Rebeca Grynspan becomes first woman appointed as UNCTAD Secretary-General
Earlier on June 11, 2021, history was made as the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres’s nomination, Rebeca Grynspan was approved by the UN General Assembly to become the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). That makes Ms Grynspan the first woman to head the UNCTAD, just months after Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed the first woman to head the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Ms. Grynspan, who is an economist and current Ibero-American Secretary-General, also becomes the first Central American to be appointed as Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
Prior to this appointment, she has held several high-level positions including, among others, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Ms Grynspan has also served as the UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, a member of the High-level Panel on Financing for Development, and Vice President of Costa Rica (1994 to 1998).
“I am grateful and honoured for the trust the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has placed in me with this appointment as Secretary-General of UNCTAD. I look forward to bringing my experience and commitment to development to this unique organization, whose history, mandate and recognized world-class expertise make it a key partner for all countries facing the challenges of post pandemic recovery,” she said.
The UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, offices in New York and Addis Ababa.
It is part of the UN Secretariat, and reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council but have its own membership, leadership, and budget. It is also part of the United Nations Development Group.
Among other things, UNCTAD says it supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. It also helps equip them to deal with the potential drawbacks of greater economic integration. To do this, UNCTAD provides analysis, facilitate consensus-building, and offer technical assistance. This helps the countries to use trade, investment, finance, and technology as vehicles for inclusive and sustainable development.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
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