Good morning, this is Paula. Earlier this week, before Geneva traffic was put at a standstill when caravans of black limousines exited United Nations grounds, heads of state, agency bosses and ministers reminisced as UN Trade and Development – formerly Unctad – kicked off its 60th anniversary.
UN secretary general António Guterres briefly joined the celebrations, before dignitaries discussed the way forward for the agency, which has long provided technical assistance to developing countries and an early seat at the table, amid rising inequalities and a crisis in multilateralism. |
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Rebeca Grynspan, United Nations Trade and Development secretary general, at the organisation’s 60th anniversary at the UN in Geneva, 12 June 2024. (Keystone//Pool/Martial Trezzini)
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Packed into the low-lighted space of a temporary conference hall at the United Nations Geneva headquarters, dignitaries were served a mix of nostalgia, geopolitics and hi-level brainstorming Wednesday as UN Trade and Development, formerly known as Unctad, began its celebrations to commemorate its founding six decades ago.
The jubilee comes as multilateralism within key UN agencies is at a crossroads, while crises, including war, rising inequality and climate change threaten development in much of the global south.
Recalling how the organisation was founded in 1964 with the promise that developing countries “had a seat at the table to negotiate common solutions”, UN Trade and Development chief Rebeca Grynspan said the aspiration has been “tested, challenged and sometimes realised” as the most vulnerable populations remain exposed to global market volatilities and environmental degradation.
Read the full story on Geneva Solutions (EN)
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One of the survivors embraces a crew member of the Ocean Viking. The 64 rescued migrants were taken to the port of Marina di Carrara. ( SOS Mediterranée/Tess Barthes)
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🚢64 LIVES SAVED.
Migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking rescued 64 people, including 12 unaccompanied minors, during two missions carried out in the Mediterranean last Saturday. The vessel, run by the humanitarian organisation SOS Mediterranée, responded to two distress calls in the Libyan search and rescue region and after three days at sea, brought the survivors to a port on the north western coast of Italy. One body was recovered from the water during the mission.
“Since January 2024, 923 people have lost their lives, an overwhelming figure that reminds us of the urgency to act,” the organisation said, referring to deaths along the Mediterranean route and urging countries to put in place a coordinated search and rescue mechanism. Earlier this week, the International Organization for Migration reported that 49 migrants had died and 140 others remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Yemen.
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