The highest decision-making body of UNCTAD is the
quadrennial conference, at which member States make assessments of
current trade and development issues, discuss policy options and
formulate global policy responses. The conference also sets the
organization’s mandate and work priorities.
- The conference is a subsidiary organ of the
United Nations General Assembly.
- The conferences serve an important political
function: they allow intergovernmental consensus building regarding the
state of the world economy and development policies, and they play a
key role in identifying the role of the United Nations and UNCTAD in
addressing economic development problems.
