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Official account of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). We work to ensure everyone benefits from the global economy. Website: https://unctad.org/subscribe

UNCTAD, which is governed by its 194 member States, is the United Nations body responsible for dealing with development issues, particularly international trade – the main driver of development. Its work can be summed up in three words: think, debate, and deliver. Reflection on development is at the heart of UNCTAD’s work. It produces often-innovative analyses that form the basis for recommendations to economic policymakers. The aim is to help them take informed decisions and promote the macroeconomic policies best suited to ending global economic inequalities and to generating people-centred sustainable development. UNCTAD is also a forum where representatives of all countries can freely engage in dialogue and discuss ways to establish a better balance in the global economy. In addition, UNCTAD offers direct technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, helping them to build the capacities they need to become equitably integrated into the global economy and improve the well-being of their populations. UNCTAD holds a ministerial-level meeting every four years to discuss major global economic issues and to decide on its programme of work. It also holds discussions with civil society, including at an annual symposium where members of the public can express their views and interact with country representatives. Every two years, UNCTAD organizes the World Investment Forum, which brings together major players from the international investment community to discuss challenges and opportunities and to promote investment policies and partnerships for sustainable development and equitable growth.

27/10/2026

World Investment Forum, Doha, Qatar, 25-27 October 2026.

Investment is not just about infrastructure, technology or finance. Art, culture and tourism can also create jobs, strengthen communities and open new paths to economic growth.

That message helped set the tone for Day 2 of the World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha, Qatar, with a keynote address by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and discussions on art and civilizations, tourism, creative industries, skills and entrepreneurship.

The day also explored investment in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and sustainable development. It closed with the 2026 Women in Business Awards, celebrating women entrepreneurs whose businesses are driving innovation, creating opportunities and tackling economic, social and environmental challenges.

Other leading voices on Day 2 included H.E. Hassan bin Abdulla Al Thawadi, Managing Director, Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy; H.E. Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al-Khater, Minister, Qatar Ministry of Education and Higher Education H.E. Yasir Al Jamal, Undersecretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth وزارة الرياضة والشباب H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, President, Civil Service & Government Development Bureau & Secretary-General, Qatar National Planning Council; H.E. Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, Prime Minister of Lesotho; and Nan Li Collins, Head of the World Investment Forum & Director of Investment and Enterprise at UNCTAD.

27/10/2026

The first Caribbean Investment Report 2026 puts new evidence behind a central challenge for the region: how to mobilize investment for diversification, resilience and sustainable development.

Launched at the World Investment Forum in Doha, the report shows that climate adaptation remains particularly difficult to finance, highlighting the need for stronger project pipelines, risk-sharing mechanisms and partnerships that can mobilize private capital.

Foreign investment in the region rose 9% to USD 18 billion in 2025, excluding offshore financial centres, though it remained concentrated in a handful of economies. International project finance for climate adaptation totalled just USD 2.7 billion since 2000, compared with USD 16.4 billion for renewable energy.

The findings will also help inform UNCTAD’s continuing work on investment in climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure in SIDS, as partnerships and concrete solutions discussed at WIF are taken forward towards .

Read the report: https://ow.ly/9GV75101eUe

26/10/2026

World Investment Forum, Doha, Qatar, 25-27 October 2026.

UNCTAD launched the Guiding Principles for International Investment Agreements Reform and announced a technical assistance programme on international investment facilitation policies at the World Investment Forum.

The Guiding Principles give policymakers and negotiators a practical reference for modernizing investment agreements and strengthening their contribution to sustainable development. They were launched at the High-Level International Investment Agreements Conference, which brought together negotiators and policymakers from governments and regional organizations, including Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), جامعة الدول العربية - League of Arab States, Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization, and the D-8 Organization For Economic Cooperation alongside the OECD Development, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and legal and academic experts. The advance draft is public now: https://ow.ly/AfXu51014ZZ

The technical assistance programme supports developing countries in translating international commitments into practical reforms that improve transparency, simplify procedures and facilitate investment for sustainable development. It was announced at the session "International Investment Facilitation Policies: Creating Partnerships for Sustainable Development."

Both matter for the same reason: of the 2,664 international investment agreements in force today, roughly 85% are old-generation agreements signed before 2010, often with few public policy safeguards, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires an estimated USD 4 trillion in additional annual investment even as Foreign Direct Investment keeps declining. Modernizing the rules and making them easier to act on are two parts of closing that gap.

High-Level IIA Conference: https://ow.ly/zTNC51014ZX
Investment Facilitation session: https://ow.ly/whRT51014ZY

وزارة التجارة والصناعة Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar

26/10/2026

🏆 Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 UNCTAD Empretec Women in Business Awards!

Held during the 9th World Investment Forum under the theme “Women-led businesses and the art of scale,” the awards honoured women entrepreneurs in Leadership, Sustainability, Innovation and Technology, selected from 52 entrepreneurs nominated by Empretec centres:

Leadership – Sandra Letio, Pelere Group Limited (Uganda)
Sustainability – Paula Gianserra, ReForest Latam (Argentina)
Innovation – Aisha Albinali, Wafir (Qatar)
Innovation – Adriana Fernandes, Mátrika Comidas Especiais (Brazil)
Technology – Biobele Oyibo, Earlybean (Earlybean) (Nigeria)

Sandra Letio was recognized for building an agribusiness that works with more than 5,000 smallholder farmers. Paula Gianserra, for advancing forest restoration through AI, biotechnology and drone seeding. Aisha Albinali, for turning traditional savings practices into a fintech solution. Adriana Fernandes, for making safe, high-quality food accessible to people with food allergies and dietary restrictions. Biobele Oyibo, for using technology to promote financial literacy among young people.

