Costa Rican economist Rebeca Grynspan has taken up her new role as secretary-general of UNCTAD for a four-year term. Grynspan, the first woman to serve as UNCTAD's secretary-general, was nominated for the post by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and approved by the General Assembly. "I am honoured to begin work at UNCTAD at a critical time for our world," Grynspan said. "Covid-19 has exposed the widespread inequalities and vulnerabilities of the world and the development model. As we recover from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to rebalance the global economy, boost resilience and ensure shared prosperity." "We must take action today to transform trade and reshape our global economy to overcome barriers to greater prosperity for all and embark on a sustainable development path that will benefit everyone," she said. Read: Rebeca Grynspan new Secretary-General of Unctad Grynspan said UNCTAD's 15th quadrennial conference, slated for October 3-7, will be an important opportunity for countries to make bold decisions to address the massive unmet trade, finance, investment and technology needs of developing countries struggling to meet both the Covid economic fallout and sustainable development challenges. Before her UNCTAD appointment, Grynspan was the Ibero-American secretary-general. She was the first woman to lead the organisation, too. She is also a former under-secretary-general of the UN and associate administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and a former regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the organisation. Before joining the UN, Grynspan served as vice president of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. She was also minister of housing, minister coordinator of economic and social affairs and deputy finance minister.

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.  READ: Investment decline in productive assets spells trouble for poorer nations: 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 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.” READ: FDI down 42pc globally in 2020; UNCTAD expects further weakness in 2021