the 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where action is needed as part of implementation.

This is the second time Kenya is hosting the global meeting as the East African hosted the fourth UNCTAD in 1976.

Read: Have the Fruits of High Profile Visits in Kenya Been Realized?

UNCTAD, was established in 1964, has 194 member states. The six-day event will be attended by over 7,000 delegates, including government officials, 2,000 business and civil society representatives from around the globe.

The hosting of the conference follows the decision of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board in November last year to accept Kenya’s offer to host the conference.

During the week, UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi will launch the UNCTAD Economic Development in Africa Report 2016.

On Friday, Mukhisa opened the Global Commodities Forum (GCF) 2016 with calls to address vulnerability of commodities dependence.

“We chose a bold theme for the Forum – “Breaking the chains of commodity dependence” – that conveys our commitment to overcoming this key obstacle to sustainable development,” says Mukhisa.