United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body and principal organ of the UN General assembly dealing with the issues of trade, development and investment. UNCTAD’s main goals are to “maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to enter the world economy on an equitable basis”. It was established as an alternative forum for emerging economies to handle the specificities of their own domestic markets in response to the supposed inefficiency of other international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.