Washington, DC - A U.S. delegation is traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, July 17-19, for the 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Kurt Tong will lead the U.S. delegation, which includes officials from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Trade Commission, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

UNCTAD is the UN body focused on the nexus between trade and development. Established in 1964 to promote trade and development and the interrelated areas of technology, finance, and investment, it provides research and technical assistance to developing countries, helping them to build the capacities to integrate into the global economy. The conference sets the direction for the next four years of UNCTAD’s work and provides a forum where representatives of all 194 member countries can discuss relevant challenges and opportunities in the global economy. More than 2,000 participants from government, international organizations, philanthropic institutions, civil society, academia, and the private sector will attend.

As the first UN Ministerial Conference after the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNCTAD XIV presents an opportunity to consolidate global thinking around how to leverage trade as a catalyst for sustainable development.