Signing Ceremony with the Government of Japan Supporting Three UNCTAD Projects
UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan participates in a signing ceremony with representatives of the Government of Japan to formalize support for three UNCTAD technical cooperation projects, with a total contribution of $280,000. Representing Japan were Ambassador OIKE Atsuyuki, Minister Norifumi KONDO, Ms. Tomoko Onishi, Advisor Maho Kishida (Trade and Development) and Press Officer Sho Funakoshi. The UNCTAD delegation included Luz María de la Mora, Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities (DITC); Mr. Angel Gonzalez, Officer-in-Charge of the Division on Technology and Logistics (DTL); and Mr. Yongbak Yin. The three projects supported by Japan are: Strengthening consumer product safety in Sub-Saharan Africa (Main beneficiary: Rwanda | $73,333 | Start: March 2026) – Supporting the development of effective consumer product safety frameworks and institutional capacity. Critical Energy Transition Minerals: Rapid Assessment of Value Addition and Diversification Capacity in Southern Africa (Main beneficiary: Democratic Republic of the Congo | $140,000 | Start: March 2026) – Identifying pathways for value addition and diversification to translate mineral wealth into sustainable industrial development. Strengthening transport and logistics for supply chain resilience and food security in Kenya ($66,666 | Start: TBC) – Enhancing logistics systems to improve resilience and food security amid global and climate-related disruptions. The ceremony highlighted Japan’s continued partnership with UN Trade and Development in advancing resilience, connectivity and sustainable development, particularly in Africa, and underscored the long-term value of capacity-building, peer learning and institutional partnerships. Photo Credit: UN Trade and development/William Albors
