The venue for the Civil Society Forum for the fifteenth session of the UNCTAD Ministerial Conference (UNCTAD 15) is the Coleridge and Parry School in Ashton Hall, St. Peter. This is the final venue to be confirmed for the six forums which will precede the Conference.

In addition to Civil Society, there will be forums on Global Commodities (Barbados Hilton), Youth (The Lodge School), Gender and Development (Errol Barrow Centre for the Creative Imagination), Trade Digitisation (Frank Collymore Hall), and Creative Industries (Queen’s Park). These forums will take place from 23 to 24 April 2021.

UNCTAD 15 will be held in Barbados from 25 to 30 April 2021. 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 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.

“We are working hard to have a forum that is relevant and inclusive. Very soon we are hoping to host a national consultation to ensure that the voices of civil society in Barbados are fully taken on board, and that we can establish a mechanism for ongoing input. We anticipate that this Conference will be critical to bringing to the fore key civil society concerns particularly in the context of COVID 19. The sector needs to ensure that it makes good use of the space UNCTAD 15 will provide.”

Peter Williams is Lead Organiser for the Global Commodities Forum, Roshanna Trim for the Youth Forum, Professor Eudine Barriteau for Gender and Development, Dr. Annalee Babb for Trade Digitisation, and Adrian Green for Creative Industries.

The theme of the Conference is “From Inequality and Vulnerability to Prosperity for All“.