Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica will be the new Secretary-General of Unctad, the trade and development body of the United Nations. 

Her nomination to the post by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was approved by the UN General Assembly on Sunday.

Grynspan, the first woman and Central American to be appointed as Secretary-General of Unctad, is an economist and current Ibero-American Secretary-General.

“I’m grateful and honoured for the trust the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has placed in me with this appointment as Secretary-General of Unctad,” Grynspan said. 

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“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 added: “I believe that, at this critical time, Unctad can make an essential contribution to a more just, sustainable and inclusive recovery for all.”

Grynspan has had a career spanning many years and 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).

She 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).

Unctad Acting Secretary-General Isabelle Durant welcomed the appointment and said: “This is great news for Unctad. The timely coming on board of Ms. Grynspan as our Secretary-General will be key to leading us in the implementation of a new chapter and mandate that will be decided by our 15th ministerial conference, UNCTAD15, in October this year.”

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