International Geneva: Guidelines for Trade and Development
From 20 to 23 October 2025, the sixteenth ministerial meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) took place in Geneva under the Swiss presidency. The member countries adopted the Geneva Consensus, which sets out the organisation's mandate for the next four years.
Within the UN system, UNCTAD has primary responsibility for issues relating to trade and development and related topics in the areas of finance, investment, technology and sustainable development. SECO's Trade Promotion Division coordinates the activities of the federal agencies involved in UNCTAD.
Minister for Economic Affairs and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin led the Swiss delegation and, as chair of the conference, called on the international community to uphold the fundamental values of consensus-building, economic openness and a rules-based trading system, especially in turbulent times. At the same time, he acknowledged the need for reform of the multilateral system, in particular for the various UN organisations to focus on their core competencies and make better use of synergies in order to create added value without duplication. This should increase the efficiency of the institution and promote the mobilisation of the private sector, thus enabling agile and future-oriented international cooperation.