United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses on international trade and economic development. First held in Geneva in 1964, UNCTAD has since focused on promoting the voices and fostering collaboration between countries on the world stage. For the past 60 years, UNCTAD has tackled many specialized issues, ranging from finance, food security, climate change, environment, inequality, and poverty. In light of global developments and under the realization that the dream of “prosperity for all” is still out of reach for many people, this iteration of UNCTAD convenes to keep answering these difficult questions.

Topic A: TIR Convention Reformation
The TIR Convention is an international treaty adopted in 1975 that aims to simplify and standardize the transport of goods across multiple countries. As TIR eases road freight transport across borders, many legal issues have emerged: smuggling, counterfeiting, and other illicit activities. Additionally, there are significant environmental considerations for UNCTAD: higher carbon emissions compared to other modes of transport, and the reduction of the environmental footprint of goods. Delegates will work to revamp the current TIR Convention to boost the efficiency of cross-border road transport, address security concerns, and reduce environmental damage in road transport.

Topic B: Housing and Land Management
In light of the rapid urbanization processes that many countries are experiencing, issues related to housing and land management have come to light, particularly in developing nations. Inequitable, even predatory practices of the real estate industry have led to affordable housing becoming less accessible to many. Real estate development has also had significant environmental impacts on cities globally. To that end, delegates will work on the provision of affordable, climate-friendly, adequate housing for populations, including vulnerable groups; transparent and efficient use of land and property registration; compact, inclusive, circular, resilient, empowering, and sustainable cities.

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