At a high-level forum in Indonesia, Rebeca Grynspan emphasized the need for strong partnerships to overcome deficits in growth, trust and hope, while also calling for greater investment and more resilient supply chains for developing countries.

At the High-level Forum on Multi-stakeholder Partnerships in Indonesia, UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan emphasized the urgent need for transformative collective action from all stakeholders to tackle the Global South’s development challenges.

Speaking at the forum’s high-level plenary session on 2 September, alongside Indonesia’s Minister of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Pak Suharso Monoarfa, Ms. Grynspan highlighted the triple threat of deficits in growth, trust and hope facing the world.

Global GDP growth, projected at a modest 2.5% this year, remains nearly one percentage point below pre-pandemic trends. Ms. Grynspan underscored that the sluggish growth is compounded by a contested international economic order and faltering traditional drivers of prosperity.

Shifting global trade dynamics

The UN Trade and Development chief pointed to the rise of multipolarity and the Global South’s increasing economic weight. For example, South-South trade now surpasses North-North trade, signaling a shift in global power dynamics. She urged for a new multilateralism that decentralizes power and fosters inclusion, with African-Asian trade and cooperation serving as a critical example.

Highlighting Africa’s potential, Ms. Grynspan noted the transformative impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and stressed the importance of boosting investment in green technologies and innovation across the continent. Beyond Africa, she underscored the need to close the $4 trillion investment gap in the Global South to unlock sustainable development and shared progress.

Overcoming supply chain vulnerabilities

Ms. Grynspan also spoke on 3 September at the forum’s high-level thematic session on connecting the Global South and enhancing trade logistics, emphasizing the vulnerabilities in supply chains exposed by recent global disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts and the Panama Canal’s climate-induced drought.

She highlighted that developing nations are more vulnerable to such disruptions, especially small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, which on average face transport costs that are 32% to 35% higher than the global media.

Ms. Grynspan urged leaders at the forum to seize this pivotal moment to build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient supply chains, ensuring fair participation in global trade. While in Indonesia, she also participated in the 2nd Indonesia–Africa Forum. Both events were held in Bali from September 1 to 3.