The awards were part of a broader push at for women’s economic empowerment: UNCTAD and the Qatari Business Women Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation on women’s entrepreneurship, and the Forum hosted the session “Women who invest: Mobilizing female capital for the future.”

Read more: https://ow.ly/Fnun510144M

وزارة التجارة والصناعة Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar

26/10/2026

World Investment Forum, Doha, Qatar, 25-27 October 2026.

Nine founders. Four investors. The “Build It. Pitch It. Scale It.” session on Centre Stage, part of Global Entrepreneurship Connections and co-organized with Founder Institute brought high-potential entrepreneurs from around the world in front of real investors, business leaders and Qatar’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Founders pitched their vision, their traction and their ambitions for growth, live. The investor feedback that followed was consistent: successful fundraising takes a clear value proposition, realistic funding expectations, and the ability to communicate a scalable business model, and it’s the surrounding ecosystem, mentorship, networks, strong local entrepreneurship support, that turns a good idea into an investable one.

https://ow.ly/rnfR5100URV

26/10/2026

UNCTAD and جامعة الدول العربية - League of Arab States have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen economic cooperation and support sustainable development across Arab States.

The agreement was signed at the 9th World Investment Forum in Doha by Pedro Manuel Moreno, Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD, and Ambassador Ali Al-Malki, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Economic Affairs Sector of the League of Arab States.

It sets a five-year framework for cooperation across seven priority areas:

Economic and trade policies
Digital economy and emerging technologies
Food security, trade and supply chains
Investment and sustainable development
Economic data and evidence-based policymaking
Institutional capacity-building
Economic resilience and crisis management

Amid trade disruptions, technological change and pressure on food supply chains, the partnership aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Arab economies, support more effective policymaking and contribute to inclusive and sustainable development across the region.

وزارة التجارة والصناعة Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar

26/10/2026

🏆 Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 United Nations Investment Promotion Awards!

At the 9th World Investment Forum in Doha, four trade and investment promotion agencies and one special economic zone were honoured for excellence in attracting investment in the digital economy:

Caribbean Export Development Agency
Ethiopian Investment Commission
Invest Korea
Invest Qatar
Tanger Med Zones

Selected from 48 entries across 40 countries, this year’s winners were recognized for their innovative approaches to investment promotion and facilitation, their effectiveness in mobilizing sustainable foreign direct investment, and their contributions to digital transformation and sustainable development.

Together, they show how targeted investment promotion and facilitation can help bridge digital divides and unlock new economic opportunities.

Read the full story: https://ow.ly/bWLs5100RGl

وزارة التجارة والصناعة Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar

26/10/2026

World Investment Forum, Doha
STARTING SOON AT — 09:30 Doha time, Al Dafna

Day 2 of the World Investment Forum opens with welcoming remarks by Ms. Nan Li Collins, Head of the World Investment Forum, followed by a keynote address by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chair of Qatar Museums.

🔴 Watch live: https://ow.ly/kPQH5100QYG

وزارة التجارة والصناعة Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar

26/10/2026

LIVE FROM DOHA

Day 2 of the World Investment Forum 2026 continues in Doha, Qatar. Watch today’s plenary sessions featuring the leaders shaping where investment goes next.

Today’s lineup (Doha time):

09:45–10:20 Investing in Art and Civilizations
10:30–11:00 Spotlight Dialogue on Investing in Art and Civilizations
11:15–12:00 Investing in the Future of Culture and Tourism — in collaboration with World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
12:15–13:00 Investing in Skills, Talent and Entrepreneurship
15:00–15:10 Special Address: H.E. Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Lesotho
15:15–16:00 Partnerships for the Planet: Climate, Nature and Prosperity
16:05–16:50 Investing Beyond GDP for Sustainable and Inclusive Progress
17:30–18:00 High-Level Closing

🔴 Watch live: https://ow.ly/ZNjt5100Pbp
➡️ Programme: https://ow.ly/KK8n5100Pbo

Organized by UN Trade and Development, hosted by وزارة التجارة والصناعة Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar

26/10/2026

Day 2 of the World Investment Forum continues in Doha! From art and culture to climate, skills and the future beyond GDP — here’s who’s taking the stage.

Tune in Monday, 26 October, to hear from:

H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson, Qatar Museums — on investing in art and civilizations

Noah Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer, Art Basel — on the business of global art and culture

H.E. Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Lesotho — special address

Shaikha Al Nuwais, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) — on tourism’s role in sustainable investment

H.E. Viliame R. Gavoka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Fiji — on investing in the future of culture and tourism

H.E. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Egypt — on investing in skills, talent and entrepreneurship

Selwin Hart, United Nations Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change, United Nations — on partnerships for the planet

H.E. Sohail Mahmood, Secretary-General, D-8 Organization For Economic Cooperation — on investing beyond GDP

🔴 Watch live: https://ow.ly/UpWa5100P4B

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