Vietnam ready to host 16th session of UN Conference on Trade and Development: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asserted that with the experience of successfully hosting many international conferences, Vietnam will closely coordinate with UNCTAD to organise its 16th session in accordance with international practices and Vietnamese law.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 17 affirmed that Vietnam is ready to host the 16th session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) in October 2025.

Speaking at the meeting with Secretary-General of the UNCTAD Rebeca Grynspan, who is in Vietnam to attend the 4th Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in Hanoi, PM Chinh said Grynspan's participation contributes to the overall success of the summit and demonstrates UNCTAD's valuable support for Vietnam.

He appreciated the cooperation between Vietnam and UNCTAD and expressed a belief that their collaboration will continue to flourish.

Regarding the global situation, especially in the context of increasing global trade competition, PM Chinh emphasised that countries need to uphold multilateralism, international solidarity, and work together to overcome challenges and difficulties. He affirmed the importance of international trade and investment as drivers of growth, viewing this as an opportunity for UNCTAD to assert its role and contributions in addressing challenges related to global trade and investment, fostering harmony among nations to build a bright, green, clean, beautiful, and prosperous world.

Regarding the organisation of UNCTAD16, Chinh asserted that with the experience of successfully hosting many international conferences, Vietnam will closely coordinate with UNCTAD to organise the event in accordance with international practices and Vietnamese law.

He urged UNCTAD to continue coordinating and closely communicating with relevant Vietnamese agencies to prepare for the conference.

For her part, Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan congratulated Vietnam on successfully hosting the 4th P4G Summit. She expressed her impression of the strong messages conveyed by Vietnam's senior leaders at the summit regarding Vietnam's consistent commitment to upholding multilateralism, respecting international law, and adhering to international commitments.

Grynspan emphasised that Vietnam's successful hosting of the conference and the Prime Minister's message is a clear demonstration of Vietnam's strong commitment to achieving the United Nations' sustainable development goals and its determination to work with the international community to promote green and sustainable transition at the national, regional, and global levels.

Sharing the Vietnamese PM's view on the global situation, Grynspan noted that global trade in general, and developing countries in particular, face many challenges. In this context, Vietnam continues to assert itself as a strong, dynamic economy, truly becoming a successful model of transformation and economic development. Therefore, she said she hopes that UNCTAD16 held in Vietnam will provide a good opportunity to showcase Vietnam's success and share the experience of other countries.

Regarding UNCTAD's role, Grynspan affirmed that it will strive to support countries, especially developing ones, in overcoming current challenges, while continuing to uphold multilateralism and international trade relations based on mutual respect and international law./.