State of Qatar as Vice-Chair of Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission (UNCTAD) during its 13th session

November 16, 2022

The members of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) chose Mr Kassem Al-Darwish Fakhro, Commercial Attaché at the State of Qatar’s bureau to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other economic organizations in Geneva, as the Vice-Chair of the Investment, Enterprise, and Development Commission during its 13th session, held from November 14-18, 2022.

 

Entrusting the State of Qatar for this position comes in light of the great interest it attaches to developing investment policies, to achieve its development goals in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

 

The Commission provides the opportunity to discuss key and emerging issues in the area of investment and enterprise and their implications for sustainable development, as well as policy solutions. Discussions focus on ways to mobilize public and private financing for investment in achieving the SDGs. Additionally, the best performing IPAs receive awards for their exceptional achievements in promoting and facilitating sustainable investment in agribusiness.

 

The Commission also looks into ways to capitalize on the effect of new technologies in formulating science, technology, and innovation policies for sustainable development, as well as the challenges facing developing countries in this field and potential solutions. Special emphasis is placed on technologies in the fields of energy and agriculture.

Established in 1964, UNCTAD is a specialized United Nations agency, which seeks to promote development among developing countries, and to facilitate the integration of their economies into the global one. Moreover, UNCTAD works on developing ideas and policies in this field.

The State of Qatar chaired UNCTAD during the period 2012-2016, and hosted the 13th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD 13), convened in Doha in 2012. The Doha Manar and Doha Mandate documents, adopted during UNCTAD 13, represent significant achievements, as they underscore the importance of development, and point out the concerns of developing countries in international trade.