Geneva, Oct 23 – UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan marked a decisive shift in global dialogue on development finance, celebrating the launch of the Sevilla Forum on Debt and simultaneously announcing that Qatar will host the 9th World Investment Forum (WIF) in 2026.
Speaking at the launch of the Sevilla Forum on Debt, Secretary-General Grynspan said the meeting represents a crucial breakthrough by shifting the focus to developing countries and the human cost of debt.
“If you look at bond markets, the world is not in crisis. Things look stable. It’s easy to mistake this for success,” Grynspan said. “But markets are not suffering – people are.”
She pointed to the reality that 3.4 billion people—100 million more than last year—now live in countries that spend more on debt servicing than on health or education. These countries are slashing budgets for hospitals, schools, and infrastructure merely to avoid default.
“This isn’t resilience—it’s a slow erosion of development; one budget cut at a time,” Grynspan noted. “The absence of a financial crisis is not the same as stability or prosperity. What we have now is perpetual crisis management dressed up as normal.”
The Sevilla Forum on Debt is designed to move beyond this fragile balance, aiming to build a new architecture where debt serves development instead of consuming it, and where creditors and borrowers coordinate before crises hit.
Qatar to host World Investment Forum 2026
Secretary-General Grynspan also announced during the 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) in Geneva that Qatar will host the 9th World Investment Forum (WIF) in 2026.
Held biennially, the WIF is the leading global platform for investment and development. The 2026 forum will convene leaders from government, business, and finance to address the world’s most pressing challenges, including global uncertainty, climate pressure, and digital transformation.
“The need for inclusive growth, resilient economies, and climate-smart finance is greater than ever,” said Secretary-General Grynspan. “Investment is about trust in the future, trust in partnership, trust in shared prosperity. We must forge multi-stakeholder coalitions that channel sustainable finance where it’s needed most.”
H.E. Ahmad Mohamed A.Y. Al-Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs of Qatar, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to advancing multilateral dialogue.
“We view this not simply as a ceremonial role, but as a substantive commitment to ensuring that WIF 2026 is action-oriented, inclusive and catalytic,” the Minister said. “Qatar stands ready to host, catalyze and partner in this journey.”
The 2026 forum will build on the momentum generated by UNCTAD16 and advance key global initiatives, including the UN Summit of the Future.
