Volunteers are needed for the fifteenth session of the UNCTAD Ministerial Conference (UNCTAD 15), which is to be hosted in Barbados next April.

The Conference is the highest decision-making body of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and is held every four (4) years. During the Conference, policy makers from UNCTAD’s 195 member countries assess the current trade and development issues, discuss policy options and formulate global responses to the challenges affecting States – particularly developing states. The Conference also sets the organization’s mandate and work priorities.

National Coordinator for UNCTAD 15, Ms. Teresa Marshall, says, “We’re seeking to recruit a team of highly motivated volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30 who are resident in Barbados to assist with Conference facilitation, so as to ensure that participants enjoy a positive experience of the Conference and of Barbados. Successful applicants will be provided with basic training in etiquette, protocol, and the United Nations system and its Conference procedures.”

While service will be on a voluntary basis, a stipend will be provided to defray expenses. Volunteers will be given a specific assignment from among a range of facilitation duties, including:

• Liaison Officer to one or more delegations attending the Conference;
• Information Officer at a hotel or one of the Conference or Event Venues;
• Support Services to the Directors and Staff of the UNCTAD Secretariat in Meeting Room Duties, Document Distribution, Conference Logistics, Registration and Accreditation, Press and Media Support and General and Other Services.

The main conference is scheduled for 25-30 April 2021, but it will be preceded from 23 to 24 April by forums on Youth, Civil Society, Gender and Development, Global Commodities, Creative Industries and Trade Digitisation.

The deadline for applications is 24 October. For more information on how to apply to volunteer, please visit the UNCTAD 15 host country website at www.unctad15.bb/volunteers.